In a world of remakes this is a unique, high-octane novelty of schlocky fun and actual creep combined.

I go to the cinema a lot and it’s rare for me to be really blown away and surprised by a film.  Standing in line for the Candybar I said to my companion “Malignant just doens’t seem like the right name for this film.”  But after seeing it, I can promise you it is appropriately named.  It is out of control.

Malignant is probably the wildest ride of a film I’ve seen in ages.  There are so many twists and turns.  Actual horror.  Schlocky horror.  Borderline gags that hover between self-aware and terrible.  Bits where you can’t tell if it’s over-acting or genius.  This thing is a wild pastiche and it is also a rollicking good time.  Yes, I could forgive plotholes.  

Often I talk about trailer-drift, and Malignant definitely suffers it – but maybe in a good way.  The trailer makes it seem like this is a pretty straightforward supernatural horror about a devil.  It looks polished and cut within and inch of it’s life, maybe a bit like Hereditary.  But this is a far rarer and wilder gem.  As I watched the chaotic story unfold I was forced to ponder… “how will they ever get back to that scene in the trailer?”  How does it all connect?  From the opening scenes of the actual movie, it’s clear that this isn’t going to be as clear cut as the trailer sets up.  

It’s not even clear how a story this unconventional got green-lit by studios.

I’m often pretty carefree about spoilers, but with this film I think you should definitely go in cold.  It’s one of those stories that blew me away with it’s wild plot twists and reveals.  It’s very high on the action-vibe for a horror, whilst still managing some good clean creepy spooky scares as well.  And once it leans into the schlocky end of the spectrum it fully commits.  I like the way I saw someone describe it as “an abomination of genres.”

I think it’s a credit to this film that it is so amazingly bonkers that heaps of people in the audience were talking.  Whilst in general I’d say it’s polite to keep lips zipped, sometimes a film has that impact that just makes you need to turn to your companion and go “wtf?”  Both our group and several others in the cinema were muttering asides.  And for most of the time it was so loud you couldn’t have heard us anyway.  It gave this great sense of communal experience.

I do not remember the last time I saw such a wildly fresh vibe in horror.

J* gives it 4 stars.
(But probably had 5 stars of fun watching it).

PS.  It also has this epic Pixies/Fight Club song remix that ends up being so very on point.

PPS.  Such a rollercoaster.  Also probably very much a love it or hate it film.

PPPS.  I still can’t decide if I think it deserves it’s R18+ rating.