“Malignant” Is A Stomach Churning Scare

By Moe McGlynn, Staff Contributor

Malignant, released early September 2021, is now showing in theaters and HBOMax. This stomach-churning film was directed by James Wan, who is widely known for iconic horror series such as “Saw,” the “Insidious” franchise, “Annabella” and “The Conjuring.” 

Some recent movies such as “The Curse of La Llorona” and “The Nun” received low reviews (5.3/10 on IMDb and 23% on Rotten Tomatoes). James Wan’s fans were quite critical and expected much better when it came to his iconic, bone-chilling horror films. He then produced other movies like “Spiral” and “Mortal Kombat” which both impressed fans. 

Wan brought back a twist on the “Saw” series by introducing impressive fighting and thoughtful tactics to scenes. His fans have long waited for a new mind-bending film. I almost feel cheated by every other horror movie that didn’t master the mystery, the story, the twists upon twists and the tension of not knowing what’s coming next. “Malignant” stars English actress Annabelle Wallis, a woman who begins to have visions of people getting murdered, only to realize that the events she sees are happening in real life. I must say, some scenes definitely struck me emotionally and others gave me the chills. 

Annabelle Wallis stars in “Malignant.” Photo Credit: Slash Film

Malignant is a thought-provoking movie that brings its viewers on a road of questions and holds the audience’s attention very well. The crisp look, contrasting colors, eerie lighting and camera angles are just amazing! Wan has definitely outdone himself this time around. It doesn’t matter if you see it in a theater or not — the sound effects and jump-scares are good enough to have an impact either way. After watching this film and accessing the quality of the movie itself I feel this movie is rated an 8.5/10 for me! 

I believe that the dialogue was a bit tawdry, but I think that Wallis played her role excellently. Some scenes had me reminding myself that this was just a movie and not real. I, along with other fans of Wan’s work, will be looking forward to another film just as intriguing and unique as “Malignant.” I recommend watching this beautifully written and directed movie as it’s a good way to stay updated on the current horror scene, as well as new and creative ways of using props and scenery. “Malignant” is appropriately rated R. Be sure to read next week’s movie review to ensure that you don’t miss the biggest movies of 2021!