Maléfique

Watched this French horror film last night and pretty much liked it. The whole movie takes place in a prison cell with basically three prisoners who find a hand written journal in a wall from a serial killer that had escaped the prison 20 years earlier, somehow without leaving his cell. As they look through the diary, they discover it delves into the black arts and commands that might be their way out of the cell and to freedom. What they find out, is something completely different, and horrifying to say the least. I like low-budget horror films, that deliver the goods in a fairly quality way, and tell a good story. This movie does just that, despite taking a while to get going. The result and the horror they unleash is very interesting to me, and I enjoyed the ride. Not a lot of gore, but that wouldn't fit the story, although the gore it has is pretty good.

Low budget French horror that nearly succeeds, but disappoints in the end.

How many films do?

At times excellent characterization mood. Suspense are tightly built up. But more depth would have made this movie great. Many of the characters lives and motivations are left unexplained. Why is he in prison? Why does his wife want to leave him?

There are some laurels for this movie. The one set for most of the movie, the cell is an excellent idea. Some bizarre moments involving limbs and sodomy.

Would you watch it again probably not.

I didn't feel that this film was quite as clever as it seemed to think it was but enjoyed it nevertheless.

It is original, although reminded me a little of two other French films, Vidocq and City of Lost Children, mostly for the colouring but also for the edgy quality of the close ups of the characters.

Set in a prison cell but do not let this put you off, this film seemingly goes further than many a multi locationed blockbuster.

Always interesting, with the perennial 'Black Arts' well to the fore and very good characterisation making some only too believable!

Scary with some gore this is well worth a viewing.

First of all - I hate french movies. I dunno why, but I simply can't stand them it seems. I didn't like "Brotherhood of wolves", I was bored by "Delicatessen", I slept through "Taxi". So one can say that watching "Malefique" was a big step for me - especially because it was praised high by people who liked all the mentioned movies.

But I have to admit, this time they where absolutely right. "Malefique" has a very gripping atmosphere and grabs the viewer from the first second. The characters are believable (but not likable), the setting is really claustrophobic and the story has enough twists and turns to keep even the most cynical horror fan guessing what's coming up next.

There's even enough splatter to keep the gore hounds awake and - absent from a surprise ending that's not exactly surprising - the movie is mostly original and doesn't copy anything you've ever seen before. Also very interesting is that - even if the whole movie plays in a prison - you won't get the usual clichés.

So with "Malefique" and "Haute Tension" (wich also is great but in a totally different way) it seems that french horror is again something to keep your eyes on.

Great Movie 8 out of 10

In a penitentiary, four prisoners occupy a cell: Carrère (Gérald Laroche), who used his company to commit a fraud and was betrayed by his wife; the drag Lassalle (Philippe Laudenbach) and his protégée, the retarded Pâquerette (Dimitri Rataud), who ate his six months sister; and the intellectual Marcus (Clovis Cornillac), who killed his wife. One night, Carrère finds an ancient journal hidden in a hole in the wall of the cell. They realize that the book was written by Danvers (Geoffrey Carey) in the beginning of the last century and is about black magic. They decide to read and use its content to escape from the prison, when they find the truth about Danvers' fate. "Maléfique" is an original, intriguing and claustrophobic French low-budget horror movie. The story is practically in the same location, does not have any clichés and hooks the attention of the viewer until the last scene. I am a great fan of French cinema, usually romances, dramas and police stories, but I noted that recently I have seen some good French horror movies, such as "Un Jeu d' Enfants", "Belphegor" and "Dead End". My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Sinais do Mal" ("Signs of the Evil")