Near the last act it dawned that I was actually watching a stealth comedy masquerading as horror and it made everything better. With this revelation many of the pieces fell into place explaining the strange tonal discrepancies, genre mish-mash and overall absurdities. The movie looks fantastic, slickly produced and nicely directed by horror veteran James Wan, but there are no real scares beyond some over-the-top gory kills. The look and feel is top shelf, with fascinating moments of visual excellence, contrasting with questionable decisions and squandered potential in the setting (Why has no one made a good horror film dealing with Seattle’s underground since Kolchack)? The script is pretty wild, as the film jumps all over the place, from crime investigation, to 80’s slasher throwback, to some type of medical mystery to… Well, it would be a severe disservice to any intending to watch this were I to even hint at spoiling one of the most legitimately gonzo reveals and last acts in cinematic history. The balls-out insanity of the last act’s spectacle is worth watching for its unabashed lunacy alone. I have rarely seen anything like it, and while absurd I must concede the film’s pseudo-logic is at least internally consistent and if you can withstand the gonzo twist you’re likely to be entertained. As a horror movie I’d rate this a D, as a horror/comedy, I’d rate a more generous.
Malignant (2021)