As a fan of the Insidious films, I often joke that someone in Hollywood opens a thesaurus every year, looks up synonyms for "evil," and then makes a movie around the randomly chosen word. A few classic horror set pieces litter the canvas of Malicious: we have the overhead shot of the car moving towards the family's new dwelling, like in The Shining, creepy portraits that move, and an old woman entity that seemingly re-enacts a bathroom scene from The Shining. However, the results yield an uneasy mishmash rather than a confident narrative.
Critics have torn this film apart in some reviews I've read, but I'm a bit fascinated by the possible subtext of "dangerous femininity." The titular Malicious entity escapes from a "fertility box" given by the blond, thin heroine's provocative sister. Although Lisa is seemingly the perfect traditional homemaker, focused on preparing and cleaning her new home, she insists on jogging late in her pregnancy, alone and in new and unknown surroundings, wearing appropriate but rather revealing attire. Many of these behaviors are perhaps unsafe and a bit controversial, given the possible threat of encountering strangers or endangering the pregnancy (she lies to her husband and said she would walk in the previous scene.) This scene seems significant because it precedes her first supernatural encounter.
I will avoid spoilers here, but the Entity is very female, escapes from a fertility box, and responds to the query "How do I get you back in the box?" with "you don't." Is the film posturing that dangerous femininity is now out of the box? The husband, named Adam, perhaps as a reference to the first Biblical man, often occupies morally transgressive areas of action, and the final scene in a prison puts a troubling, chuckling buddy scene after he has committed, although for noble reasons, a great transgression.
The film may stumble and offer little competition for more competent and thrilling James Wan horror films, but it raises unease and asks interesting gender questions. Its set pieces and jump scares wilt a bit, sort of like a great dancer doing a tired routine out of boredom, but the dancer still deserves an audience.
Critics have torn this film apart in some reviews I've read, but I'm a bit fascinated by the possible subtext of "dangerous femininity." The titular Malicious entity escapes from a "fertility box" given by the blond, thin heroine's provocative sister. Although Lisa is seemingly the perfect traditional homemaker, focused on preparing and cleaning her new home, she insists on jogging late in her pregnancy, alone and in new and unknown surroundings, wearing appropriate but rather revealing attire. Many of these behaviors are perhaps unsafe and a bit controversial, given the possible threat of encountering strangers or endangering the pregnancy (she lies to her husband and said she would walk in the previous scene.) This scene seems significant because it precedes her first supernatural encounter.
I will avoid spoilers here, but the Entity is very female, escapes from a fertility box, and responds to the query "How do I get you back in the box?" with "you don't." Is the film posturing that dangerous femininity is now out of the box? The husband, named Adam, perhaps as a reference to the first Biblical man, often occupies morally transgressive areas of action, and the final scene in a prison puts a troubling, chuckling buddy scene after he has committed, although for noble reasons, a great transgression.
The film may stumble and offer little competition for more competent and thrilling James Wan horror films, but it raises unease and asks interesting gender questions. Its set pieces and jump scares wilt a bit, sort of like a great dancer doing a tired routine out of boredom, but the dancer still deserves an audience.