October 2021 Volume 4, Issue 8
Review: “Malignant” is a horror cult-classic in the making
“Malignant” is a surprisingly unique big budget camp horror film that was mis-marketed to audiences as a straightforward supernatural story.
The director, James Wan, is known for the “Conjuring” and “Insidious” franchises. However, his news film is a large departure from that type of horror. Wan takes inspiration from Italian horror films, called Giallo, along with slashers and camp horror.
The marketing of “Malignant” does not match the film that was presented to audiences. Instead it was more in line with that of Wan’s successful “Conjuring” and “Insidious” films. This created a polarizing film that some will love and others will hate or misunderstand.
The truth is in Wan’s new film, “Malignant,” he brings together his experiences in filmmaking to create a horror film unlike anything seen before. An interesting combination of the talents he learned from directing blockbusters like “Furious 7” and “Aquaman” along with his horror films “Saw” and “Dead Silence.”
The third act of this film delves into some amazingly shot and gory action that only James Wan with his blockbuster experience could’ve pulled off. From chase scenes to fighting scenes, Wan uses that experience in action and blends it in with horror elements.
Wan bravely created a film that takes huge and unhinged creative swings, in order to produce something boldly original in today’s era of horror movies. This made “Malignant” the difficult film it was to market.
The film will surprise audiences with a bloody good time. Once you think this film is going one way, it will twist and go in a completely different direction. The final twist in “Malignant” is as shocking and as memorable as “The Sixth Sense.” Another marketing issue to get around as it is difficult to show enough that will get people interested but not so much to spoil the film.
James Wan’s vision will not be for everyone but for those that it connects with, and understand the intentions of Wan, it will become an instant horror favorite. Even though the mis-marketing of this film contributed to its commercial failure, “Malignant” will garner fan recognition and become a cult classic to be discussed years from now.