Malignant (2021)

Directed by: James Wan | 112 minutes | horror, thriller | Actors: Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young, Michole Briana White, Jean Louisa Kelly, Susanna Thompson, Jake Abel, Jacqueline McKenzie, Christian Clemenson, Amir AboulEla, Mercedes Colon, Ingrid Bisu, Ruben Pla, Jon Lee Brody, Paula Marshall, Zoe Bell

In 2004 James Wan broke through with ‘Saw’. The low-budget horror film became such a success that there were dozens of sequels and a few video games. Wan acted solely as a producer and continued to make new horror films. Those films were also so well received that a number of sequels were inevitable. ‘The Conjuring’ and ‘Insidious’ became real franchises. Horror and Wan work well together. In the meantime, the filmmaker also ventured into a ‘Fast & Furious’ part and a comic strip adaptation. And yes, ‘Aquaman’ also became a hit! Wan’s love for horror didn’t cool off and he got back to work with his beloved genre. Enter ‘Malignant’!

‘Malignant’ revolves around Madison (Annabelle Wallis). This lady is heavily pregnant and married to a man’s sack. After an argument, the unconscious Madison wakes up in the hospital. Her unborn child and her husband are dead. What happened?

There are those movies that you need to know as little as possible in order to enjoy them the most. And yep, ‘Malignant’ is one such production. Wan has canned a movie you’ll never forget. The plot twist halfway through is brilliantly conceived and puts the previous in a whole new light. What makes this such a special horror film is that the usually serious Wan chooses to show a completely different side of himself. In this film he plays with the clichés of the genre and therefore you look at clichés. Think of the righteous cop and his tough, witty colleague and the desperate single officer. You’ve seen these characters a dozen times, but not in a Wan movie. That is refreshing.

‘Malignant’ continuously plays with your expectations and that’s great. The unpredictability is the film’s greatest strength. How does this end and where does Wan want to go? These questions will keep you focused. The thick, cheesy acting is also very enjoyable. The cast knows that they are not in a heavy drama, but in a bizarre horror spectacle. The airy atmosphere works very well. In terms of violence, Wan does not hold back. There’s a lot of blood flying around. If you like horror, are not averse to a big wink and want to be surprised (by Wan) then this is highly recommended!