This post is part of my movie-a-day challenge in which I will watch a film every day for 365 days. Today is Day 216! You can see all the posts for this challenge HERE. To see the original Movie-a-Day Challenge post, click HERE.
Hey friends!
So, I finally got around to watching the 2018 horror flick “Malevolent,” directed by Olaf de Fleur Johannesson. Honestly, I went in with high hopes. I mean, who doesn’t love a good spooky movie night, right? But honestly? Meh. 😕 It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever seen, but it didn’t exactly blow my socks off either. 🧦💨
First off, the plot. We’ve got Angela (played by Florence Pugh, who’s always amazing – seriously, if you haven’t seen “Midsommar,” do it) and her brother Jackson (Ben Lloyd-Hughes). They’re a pair of scam artists running a fake paranormal investigation business. They go around “helping” people with hauntings by pretending to see ghosts and then charging for their services. Yeah, classic con stuff. But then they take on a job at an old orphanage where things start getting real, and surprise, surprise, there are actual ghosts.
Now, Angela starts hearing voices and seeing things for real, which freaks her out (understandably). This is where the movie tries to shift gears into a genuine horror story. But here’s the thing: the build-up is so slow that by the time we get to the spooky parts, I was already checking my phone for the time. The creepy orphanage setting had potential, but it felt like they were relying too much on clichés rather than building genuine suspense.
Florence Pugh plays Angela, and she’s definitely the star of the show. She’s got this amazing ability to switch between being a total badass and a vulnerable mess, and it’s pretty captivating to watch. Ben Lloyd-Hughes plays Jackson, and while he’s not bad, he doesn’t quite match Pugh’s intensity.
Let’s talk about the ghosts. The special effects were…not great. I know it’s a low-budget film, but sometimes less is more, you know? Instead of eerie, it came off as kind of cheesy. There’s one scene with a ghost girl that’s supposed to be super scary, but I just ended up laughing. It was like she walked straight out of a discount Halloween store.
The plot itself is kind of predictable. You know, the whole “fake paranormal investigators encounter real ghosts” trope. It’s been done a million times before, and “Malevolent” doesn’t really bring anything new to the table. There are a few decent jump scares here and there, but nothing that’ll keep you up at night.
One thing I did appreciate was the film’s atmosphere. It’s got this gloomy, gothic vibe that definitely adds to the creep factor. And the old mansion where most of the action takes place is pretty darn spooky.
Oh, and the whole subplot about the siblings’ traumatic past? It was like a half-hearted attempt to add depth but ended up being just another plot point that didn’t really go anywhere. I felt like they were trying to cram too much into the movie without developing any of it properly.
So yeah, “Malevolent” just felt a little flat to me. It had potential, but it never really lived up to it. Maybe it was the predictable plot, or the lack of truly terrifying scares, or maybe I’m just becoming immune to horror movies. Who knows?
If you’re looking for a light, mildly spooky watch, then “Malevolent” might be worth checking out. I did find it entertaining. But if you’re expecting a truly terrifying horror experience, you’ll probably be disappointed.
TTNF! 👋
Roger