We went and saw Malignant, and It had me all turned around. I didn’t know if this movie was coming or going. Wan is an experienced filmmaker, but this film makes me wonder if he had brain trauma since Aquaman.
(1:27) – Intro
(5:51) – Trailer
(8:42) – Synopsis
(9:07) – Review
(15:42) – Score
(25:50) – Spoilers
(1:02:17) – Make it Better
(1:18:01) – Outro
Malignant can be found in theaters now and streaming on HBO Max until Oct 10
@dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website.
Synopsis
Malignant is about an abused wife, Madison (Annabelle Wallis), who after her husband is murdered, begins to see a figure in the shadows and having visions of murders. She finds out that these murders are real and that she has been witnessing them in real time. As police investigate the crimes, they seem to be tied together and related somehow to Madison’s past.
https://youtu.be/Gczt0fhawDs
Review of Malignant (2021)
James Wan, the director of Malignant is an accomplished horror director. Say what you want about The Conjuring, Saw, and … Aquaman? The truth is he is a competent director that has made some very enjoyable and successful movies. So much so, that entire franchises have been launched from his films. So the question is. How did Malignant happen? Is this a joke?
I can only assume that Wan intentionally made a bad movie, because otherwise, the only explanation is head trauma.
There are times when it shines with pure stupid fun — mainly the opening and ending scenes — but the majority of the movie seems to have poor footing with its tone. I could see some of these terrible lines of dialogue and ridiculous plotting work in a committed exaggerated campy horror film, But foolishly, everyone is playing it subdued and straight. I sat there watching the film, bored for most of it, desperately wanting a Bruce Campbell in Evil Dead 2 type actor to bring some levity and self awareness. Nope, just performances of the caliber that you would see on your mom’s favorite c-tier CBS crime procedural.
The influences are many and varied. I’m reminded of most of Wans career with elements of The Conjuring and Saw apparent, but also campy horror classics like Re-Animator and Basket Case. However, instead of taking disparate ingredients and making an enjoyable stew, we are treated more to a bachelor’s feast of unrelated stale cold leftovers eaten out of tupperware containers.
The film could have gone a number of ways to explain what is happening to Madison. It could be a haunting, a possession, a serial killer, psychic powers, etc. What it ends up being, is so dumb that you almost want to stand up and clap.
I wish I could like this movie more, but the story in the middle of the film, and the characters are so boring, The ridiculous parts that I did enjoy couldn’t overcome them.
There's a particular kind of conversation that happens after the credits roll on a scary movie, when you're dissecting the jump scares and debating the monster's motives. Horror Movie Talk captures that exact feeling, serving up weekly discussions that are as much about the genuine love of the genre as they are about critique. Hosted by a team whose passion is palpable, this podcast delves into everything from the latest chilling release haunting theaters to those hidden gems-or notorious flops-you can find on streaming services. The analysis is sharp and deeply opinionated, but the chemistry between the hosts often leads the conversation into unexpectedly funny territory. It’s this blend of thoughtful review and spontaneous humor that defines the show. You'll hear passionate debates about cinematic technique, nods to classic influences, and honest reactions to whether a film truly delivers the scares. Tuning in each Wednesday feels like pulling up a chair with friends who’ve just seen the same movie, armed with strong opinions and a willingness to laugh at the absurdities that make horror so enduring. For anyone who lives for that post-viewing breakdown, this is a consistently engaging listen.
Author: Horror Movie Talk: Horror Movie Review
Language: English
Episodes: 464
Halloween III: Season of the Witch is available for rent at your local Blockbuster Video. What do you think of, when you think of the horror franchise Halloween? Ok, What do you think of when you think of witches? Well n…
Man, what a great show! On this episode we talk about what worked and didn’t work for us about Netflix’s, The Haunting of Bly Manor. THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (L to R) AMELIE SMITH as FLORA and TAHIRAH SHARIF as REBECCA…
In this final episode we see the fate of the inhabitants at Bly Manor, and have a lengthy Epilogue for those that survive the Lady in the Lake. (1:02) – Intro (2:16) – Synopsis (3:18) – Spoilers (41:29) – Outro THE HAUNT…
This is an episode where we get to learn a bit about Viola, AKA the lady of the lake. Almost the entire episode takes place in a time long lost to history, and frankly, this is my favorite episode in the series. It’s sad…
Episode 7 starts to weave all the story lines together as Rebecca and Peter are revealed to Dani, and the story of Rebecca’s death is told. We learn of Peter’s motivations in the afterlife and how it may have dire conseq…
In episode six we learn quite a bit of backstory about the family as a whole, but mostly about Henry. There’s a decent bit to learn about Flora in this episode as well, and she is kind of the B storyline here, which I fo…
This episode is the Hannah Episode. This episode keeps the audience off-balance by jumping back and forth through time and between memory and reality. As confusing as it can be, there are also a lot of revelations. We fi…
In this episode we get to learn a little more about Dani and her background with the man in the mirror. THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (L to R) VICTORIA PEDRETTI as DANI in THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX…
In this episode we are given the backstory of the previous au pair Rebecca Jessel played by Tahirah Sharif, and Uncle Henry’s assistant Peter Quint played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen. Peter and Miss Jessel have an affair, an…
We pick up the second episode of The Haunting of Bly Manor as if no time has passed between the last episode and now. Dani has just come out of the closet (wink, wink) and the kids are apologizing like they didn’t just v…
