- Release year: 2018
- Director: Olaf de Fleur Johannesson.
- Producers: Brian Coffey and Danny Sherman.
- Screenplay by: Ben Ketai and Eva Konstantopoulos.
- Cinematography by: Bjarni Felix Bjarnason.
- Music by: Al Hardiman.
Synopsis: Four scammers pretend to be able to banish ghosts until they come across a real hunting they cannot possibly defeat.
Shotgun Commentary: Mildly creepy, good for scaredycats who have just started watching horror.
Review
Malevolent is a pretty average horror movie of the haunted house subgenre. It does not really have much to say, but if you are not picky with your horror, or have not really seen much horror in general, you will find it entertaining.
The story follows Angela (Florence Pugh), a woman who pretends to be able to see ghosts while ignorant of the fact that she actually can see ghosts. Her brother Jackson (Ben Lloyd-Hughes) bands with her and two more unfortunate souls to go around the UK scamming superstitious people out of their money with the promise to rid them of whatever spirits plague them. Their luck runs out when they encounter a real haunting that proves to be more dangerous than anything they have faced before.
As far as haunted house horror goes, this particular haunting is gory and creepy enough to get you in the Halloween mood, but not much after that. Despite the amazing setup, the supernatural elements of the film do not have much bearing in the story. In fact, they barely show up at all. This would have been fine had the twist of the film not been painfully predictable, which it is. Looking back to the movie as a whole, it feels like a big waste of potential.
Ying and yang
Speaking of potential, let’s mention the highlight of the feature: Pugh’s acting. If you still had doubts about her acting abilities, do watch this film. The mediocrity of everything around her makes her talent shine even more so than usual. Her performance feels like she is that one student who worked for hours on a project that is not even graded. Remember that classmate? That is Pugh in this film.
Luckily, you still have Lloyd-Hughes to remind you not to take this too seriously. Playing the role of the insufferable *sshole for the umpteenth time, he predictably manages to get on your nerves flawlessly. Few characters manage to be so needlessly horrible and utterly frustrating, but Jackson gets there without breaking a sweat. So if you feel your lower eyelid tremble in contained wrath, do not say you were not warned.
Speaking of annoying things, it is important that the trailer is acknowledged here. Usually there are no trailer reviews on this website, but this is one of the few exceptions. Remember how I said that the twist of the film is predictable? Well, not only is it predictible when you watch it, it is actually spelt out in the trailer. Then again, you might not notice that the movie is spoilt bit by bit thanks to the great distractions that are the jump scares. Indeed, every single jump scare that has any chance of scaring you throughout the film is shown in the trailer as well. So maybe just watch the trailer and leave it at that; there is nothing new in the film itself.
All in all, Malevolent is an interesting attempt that does not pan out very well. It has its highs and lows, but in the end there is nothing shocking or interesting enough to keep the film in your head for long.
Advice to take from this movie:
- Don’t scam people. Just don’t. Get an actual job and let people be.
- You don’t have to do everything your siblings say just because they are your siblings.
- If someone looks sketchy, maybe don’t turn your back to them?
What’s your take? Have you watched Malevolent? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message on my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀