Malicious

Actually wanted to like 'Malicious', and yes there was the intention to judge the film for myself after watching it and even more intention to judge it fairly. Both have always been the case with me when it comes to reviewing a film. The idea was attention-grabbing and it didn't look too bad, so there was potential.

Potential that was not lived up to very well at all. 'Malicious' was not a waste of time but it is a long way from a must watch from personal opinion. Didn't regret watching it and didn't find that my intelligence was insulted, something that cannot be said for some other films seen recently, it just didn't compel let alone unsettle me which is a primary factor as to why 'Malicious' as an overall film doesn't work.

Lets start with the good things. 'Malicious' started off very well, it does draw one right in, sets things up promisingly and has an eerie vibe. It's a decent looking film, with the setting giving off the right amount of unease and the photography has atmosphere. The music is haunting and not too obvious or intrusive.

Generally the acting was better than average. Nobody over-compensates and nobody looks uncomfortable or robotic.

However, while the characters don't annoy there could have been much more development to them. The script is an overload of cheese and awkwardness and the direction is at best lethargic.

'Malicious' biggest issue is the story. There is very little tension, suspense or dread, with the scares infrequent and being going-through-the-motions-like and obvious when they appear. It is dull too often despite starting off so well and is very predictable from the excessive over-familiarity of a lot of scenes, while it becomes increasingly far-fetched and confused. Not enough is explained properly either, too much is left vague and leaves one scratching their heads.

Not a waste of time but doesn't scare or compel enough. 4/10 Bethany Cox

I gave this a 7 but it was bordering on an 8 as I liked the plot, visual scares and overall content.

It's a classic person becoming possessed type of film and this had some good content where that was concerned. It had a small cast and mostly set in one house lots of Doll faces in some of the scenes and that in itself is creepy.

The overall story was good and the ending not your normal kind where everything gets put right but as for the scares? Well lots of screams and not too much gore. The screen writers choosing to allow the story to entertain us rather than pools of blood and body parts.

Great horror/thriller flick, entertaining and not too drawn out

Malicious has it all... Crying babies, melodrama, boring math lectures, a blind parapsychologist, a visit from a witch in the shower, a haunted painting, ghost incest, and some tight outfits! This was pretty dull and routine for the first hour, solid. The only thing that got me through it was, literally, wondering what foxy number Lisa's slutty sister (Melissa Bolona) was going to wear next. Things pick up in the last half hour, where they do a paranormal investigation. There are actually a couple of good scares to be found in this. So, I don't know, read the synopsis and begin with chapter 5 on the DVD.

The movie had good cinematography and good acting. I don't remember having seen quite a similar story in any of the horror movies I have seen so far and I have seen many, so I would say some aspects of the story were original. Many ideas had been taken from movies such as Mirrors, the Unborn and other run-of-the-mill horror movies, so those scenes only served as a filler and didn't scare me at all. It did give me chills four or five times, so it wasn't a complete waste of time, but it didn't develop the scare factor as much as it could have, which is a real let down. The movie had potential to be really scary and leave you with lasting fear, but it was ultimately a failure.

What really annoyed me were the lead actor and actress. While they delivered good performances, they didn't have the looks. When I looked at their facial expressions, I couldn't help but yawn, and this is bad for a horror movie that demands your full attention. I think what actors and actresses look like is important and they can make you love or hate a movie and not be really able to explain why you feel that way. The characters were also not as developed as they could have been. We could have been told a lot more about the wife's sister, the evil entity and what it really wanted, its motives, the mysterious woman and her warning, the origins of the entity and the box, the reason for what the husband did at the end of the movie, etc. All in all, the movie left a lot to be desired. What you're going to get out of watching this movie are a few chills and wishing it had been directed by Sam Raimi. Now, he could have made this into a real horror movie.

I liked the story. Even though I think the characters ultimately unraveled at the end and behaved in a way that is inconsistent with the setup, the villain was original and the story was new.

This movie borrows from the Dybuk Box legend and mixes in some Rumplestiltskin mumbo jumbo, but I think the story works. I also think that the setting really adds to the isolation and the story, so that was a good story and direction choice.

The acting and character writing is where I struggled with this movie. I didn't buy the development of the character of either the wife or the husband. The occultist friend was pulled right from every other horror movie. If these characters had been likeable or believable, I think this story would have been really good. They weren't, though.