Malignant (2021)

By: Kami Kendall

James Wan, known for the “Saw” franchise and “Conjuring” films, has worked his magic once again (just not in the way you might expect).  “Malignant” is a comedy movie thinly disguised as horror. This one-of-a-kind slasher film will remain on your mind long after leaving the theater as you wonder what the hell you just watched. 

Actress Annabelle Wallis brings the movie to life with her skillful portrayal of the main character Madison, a woman stuck in an abusive marriage who begins to have visions of brutal murders that, as revealed by the local hunky detective and his quirky team, are actually happening real time. Yet, it becomes hard to resist rooting for the “bad guy” killer, simply because he has so much style. 

Wan takes elements of what might be a “bad” movie: the side characters’ bad acting, cheesy horror-genre clichės, an overuse of a cover of the Pixies song “Where Is My Mind”, and mind-boggling, gory action sequences, and manages to create something genuinely entertaining. This film has the potential to be a future cult classic. It is strongest in its psychological visual effects and stylistic score, but the plot will not be for everybody.

If you can turn your mind off and enjoy this movie for what it is you will have a good time, or you might deeply hate it. Either way, Malignant will stick with you, much like a tumor, in all it’s forearm-popping, Olympic chair-throwing, prison-brawling glory.