One of the most intriguing voices in modern horror has been james Wan. Wan demonstrates his command of the genre with his current project. Malignant is a bizarre combination of all the greatest and cheesiest 80s slasher components. Complete with a one-of-a-kind murder weapon and a soon-to-be-iconic assassin. After a horrible murder in her own home, Madison finds herself in a terrifying situation. She's being stalked by a serial killer and seeing glimpses of his victims in the future. The rest of the story is a creepy mystery with a lot more camp than you seem to anticipate.


Wan's direction keeps the movie interesting and disturbing. Wan's distinctive flair pervades the horror scenes, and they're all the better for it. He even manages to create some visually stunning action moments. His efforts on Aquaman have certainly paid off. The result is a bit of a mixed bag. The compositions were more distracting than engaging for me and it's a shame because his music has always been one of my favorite aspects of Wan's other films, such as Insidious and The Conjuring.


The film's tone was also an issue for me. Malignant is an homage to 1980s horror, but it struggles to reconcile this tribute with the serious present subject matter and tone. What is intended to be comic and what is accidentally ludicrous is not always evident to me. The film's finale, in particular, has the potential to divide spectators. In a good way, I found it hysterically absurd. Others may find it bafflingly inane. In any case, the picture is ambitious and daring. Following the lackluster Conjuring, Malignant delivers some much-needed james Wan horror. In my perspective, that's always a victory.

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