FilmSnobReviews

Title: Malignant
MPAA Rating: R
Director: James Wan
Starring: Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young
Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins

What It Is: There is something wrong with Madison (Wallis). She’s seeing things, experiencing murders that aren’t happening to her. She is paralyzed during this momentary lapse of her mind. When the truth of the murders and the person committing them is unveiled it’ll unearth some secrets that was long thought buried. Secrets that could lead to the lives of many others being in real trouble. All the while Madison is a passenger in her mind somehow.

What We Think: So insofar as horror films in 2021 James Wan’s newest is a gigantic misstep. It is a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously despite the material. The problem is this is felt greatly throughout the picture. It comes off as schlocky and comedic. Nullifying whatever tension was once palpable. James Wan has always presented his films with tongue in cheek but I think with this one he goes too overboard and hurts the film as a whole. Perhaps its hubris, or ego either way the film fundamentally does not work. It’s a fun time for those who enjoy schlock but I am not that audience.

Our Grade: C-, While not completely devoid of creativity or fortitude the film is a struggle to make sense of even when it’s over. Annabelle Wallis presents us with a decent performance but Maddie Hasson isn’t that great and as mentioned the material is too off the wall to make enough sense. This said nothing of the structure of the script which could best be described as a mess. Where the film succeeds is in how wonderfully well it is shot and how much fun audiences can have with enough libations. Outside of that this HBO MAX original is a hard skip.