95

How lucky are we to exist in a timeline where James Wan goes from directing the gonzo epic Aquaman to spicing up his own Horror resume with something like Malignant? If I had to describe a movie that checks every sort of box to appeal to me personally, it's this. Not only riffing on Gialli, James Wan returns to his terror roots with bone-deep references of splatter horror and 80s grindhouse. Mixes of Dario Argento, Frank Henenlotter, David Cronenberg, maybe even a dash of Sam Raimi. But it's all James Wan in function and practice. From the sincerity of its humor, to how the comedy is woven into the physically absurd action set-pieces, all while on the surface, the film is operating as a haunted house/serial killer procedural with undercurrents of campy melodrama. It's a great example of a delirious and delightful late-night scare-fest.