10 Horror Movies You Probably Hated The First Time Round (But Loved The Second)
6. Malignant
James Wan is one of the most reliable and distinctive auteurs in modern horror, so it was only logical for fans to expect 2021’s Malignant to be another classic in his catalogue. And it definitely is, but experiencing it twice is practically mandatory to see it that way.
You see, what originally seems like a fairly straightforward tale of a woman (Madison) being framed for the murders of her seemingly imagined childhood friend (Gabriel), turns out to be a much more deranged and awkward ride in terms of both narrative and execution.
Just about everything in Malignant – from the camerawork and editing, to the acting and dialogue – is uncharacteristically messy and laughable. Plus, the big plot twist (that Gabriel is Madison’s parasitic twin who lives on her back and controls her) is mind-blowingly outlandish.
The thing is, all of that is completely deliberate because Malignant is an ingeniously tongue-in-cheek homage to past horror experimentation.
From trashy greats such as The Evil Dead and Basket Case, to the Giallo opuses of Dario Argento, Mario Bava, and Lucio Fulci, Malignant is a knowingly ridiculous yet awesome throwback to Wan’s inspirations. How can you not love the now-legnedary prison and police station fight scenes?