Rating: 4
As an avid horror movie fan, I liked to think I could predict how the story was going to go, but this one really had me stumped, and the reveal had me absolutely amazed. Malignant is an incredible movie about a woman named Madison who is starting to have blackouts and visions about murders that are actually happening in the world around her. Spoiler; it turned out Madison was born with a parasitic twin that had been taking over her body and killing people in order to carry out revenge. The movie blends mystery, horror, gore/body horror, and the perfect amount of suspense to keep you on edge and wondering what on earth is going to happen.
Throughout Malignant, they use an extraordinary amount of techniques to keep you on your toes. It’s got it all; people falling through ceilings, badass fight scenes, old footage to tie the plot together, and a sisterly bond that saves the day. My favourite part about the movie is the title, Malignant, meaning ‘evil in nature or effect’ and ‘very virulent or infectious’, which sets it up perfectly if you know what the word means before starting to watch. The theme of malignance is built up slowly but surely, laying the groundwork until the third act does what the third act does best. It tries to convince the audience that Madison is simply going insane, that this is something to do with her imaginary friend from her childhood, and in the process, makes you go a little crazy too.
It’s a really well done psychodrama/horror, perfect when you want your brain to hurt a little and want to see a lot of bloodshed in the process. Malignant highlights the terrors of the past, the unreliable narrator, and the way that memories will come to haunt you.
