Malignant, a review.
I have no idea what the intention was behind the plot and characterisation of the film. None of it made any sense to me, and that is rare. Maybe it was down to poor execution and a supernatural element that never really felt like it fit, but this disjointed story seems a mix of ideas that never truly mesh. And that is a shame, there are hints that this film could have been better. Maybe, not great, but better. As it stands, there are a few standout moments, but overall, it is a poor film. Annabelle Wallis is fine as the lead, though she never really gets a moment to shine, and the other actors are all solid enough. There are no brilliant performances here, elevating the film. I wish this was a silly enough film that it could be considered a good bad film, but for me, it fails to achieve that.
The film centers around Madison, played by Wallis, a woman who begins to experience harrowing visions after her violent husband is killed horrifically by some unseen presence. And let's be real here, he deserved it. Madison finds him with his neck broken, passes out, due largely to her cracked skull, and wakes up in the hospital to find she has miscarried, again. It is a small detail, but one with surprising weight behind it in the upcoming narrative. Madison soon finds she is having visions of someone killing people, caught up seeing the killer enacting the kills, and she is some kind of passenger. This trope has been used in other films and television series, and it is used serviceably here. The film moves on with the police becoming suspicious of Madison, the killings somehow tied back to her, and someone known as Gabriel. The opening of the movie gives enough hints that I think most who watched this film would have worked out the twist by now, though it never felt like a real surprise. We have a visually impressive scene in the police station that, whilst truly unbelievable, is at least interesting to behold. We discover more of Madison's past, her connection to Gabriel, and the truth about the woman Gabriel kidnapped. The film has a fairly obvious ending, if somewhat silly, leaving Madison with superpowers that are never explained.
At first, I thought I would like this film. And I did try, but it is so stupid in places. Gabriel, whilst at first might seem interesting, just doesn't make any sense. How the hell is he even still alive? And just how big is Madison's skull? I can forgive some things, but a tumour that size would have been noticed when she first had her skull cracked by her husband in the opening act. How does Gabriel and, by extension, Madison possess superhuman speed and strength? And do houses in America have industrial-sized fans in their attics? I mean, that thing is massive. All-in-all, this film has some good ideas, but to me, they are just poorly implemented. The whole 'vision' thing is used well, and kind of works, but there isn't enough here to keep my interest. And I have tried rewatching this film several times, and each time I end up zoning out of it.
After my previous statements, it might seem that I would give this film a low score, but I don't think it is a terrible film. It is just not one that worked for me. I can see this working for others, and it has solid enough performances from all the actors involved. I put this film at a 5 out of 10, for me. It has some good bits here and there, but just fails to work, in my opinion. Give it a watch, and let me know what you think.
