I just got back from seeing Malignant, one of the many new movie releases out now in movie theaters.
Unlike recent movies I’ve seen, it didn’t have a Thursday showing and didn’t begin having times on Friday until the late afternoon. I decided on the 7:15 p.m. showing at the local AMC Theatre near me so my boyfriend and I could see it together after his workday ended.
I arrived at the AMC a bit late after some unexpected traffic, so I missed most of the pre-show movie trailers. Personally, that’s one of my favorite parts of going to the movies, but I’ve been going so frequently that the commercials I did catch were ones I had already seen. The theater was a bit smaller than other movies I’ve been to lately, but I will note that there were a lot of night showtimes in close proximity.
What is Malignant about?
Malignant (directed by James Wan) is a supernatural slasher film. Madison (Annabelle Wallis) is a pregnant woman in an abusive relationship. After a horrifying break-in to her home, she begins to have strange visions that are connected to reality in a horrifying way. These visions point her toward Gabriel (Marina Mazepa) and a past she can’t remember but must confront.
The movie also stars Maddie Hasson, George Young, and Michole Briana White.
My thoughts on Malignant
I had seen the trailer for this movie circling the internet for weeks. I still genuinely didn’t know what to expect. Let me tell you, what I expected was not what I got. I assumed the movie would be supernatural, and it was, but it was more than that.
Malignant had dynamic action scenes. The fight scenes, particularly the way the supernatural character moved, were absolutely fascinating. They were fast-paced. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from the screen. The movements were creepy and haunting. I imagine the next time I’m home alone that will be what haunts my nightmares. And I mean that genuinely.
The story was also suspenseful. While I found some of the story predictable, I was still on the edge of my seat with the score and the scary moments. It followed certain genre conventions, but that didn’t detract from the moments I was supposed to be on the edge of my seat.
For me, while it was supernatural, I’d categorize it more as campy horror. There was a lot of gore, but it was unrealistically gory at times. Supernatural slashers tend to fall into that category. This was no exception. Certain kills the audience laughed, hollered, or yelled at the screen more than they were afraid. It’s the kind of movie you watch with a bunch of friends and try to predict the outcome. If gore isn’t your thing, I’d avoid slashers altogether, but especially this one. It gets you real close and personal with the human body.
What others thought about Malignant
This was genuinely one of the more out-there horror movies I’ve seen in a long while. I couldn’t wait to see what other people thought about it.
In the AV Club’s review of the film, writer A.A. Dowd writes, “Wan’s new movie, Malignant, is more ride than symphony. But it’s a ride to remember.”
Miles Surrey of The Ringer says:
“Wan brings the same campy energy of his blockbusters back to the genre that first put him on the map, and the movie feels destined to become an object of cult-like fervor for its sheer WTF-ery.”
Of course, Twitter had tons of thoughts too!
Michael and other fans loved how insane the film was.
So it warrants mentioning again:
Malignant is insane and I think I loved it for just that reason.
— Michael SubJack Skellington ??️? (@MSubjack) September 11, 2021
Robert wished he could have seen it in theaters.
Okay Malignant was pretty fucking cool. Took a while to get there though. Halfway through I thought it was just okay until it got there.
I wish I could’ve seen it in a theater. Even more, I wish I could’ve seen it at Fantastic Fest. That would’ve been a fucking party. pic.twitter.com/co4SK3eSbP
— Robert Luke (@OhNoRobertLuke) September 11, 2021
Plenty of moviegoers retweeted this meme.
#Malignant spoiler with no context. pic.twitter.com/c7NnAbzzed
— Spoil & Chill ? (@SpoilerPleaser) September 10, 2021
Chris praised the film for embracing camp.
#Malignant is absolutely insane and completely unpredictable. It’s also one of the first modern horror films I’ve seen in years that fully embraces ??CAMP??, which I thought was a long-dead art. More like this, please. pic.twitter.com/ypoJA78uOj
— Chris Stuckmann (@Chris_Stuckmann) September 10, 2021
After watching the film, I definitely recommend joining the discussion on Twitter. The memes were hilarious! This is a movie that will live “rent-free” in my brain for a long while.
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