Malignant is a delightfully campy return to the horror genre for James Wan

Malignant is the triumphant return to the horror genre for James Wan, the creator of such massive hits as Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring. It is a welcome return, considering he created 3 of the genre’s biggest franchises and jump-started two sub-genre trends that have defined the last two decades of horror. Wan has proven to be a consistent eye for commercial success, having made seven films that have made over $100 million (and two that made over $1 billion apiece), but Malignant feels like a different kind of film. It is an infinitely weird and silly film, bouncing between genres and tones with gleeful energy. It is goofy as hell and intentionally aware of its campy tendencies, and since it leans into them, it is a delight to watch. It tells the story of a pregnant woman named Madison (played with intensity by Annabelle Wallis), who is attacked in her home by a dark masked figure who kills her abusive husband in the process. As she is recovering, she begins to experience strange visions of her attacker committing other murders. These visions are complicated by the fact the murderer seems to share the name of her malicious childhood imaginary friend: Gabriel.

Wan has always worn his influences on his sleeve, and it has never been more evident than in Malignant. He is pulling from supernatural Italian Giallo films and the Dark Castle horror remakes from the ’90s and ’00s in terms of tone and iconography. The killer, Gabriel, is clad in black leather and kills with a knife in various gothic environments. These styles mesh perfectly with Wan’s sensibilities, his eye for slick style, and remarkable sincerity. He has never shied away from silliness or authentic emotion, and here he doubles down on it like never before. This movie plays with absurdity and humor in such a refreshing and exciting way that most modern films altogether eschew. To understand the tone Wan is going for, look no further than the minor character revelations in the first act underscored by intense music that would typically accompany a jump scare that has gone viral on Twitter the past week.

On first viewing, the film can be offputting. The first act seems messy, full of seemingly unrelated vignettes involving the killer and characters we have never seen before. It feels chaotic and unrelenting, as Wan and screenwriter Aleka Cooper never let you settle into a comfortable tone where you think you know what to expect next, resulting in a constant “what the fuck is going on??” feeling that has undoubtedly divided audiences. But there is a method to their madness as the film kicks into gear once it passes the halfway point. The reveals and twists that Cooper and Wan built into the film pull such a misdirect in terms of tone, expectations, and genre itself that it defies description without spoiling the whole thing. It demonstrates such self-awareness, mastery of craft, and attention to detail that they manage to tie every little detail back into the narrative in an inventive, outrageous, and satisfying way.

Speaking of the attention to detail within this film, this is something that Wan has always displayed. He has an eye for little details that lesser storytellers would excise from the story for the sake of pacing, which, in his hands, enrich the story. Small character moments such as minor nonverbal responses that Wan displays by holding onto a shot for a second longer are all over his filmography, including Malignant. But this eye for detail doesn’t just enhance the character moments, it also builds the sense of fear and tension. For example, there is a small moment at the beginning of the film where Madison’s husband Derek sees a dark figure sitting on their couch that disappears when he turns the light on. Once he flips the light on, the room is displayed in a wide shot that holds while he searches for the intruder but finds nothing. Then Wan includes just a single-second insert shot of the couch cushions rising from an indent, confirming the presence was indeed there. Of course, such a minor moment isn’t necessary to the scene’s story, but it creates such a sense of dread that sent chills down my spine.

His talent for formal craft is all over this film, using the creative framing and eye for wide-angled composition to create paranoia and a sense of voyeurism in the audience. Every shot is immaculately composed, using shadows and expressionistic neon lighting to craft this gothic and macabre tone without sacrificing the sense of camp and fun that defines the experience of watching this movie. Lightning strikes and buzzing neon lights highlight the bright red of blood. He knows exactly how to pace a scene, using camera movement and lengthy takes instead of rapid cuts to keep us in the moments of tension and fear (as well as to revel in the violence and insanity of the latter half of the film). Wan is a master craftsman who makes horror films with more consistency and style than any other mainstream filmmaker. Malignant is a chance for him to go absolutely bonkers and use every tool in his considerable toolbox in this melodramatic story without any need for restraint or minimalism.

If you have made it this far into this review, you probably know whether Malignant is for you. On paper, it should not work at all. But thanks to Wan and Aleka Cooper’s ability to tie everything together in this story through the filter of campy, over-the-top horror of the past, they manage to pull it off. Every performance constantly skirts the line between soap opera cheese and the type of sincere emotiveness found in Oscar-bait dramas. Annabelle Wallis, in particular, carries tremendous narrative weight on her shoulders and manages to land flawlessly thanks to her expressiveness and physicality. Malignant is a delightful horror romp that knows not to take itself too seriously and is perfectly aware of its silliness. This is not The Conjuring 4; it is an entirely different (and far bloodier) beast. But it is a gratifying experience that is such a breath of fresh air compared to many of the self-serious and samey supernatural horror that have dominated the box office in recent years. I highly recommend it and hope that James Wan continues to make these twisted and weird horror tales for years to come.