Malevolent

While far from being a great example of the genre, this haunted house / survival horror film is saved from banality by two things. Firstly, its sound design, which makes good use of the period setting to build atmosphere through the scratches, clicks and distorted audio of walkie-talkies used by the team of paranormal investigators. But secondly, and most importantly, by strong performances from Florence Pugh and Celia Imrie (who is able to bring depth and feeling to a character that could have been a paper cutout in the hands of a less skilled actor). The plot also teases at some parallels between the personalities and motivations of these two characters, both in their relationships with their mothers and their desperation to hold onto what remains of their families.

There were moments during this horror flick where I was fully engaged but then found myself struggling to keep interested. The pace is uneven and the dialog stiff and unnatural. A big part of the problem is actor Ben Lloyd-Hughes. Perhaps it's the fault of the filmmakers for making this Brit actor an American caritcature, cartoonish in his immorality, bullying with denim shirt sleeves rolled up like a 50's Kerouac character, but most of the fault likes with the actor himself. Lloyd-Hughes prefers bludgeoning the viewer instead of giving us muted shades. On the other hand, Florence Pugh is a revelation. Whereas Lloyd-Hughes's portrayal lacks subtlety, Pugh is all nuance. Silent through much of the movie, the director lets Pugh's face tell the story. She has a way of barely moving her facial muscles to convey a great deal. At one point early on, a friend asks a newly-haunted Angela if "she's on something." Her reaction perfectly captures that look narcotic drugs can bring to a person; it leaves the viewer with no doubt to her changing state of mind. A wonderful moment. As for the film itself, it avoids many of the genre's repetitious gimmicks, relying on our imagination to fill in the blanks. For that alone, and Pugh's remarkable performance, I enjoyed "Malevolent," despite the lagging moments, weak dialog and Ben Lloyd-Hughes.

A simple idea but easily to determine how it's going to end. Good acting but sometimes a bit stiff. Some scenes were gruesome but overall an ok 'ghost' story if you have a spare hour or so to watch it. Nothing to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Just a short review:



The first (jump) scares are good but after that the movie slows down. Acting is okay at worst but the lead actress is cute. The movie starts fine yet slows down when the actual plot starts. The movie has good ideas that failed to execute properly, but still is fine. Don't expect to be scared after the first 30 minutes.



Veredict: Has potential but although not executed properly it's at worst decent to watch. Not much scares. If you like Get Out/ It Follows type of movies, give this a watch.

Malevolent, which just premiered on Netflix, is about a phony ghost-hunting crew in the '80s who encounter a real haunted house. I'm seeing a lot of negative reviews for this. Thought it wasn't half bad myself. Sure, it doesn't really do anything new and the story and direction is average, emphasis on AVERAGE. This is a competent film, and I was entertained enough for the running time. The cast is game and sells this. Also, there are a couple of interesting song choices that did catch me by surprise and added to the creepiness.