Movie review: Malignant
This year is turning out to be a corker for daft films.
The movies that do not so much stretch credibility but pull it to shreds, laughing maniacally as they defy all you boring souls who demand sense and logic.
Fair play to director James Wan.
Rather than turn Aquaman's billion-dollar status into a springboard to worthy, chin-stroking epics, he is back on the horror beat, setting up jump scares left, right and centre in this melting pot homage to 70s and 80s horror.
Wan's skill is finding that unnerving element that really sets you on edge.
The early part of Malignant, which is currently showing in cinemas here, features a lot of effective shadow play - sinister figures in the corner or just barely visible in the night.
Or indeed, a dark, faceless creature chasing our heroine Madison (Annabelle Wallis) through her home, as she tries to beat it to the door.
But then gears shift for the rest of the film - which runs 30 minutes longer than needed - and it evolves into more of a slasher flick, before becoming something close to a superhero film.
And the daftness builds all the way.
After a seemingly supernatural home invasion, Madison is beset by gruesome visions of people being murdered - only the murders are real.
You may have heard about the bizarre third act and while you may have figured some of the clues, it has to be seen to be believed.
It is also part of what seems to be Wan's truthful emulation of 70s and 80s video nasties by employing some questionable visual effects.
It is a running motif of being intentionally cheesy (hopefully it is deliberate).
The pre-credits sequence also features William Shatner-level line reads. In fact, a lot of the dialogue is, well, terrible.
Only our homeboy George Young, as the investigating detective, comes out of this as being in any way realistic.
Malignant is nonsense, but it is a fun diversion as it almost becomes a parody of itself.
And yes, as with much of the Wan-verse, this is likely a springboard to multiple sequels.
MALIGNANT (M18)
score: 3/5
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