Stylistically, the film is wild and daring with bold cinematography and the most in-your-face score since Suspiria. Even attempting to sub-categorize this film will run you in circles: Is it a haunted house story? A slasher? A psychological thriller? Perhaps all of the above? Malignant certainly keeps the viewer on their toes. The horror influences are wide-reaching, running the gamut from Roman Polanski and Dario Argento to Sam Raimi and Frank Henenlotter. While helping the police catch the culprit, Madison must re-visit suppressed memories from her past that may unlock the key to the identity of the murderer. It swings for the fences and, although it suffers a few missteps along the way, Wan's outrageous return to splatter reminds us that the young Aussie who made Saw seventeen years ago has not lost an ounce of edge.Įver since Madison Mitchell (Annabelle Wallis) was injured in a brutal attack, she has suffered paralyzing visions wherein she is forced to bear witness to a series of grisly murders at the hands of a deformed serial killer. Well, Malignant turns that nuttiness up to 11. I especially love when his films go a little nutty, like Insidious: Chapter 2. The Conjuring films are not always my cup of tea but Wan's scare-crafting skills are undeniable. Liu's camp performance often provides the film's natural humor that will easily solidify its place among cult favorites like Miami Connection or The Room.įull disclosure: if I see the words "James" and "Wan" attached to a horror movie, I am automatically in. Wilson had an especially challenging task as Liu's original lead performance is notably over-the-top. ![]() A couple of genre legends were recruited to lend their voices, including Don 'The Dragon' Wilson, Cynthia Rothrock, Michael Berryman, Linnea Quigley, and Leon Isaac Kennedy. This is not Kung Pow: Enter the Fist the ADR serves only to re-create the original performances (many of whom are still unidentified), not to add parody or forced irony. ![]() ![]() When you have a roller skating ninja and a henchman who chews on his own rattail, you don't need to add anything. While taking some artistic liberties is inevitable in a situation like this, the VinSyn guys did an incredible job preserving the source material and letting the bonkers footage speak for itself. With the popularity of "so-bad-they're-good" movies these days, it must have been tempting to deliberately inject humor into the film but it never feels that way.
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