MALIGNANT: REVIEW

So, did James Wan watch Leigh Whannell’s “Upgrade” and say, “I can do that too, except with a supernatural spin on it!”

Malignant is the latest film from director James Wan. It’s funny how after directing Aquaman, he decided to go back to his roots as a horror director. Some of his fans may see this film as a welcomed return, while others may see it as an odd step back in the wrong direction. From the opening credits, James Wan establishes what kind of film we’re in for, it reminded me of the style he originally emulated when he directed the first Saw movie.

The film has some gorgeous lighting and cinematography, Wan always has a fine visual eye, and knows how to build an eerie atmosphere and a sense of dread in such a unique way. Always leaving viewers guessing and subverting our expectations for when the next jump scare is going to be. Although I’m personally not a huge fan of his night shots since they’re so brightly lit with shades of blue that I never get a sense of true darkness that the film tries to set. Don’t believe me? Compare the lighting from James Wan’s horror films to The Witch and Sicario, and you’ll see a clear contrast in lighting and effect.

The film also has some clever cinematography, there’s a nice sequence where the lead protagonist runs through the house, and we get an overhead shot of her as she runs through the house from room to room. Although it does break the illusion that it’s a set and not a house, which some may find a bit distracting or off putting. The film has a very old school feel to it, a return to basics and the simplicity that James Wan seems to be aware of. So many of the set ups are considered tropes and cliche but Wan knows how to build enough suspense and tension from a cliche set up that by the end of it, you don’t mind because the payoff usually works. But that’s not always the case.

Also, it’s worth noting the bizarre musical choices at times. Some transitions feel a bit out of place due to the bizarre techno score that feels a bit abrupt and out of place for such a traditional horror film. Also, the transitions during the visions don’t feel as fluid as they try to be. Instead of doing some clever editing or unique lighting to do these transitions to show these visions the main character is going through, they prefer to do these cgi transitions where the entire location changes and it just doesn’t look that appealing to me. I understand wanting to do something different but it’s just distracting to be perfectly honest.

Overall, I thought it was a decent film, it had a very old school horror feel to it that I enjoyed. Some of the lighting and cinematography was gorgeous to look at and James Wan knows how to build an eerie atmosphere and suspense sequences.

Rating: ★★★★☆

MALIGNANT IS NOW AVAILABLE ON HBO MAX AND IN SELECT THEATERS.