James Wan returns to the pure horror arena with this energetic and muscular horror-thriller. After a lively old-school 90s-set pre-title sequence set in a cliff-side research hospital, the film moves to the present day and finds a pregnant abused wife with her partner in a fog-bound house seemingly facing a violent entity...but that is just the beginning of this very unpredictable and seemingly reality-twisting tale that really does keep the viewer guessing. The narrative puzzle-pieces fit together slowly and effectively, leading to a couple of shocking sudden reveals that are great fun. Wan is a director who is never afraid to deploy the camera in interesting ways, which he does to good effect here, and the pulsing old-school synth-and-strings-styled soundtrack plays very well. Malignant is spooky and unsettling, with touches of Frank Henenlotter and Stuart Gordon, and it offers a very interesting and knowing twist on what initially appears to be a familiar horror sub-genre that is hugely entertaining for genre fans.
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