THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
James Wan is a modern horror icon due to kickstarting now iconic franchises in the 21st century (Saw, Insdious, and The Conjuring). When he expressed creativity through the action genre (Aquaman, Furious 7, and Mortal Kombat), audiences wondered when would return to his roots. In 2021, he did just that and delivered.
PLOT
Malignant takes place in Seattle, Washington, and follows Madison Lake who is going through her fourth pregnancy. During an argument with her husband Derek (Jake Abel), he shows his abuse by slamming her head on a wall. She would than lock him out of the bedroom for the rest of the day. By nighttime, he would killed by an unknown figure. That same figure would attack his wife, which would result in her fourth miscarriage in a row. Her sister Sydney chooses to look after her as much as she can once she returns home. Madison was able to go after being questioned by detectives Kekoa Show and Regina Moss. By the night, the figure abducts a woman who runs tours at Seattle Underground. It would later murder Dr. Florence Weaver (Jacqueline McKenzie) and Madison is put in a trance to see it firsthand. By morning, she discovers what she saw to be real when the murder is reported on the news. She does go to the police station and shares her knowledge to the detectives, but they do not believe her because they believe she killed Derek when they discover his abusive behavior and she claims to not remember the incident. The figure would even kill more people as the days go by: Drs. Victor Fields (Christian Clemenson) and John Gregory (Amir AboulEla). Despite skepticism, Shaw does look into Madison’s claims which resulted in him finding the serial killer, but unable to catch him as he was able to escape. During this, Maddie would share with Sydney for the first time that she was adopted by her mother Jeanne (Susanna Thompson) and doesn’t remember anything before than. When Fields is killed, she gets a phone call from the killer and finally remembers him to be someone from her past named Gabriel. When visiting Jeanne, she would share that Gabriel was mistaken to be an imaginary friend, but something real that would try to force her to commit sinful acts when she was a child. Maddie would than have a session with a hypnotherapist enlisted by the detectives, hoping to unlock memories of her past. She does find a few, that her birth name is Emily May and she almost killed an unborn Sydney under Gabriel’s control. When she breaks from the hypnosis, the abducted woman from Seattle Undeground falls through the ceiling, revealing to be held captive in her home this whole time. Because of this, Maddie is find responsible for the past murders that started with Derek. The woman is identified to be her biological mother Serena May (Jean Louise Kelly). Not wanting to give up on her sister, Sydney goes to the Simion Research Hospital where she was given reconstructive surgery before the adoption. She does find videotapes that she would watch with her mother that explain everything: Serena was raped at the age of 15 and left Madison at the hospital after giving birth to her. Gabriel is actually her twin brother who lives in her body as a result of teratoma. Because of their conjoint body, he drew sustenance from Madison and was always psychotic. When he had a killing spree, Weaver decided to separate them. She was able to surgically remove most of his body, minus his head because he shared the same brain with Madison. Not wanting to kill his sister, his head would be stitched up inside the skull where he would remain dormant. Taking all of this information, Sydney realizes that Gabriel had been feeding off of Maddie’s babies and was released when Derek smashed her head. When her sister gets jumped by cellmates at a holding cell, Gabriel breaks free again and kills all in their way. Just as Shaw as informed by Sydney about the truth of Gabriel, he and Moss luckily survive his attack at the precinct. Once the officers are slain, he moves to his next target that is Serena. Sydney does reach the hospital alongside Shaw to prevent anymore bloodshed. Although the detective gets stabbed by Gabriel’s weapon, she is able to make contact with Madison; when she shares that Gabriel is responsible for her miscarriages, she takes control of her body again. First, she makes him believe he had slain her sister, only to reveal it to be an illusion, gaining more power than him. With it, she is able to mentally transport him in a mind scape, promising to be ready if he breaks out again. The film ends with Madison having a warming embrace with Sydney.
THOUGHTS
As a fan of Wan's filmography, I knew that I would see this film in a heartbeat. I was able to check it out on (HBO)Max during its original theatric run and I was easily blown away with the end result. This was highly thrilling of a horror film, thanks to a sense of originality brought to the table by co writers Akela Cooper and Ingrid Bisu. We experience of how our greatest obstacle can literally come within. Throughout the whole runtime, I kept trying to figure things out and only realize to be far from it. I won't believe it when people say they pieced things together. This is exactly how fun a movie can be: The chance to uncover the unexpected. Like any horror film, the violence that is ensued delivers in being as realistic as you'd expect in this era of filmmaking. And on the other hand, Michael Burgess displays his best cinematography from the trances to the surprise action sequences. When you hear Joseph Bisara's score, you're certain things are not gonna end smoothly. I obviously would've not made it this far without such a memorable ensemble. We really gained unlike any other in the form of Gabriel, whose origin creates such a shocking twist. Every chance we see him, he is fueled with nothing but range because of the fact that he was unwanted. Knowing this, he wanted everyone to suffer like him. On top of that, he would only be riled up more when his Emily loved Sydney instead of him. He even has such a unique weapon out of Weaver's trophy. Every time I notice it, it just stands out like the weapons from prior slashers. If you think his ability to manipulate electronics doesn't frighten you, then the second you see his face will. All of this explains how lives up to the movie's title. With the combination of Ray Chase providing the voice and Marina Mezpa being the physical performer, this character was perfectly brought to life. His greatest victim however, happened to be the one person he was connected to, his sister Emily/Madison. While the young McKenna Grace reflected her pure innocence, the adult Annabelle Wallis was on point in presenting her as someone who had enough of the abuse and torment. Although it takes a while for her to regain control, she shows us that it is possible to take charge and overcome those that cause abuse and women are able to make their own choices with their bodies. I also dug Maddie Hason as Sydney, the one true sibling to our protagonist. Throughout, she did everything she could to save her and succeeded, becoming an unsung hero in the progress. Her actions prove that you don't have to be related by blood to be part of a family. And lastly, the duo of George Young and Michole Briana White had a nice dynamic as Shaw and Moss respectively. Moss is someone who chooses to open and shut cases with eases, while Shaw is someone willing to hear other parts of the story to properly connect the dots and get a straight answer. Even though I naturally enjoyed this movie, there were a few moments I can't stop thinking about. First off, howcome Maddy never got ice for her head in the opening? I get that she wanted to avoid her husband, but she could've done it if she checked to see when he fell asleep. Also, how did she not hear Serena above her roof? She can't be in a trance forever, so she had to have heard her at some point. And how did no one walk into the bathroom when Gabriel called her? That's a public bathroom. I'm not saying everyone would be in there, but at least one person like Sydney should've walked in to create realism. Speaking of Sydney, how had she not known Maddy was adopted? I mean she should've known during her teenage years because she didn't need that to be kept from her. And lastly, why would she go to the hospital alone? I know she couldn't take her mother and it would be difficult to get Shaw to join him, but it was too risky. And at the same time, the suspense to her time there felt timeless since nothing happened when she went in and out of there. To wrap up, Malignant is the most creative horror film of 2021 for being completely unpredictable. You want to have fun with horror? This movie is the one for you.
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