MALIGNANT

US, 2021, 111 minutes, Colour.

Annabelle Wallis, Maddy Hasson, George Young, Michole Brianna White, Jean Louisa Kelly, Jake Abel, Jacqueline McKenzie.

Directed by James Wan.

Malignant is a top title for a horror film. It has evil inbuilt in the very word. Malignant is malign and malevolent. And that is to the fore in James Wan’s most recent horror contribution (Wan being the director of the original Saw as well as directing two Insidious episodes and two Conjuring episodes and producing a great deal more – though varying his interests and style with DC Comics’ Aquaman and its sequel.)

Malignant can refer to an unwelcome growth like cancer. Malignant can also refer to grimly hostile attitudes. Both are relevant in this story.

The film opens with Dr Weaver, played by Jacqueline McKenzie, talking to camera about the work she is doing with special children when she is interrupted by one of them having a violent outbreak. He wreaks violence, killing staff, eventually bound down. But, Gabriel does not remain bound down and makes increasingly ominous re-appearances in the present day! In Seattle (Will a lot of rain and downpours sequences).

Our focus of attention is on Madison, pregnant, arriving home from work, a clash with her alcoholic husband and a violent response for him, knocking her against the wall, hitting the back of her head – which, we will eventually realise, has some devastating consequences. Madison goes to hospital, loses the baby. But, she is disturbed by a sinister presence that she has experienced in her house. Her sister, Sidney, is supportive (Maddie Hasson). A detective, K (George Young) is earnestly sympathetic while his partner, Regina (Michole Brianna White) remains steadfastly cynical, especially as regards any theories that call in the mysterious, the psychic.

The film goes along steadily in this vein but, about halfway through, the tension rises significantly, Madison experiencing being present when Gabriel, sinister, tall, black, flowing hair, face undiscernible, wreaks vengeance on Dr Weaver. Madison is at home but, with effective special effects, walls come down and transform into the room where the killing is taking place, Madison witnessing. And this recurs several times.

We are now in the horror vein, Gabriel let loose, the detective pursuing him through the streets, into subterranean ruins of old buildings. And Gabriel shows no mercy, and a dreadful propensity for massacre, of medical staff, of police in the precinct headquarters.

While this continues the horror conventions, the film moves back into the science field, and takes on something of science-fiction aspects while offering a great number of scientific explanations, the family and the detective researching documents, Sidney going to a most sinister abandoned building where the treatment of the children took place, finding videos with Dr Weaver spelling out what happened.

The solution has frightening elements in itself, Madison and her relationship with Gabriel, the story of her mother and her adoption, medical treatment – and the building up of a psychic and physical confrontation between Madison and Gabriel.

Here is a horror film which takes itself seriously, using the conventions but presenting them in an upmarket style, inviting a broader audience than just the fans.

1. The title? An intrusive growth? Malevolent intentions?
2. The work of the director, his contribution to the horror genre?
3. The Seattle setting, the city, the 1990s, the present, the views of the city, the countryside, the enormous Institute abandoned, dark interiors? Police precincts? Hospitals, surgery rooms? The rain in Seattle? The musical score?
4. The prologue, Dr Weaver, the tapes, information, Gabriel, his, gruesome killings, his being tied down? The later return to Dr Weaver, her career, her trying to help children, difficult children? Gabriel and his gruesome attack on her? Her later being seen in the videos? The other doctors, their contributions, collaboration with Dr Weaver, later decades, their gruesome deaths?
5. The introduction to Madison, pregnant, home from work, reactions of Derek, his drinking, turning on her, the violence? Madison hitting her head on the wall, the blood? The explanation and the later consequences? In the night, the mysterious presence, her going downstairs, the attack on Derek, his grim death?
6. The police, K, Regina Moss, the investigations? Madison and suspicions? Hospital, the loss of the child? Her previous miscarriages? Her grief, wanting a blood bond, the story of her adoption? Sidney, her sister, coming to visit, support?
7. The woman in the attic, tied up, Gabriel’s presence, taunting, her getting free? Eventually collapsing through the roof? In hospital?
8. Madison, the story of her adoption, her not remembering prior to the adoption? The story of her mother, 15, pregnant, allegedly dying, giving the daughter up for adoption? The revelation of the woman in the attic, Madison’s mother? The revelation through the videos, the explanation of what it happened?
9. Madison, the bond with her sister, memories of the past, home movies, birthdays and celebrations? But Madison and her malevolence, talking to her mysterious friend? The reaction of her parents? The love for her, overcoming her bad memories and the link with Gabriel?
10. The visits to her mother, talking with her mother, explanations?
11. Madison, going home, her experiences, the blood from her head? The transformations, her being present at the killing of Dr Weaver, of the other doctors? K and his sympathetic investigations, attraction towards Sidney? Regina Moss, hardheaded, sceptical, not believing in anything psychic?
12. K and his studying the files, identifying Madison as one of Dr Weaver’s patients? His being too late to prevent the doctor being killed?
13. Sidney, the visit to the Institute, large, abandoned, eerie, getting the files, watching the videos?
14. The hypnosis sequence, taking Madison back into the past, her real name, identity, Gabriel’s continued presence?
15. The revelation of the truth, the visuals of the young child, Gabriel as a twin, parasite, in the back of her head? The surgical attempts to rectify the situation? behaviour Enabling Madison to live an ordinary life? The injury to the back of her head, reactivating Gabriel?
16. The visuals of Madison/Gabriel, monstrous? Two-faced, the camera moving from one face to the other, malevolent, malignant? Aggressive, the death of the doctors, K and his long pursuit in the corridors, down the scaffolding, through the underground?
17. The final visual confrontations, the dead police, Regina being injured, K, Sidney and the table on her? Sidney and her reaching out to Madison, to take control, to destroy Gabriel?
18. Effective horror conventions? Interesting science fiction – and the elaborate medical and scientific explanations for science fact?