Stephen Gillespie’s review published on Letterboxd:
A proper review to come later, especially as I just booked a ticket to see this again tomorrow.
This is just a whole bunch of my favourite horror movies thrown into a blender, in the best way (with really classily done allusions to several). What I really like is that it harkens back to the body horror of the 80s and the more idiotic end of 70's Giallo without just boringly aping the aesthetic. This is not a neon drenched, nostalgic throwback. This feels like a sharp, contemporary version of what those films were doing. Those genres are thrown into 2021 as opposed to a 2021 film trying to cosplay as the past.
This film just has an energy to it that transcends its utterly ludicrous plot. It fluidly shifts around, hopping horror subgenres, but the cinematic language matches this (swooping cameras for days): a film with real propulsion that owns its own wonderful stupidity.
Malignant is all out gore, it is all out fun. The blood splatters everywhere and even the CG approach doesn't get in the way, as the design is so theatrical and camp, and the speed of everything doesn't let you linger. To be honest, the film just sneaked in behind my critical faculties and bowled them over with sheer exuberance. There are so many areas I feel I should complain about, or lightly critique, but there's so much glee here. It knows exactly what it is, it has so much fun with being this and it is just full of jaw droppingly wild moments.
An utter blast and a film that so many people will really hate. They're not wrong... But they are not right. This film rules.
