Maligno

I really really loved it. I think its an insane fun ride, it's dark and it is exactly what the director wanted to do, something different. It worked.

The body horror in it is great, the actions scenes are super juicy and to be fair quite new in horror films, considering how stylised they were. The plot twist was damn good and the trip of the third act alone made me want to go back and watch it again.

Can't forget to mention the soundtrack.... THE SOUNDTRACK!! It was great, Joseph Bishara composing and mixing to the level he always does.

So yeah, thanks for the 80's love letter, James Wan and crew!

I don't think anything can prepare you for what this is. I suspected there would be something wild afoot, but even that didn't prepare me. What happens is actually pretty insane and creative, but the execution of it is so ridiculous that you just can't take it seriously.

Given how cheesy this movie was at the start and knowing James Wan was the director, I figured they had to be in on it and doing it intentionally. But as the film progresses, you realize they're actually playing it completely straight and it's honestly just that bad. This movie really isn't scary either which was surprising.

The camerawork is big highlight and the over-the-top 80s music was pretty fun. You can tell Wan was trying to make a throwback here, but he forgot the self-awareness that's necessary for movies like this. I know some people are saying the camp is intentional, but even if it is, it could have been executed far better than this.

I will give Wan credit for creating a truly original horror film that actually surprised me. Whether you like it or not, we should applaud more filmmaking that takes chances and doesn't completely give away what a movie is about beforehand.

People are always whining that no one tries anything new in Hollywood, well here it is. Sure it borrows elements from other movies but it's a fresh take. Turn your brain off and just enjoy the ride. If you're a true horror fan, I mean one who devours all things horror, you'll love it.

I had fun with this movie. They just went nuts and it was amazing. For a lot of the movie, I had problems with choices the characters were making. I was worried that when it got to the end, I was going to feel like it wasn't plausible enough. Well, that wasn't a problem, because this movie is so far off the rails, you'd be a goof to complain about realism. I appreciate what they did here, and I wish more movies could take things this far. Did I mention this movie is completely crazy?

This film is bonkers. I felt like I was watching a Giallo or 80s low budget B-movie if it were competently made and given a massive budget.

This is a horror movie the way they used to be. Unpredictable, insane, gross-out, freak out stuff. It's not a movie made by a committee, it's not the usual haunted doll or spooky house movie where the narrative grinds to a halt as you wait for the inevitable loud noise jump scare when someone looks into a mirror or closes a door.

And it's not the joyless, ugly torture porn that has plagued the genre in recent decades either. Nor is it a wink-wink self-referential Scream type parody either.

Malignant plays it relatively straight for much of its runtime, presenting a genuinely intriguing mystery and a scary, seemingly supernatural killer.

But when the third act happens (you'll know when it does), the film goes completely off the rails. In one of the most over the top sequences ever, Malignant embraces its silly concept and goes all out action gore-fest. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and ended up laughing my butt off. The last time a movie completely flipped the script like this was From Dusk Till Dawn. Here the twist actually makes sense in terms of the narrative. The story - while stupid - is surprisingly coherent.

That's the secret sauce to many horror classics. Take a dumb, disgusting or bonkers concept, and fully commit to it. It may not please focus groups, but it's how you make a cult movie that remains memorable.

What a breath of fresh air. Thank you, James Wan. This was beautiful.