Malignant Review: 5 Ups & 5 Downs

Downs...

5. The TERRIBLE Script

By far the single biggest issue with Malignant is the script from Luke Cage writer Akela Cooper. Even beyond how utterly silly the central narrative gets, the atrocious, robotic dialogue is sure to rouse frequent unintended laughs.

The chit-chat between the police officer characters investigating the mounting pile of bodies proves especially risible, while exposition is lazily dumped in the audience's lap on regular occasion by way of video tape cutaways.

It's impressive that the cast managed to get through their oft-clunky dialogue with straight faces, as characters routinely speak in distractingly unnatural and awkward ways.

Beyond this, the film's more serious-minded themes about trauma and abuse also feel clumsily handled, and may even prove offensive to some.

All in all the wonky script is certainly good for a few laughs, but these often come when Wan is clearly trying to ratchet up some genuine suspense and intrigue.