Okay, so this isn't perfect by any means but I managed to watch it to the end and I even managed to bring myself to give it a 6/10 rating.
A pregnant couple move into a faculty house when the husband gets a job in the area as a math teacher. When they get there they find a gift has already arrived for them; a fertility box which can't be opened - until the wife opens it... Anyway, at the husband's new school he meets the head of the department, an enigmatic, blind guy who has other, more paranormal interests outside of academia.
The drawbacks of this film to me were that it was predictable (which is okay if it's filmed and directed well - and this wasn't too bad) and the other thing is the husband...he's a bit 2 dimensional and doesn't display enough emotion or good, realistic reactions to the events that transpire (not the actor's fault. It's the fault of the director).
The pros of this film are that, although it's a painted by numbers horror, the characters and acting are good and the there were enough interesting and quite well-done moments of horror throughout to sustain my interest which has become extremely fussy these days (being 50 years old).
Overall: Not bad! A bit flat in places but a half decent offering. It's more of a 5 but I gave it 6 because I got to end without feeling too much frustration.
77 Reviews
Some good moments
Keniata20 October 2018
I did not want to watch another useless horror movie.. But I gave it a try anyway... There were really some good frightening moments but they could have developped more Dr Clarks' character.
Not punchy and enigmatic enough in my opinion, but it's much better of what I have seen this year in terms of horror movie... Really.
Reasonably entertaining, but a bit too slow and too low on real scares.
johannes2000-113 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This may not be Oscar-winning material, but it still kept me entertained right up until the end. The premise (couple with pregnant wife occupies a new home and is met with supernatural horrors, having to do with the unborn child) is not very original, but it was nicely done and the original twist here is that for a change it is not the house that is the cause of all the mishaps, but a box that they got as a gift. The acting by main characters Bojana Novakovic and Josh Stewart was pretty good, as was the supporting role by Delroy Lindo.
My main reservations lie in the fact that for a supposed horror movie it lacks real scares, it's all atmosphere (dark lightings, rain and thunder, strange noises, etcetera), the appearances are well done but don't really raise your hair and there is no gore or violence whatsoever. Add to this a rather slow pace, and the fact that in the end, when you were hoping to get all the answers, you're still kept in the dark for the why's and wherefore's.
So to sum it all up, it doesn't make my rating higher than a 6 out of 10.
My main reservations lie in the fact that for a supposed horror movie it lacks real scares, it's all atmosphere (dark lightings, rain and thunder, strange noises, etcetera), the appearances are well done but don't really raise your hair and there is no gore or violence whatsoever. Add to this a rather slow pace, and the fact that in the end, when you were hoping to get all the answers, you're still kept in the dark for the why's and wherefore's.
So to sum it all up, it doesn't make my rating higher than a 6 out of 10.
What a mess.
bladexz953 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Inconsistent characters, a boring and cliche storyline, predictable scares, and plot holes galore. She loses her baby, and she magically can't have anymore kids; this is what the doctor says, and the husband is thoroughly based on logic and science, yet he never asks why she can't have kids, she just can't have any kids. A sister that picks up a present on her way to their new house, yet somehow still manages to get the present there long before she arrives. None of this makes any sense. It's a garbage film with no actual rhyme or reason within. The only reason I gave it a three is because the actors did a decent job with the crappy script.
Not "Malicious", but Inane.
tmccull5216 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
A young college math professor receives an unexpected but lucrative offer to teach at a new college. He and his very pregnant wife move to a new house, which is, of course, in the deep and spooky woods. The math professor is Adam, played by Josh Stewart, and the wife is Lisa, played by Bojana Novakovic.
After his first lecture at his new college and classroom, Adam meets the head of his department, the blind Dr. Clark, played by Delroy Lindo. After an amiable introduction, they exchange views on the application of logic. Adam is very clinical in his opinion and approach, and Dr. Clark is a bit more cavalier in his opinion and interpretations of logic.
Meanwhile, at this same approximate time, Lisa manages to open an antique wooden box that she and Adam were previously unable to open. Shortly thereafter, Lisa goes for a jog in the woods near the house. Along her path, she finds a woman weeping. Lisa approaches the woman, and sees that the front of her dress is covered with blood. The mystery woman tearfully advises Lisa to lose her baby, not to care for it. Upset by this encounter, Lisa turns and goes home. Once there, she calls Adam to tell him about the encounter. Upon hearing of the encounter, which terribly upset his beloved wife, Adam jokingly asks the distraught Lisa if this mystery woman was playing a banjo, and if she had all of her teeth. Even the legendary "Star Trek" character Mr. Spock wasn't as devoid of emotion as Adam is.
Lisa ends up suffering a miscarriage and loses the baby. She and Adam are both told that there was significant internal trauma incurred during the miscarriage, and that Lisa will never be able to have children again. While Lisa is in the hospital, her younger sister Becky, played by Melissa Bolona, arrives, ostensibly to take care of Lisa. It becomes quickly apparent that Becky and Adam don't care much for one another. Adam views Becky as a scatterbrained occultist with wide-ranging views, and Becky sees Adam as cold and unfeeling.
Adam and Becky take Lisa home, and it takes Becky all of two minutes to lasciviously and overtly drool over one of Adam's interns, Eddie.
Lisa begins to experience increasingly eerie and macabre phenomenon in the house, and so does Becky, who is assaulted by her own reflection in a full length mirror. Becky decides not to tell Lisa about this. In the meantime, Adam agrees to a paranormal investigation of the house, lead by the blind Dr. Clark.
That evening, Adam comes home to find Lisa crying and distraught. Becky has gone missing. Adam tells Lisa not to worry, as Becky has always been erratic and flighty, almost completely unreliable. They then decide to make love, and during coitis, Adam suddenly and sporadically sees another woman on top of him, and not Lisa. Adam does not know this, but the mystery woman riding him like a rodeo star is the same woman that Lisa met in the woods just prior to the miscarriage. We know this because she is not playing a banjo, and she has all of her teeth.
Dr. Clark comes to the house and makes like a cross between Uri Gellar and Charles Xavier of the X-Men. He is able to somehow sense that the box that Lisa opened is on the fireplace mantel behind him. Going to the box, he announces that Lisa did not suffer s miscarriage, but that instead, she killed the baby when she opened the box. Lisa takes this revelation remarkably well, and it is the cold and clinical Adam who becomes angry and throws Dr. Clark out of the house.
Subsequent to this, Adam is basically raped in the shower by the mystery woman, who transforms into a hideous hag. Shaken by this, Adam allows Lisa to convince him to bring Dr. Clark back to the house to conduct a thorough paranormal investigation.
This movie is inane on virtually every possible level. Adam is the archetypical emotionally distant husband who clings more to math and logic than he does to Lisa, his wife. Dr. Clark is portrayed as a metaphysical guru who just somehow has all of the answers, all of the time. And oh, by the way, the organically and practically blind Dr. Clark is possessed of clairvoyance... a sort of psychic sight. He is able to see and converse with the malicious entity during a psychic episode. The answer is to somehow get the entity back into the box, which Dr. Clark has identified as a Mayan fertility box.
The previous tenants of the house, James and Emily Spencer, went through the same experiences as Adam and Lisa. Lisa recognizes a photograph of Emily as being her mystery woman. Emily was killed by James, who is in prison. Adam and Lisa visit James in prison, to see if he can tell them how to put the entity back into the box. James tells them that the only way to do so is to kill Lisa.
And Lisa agrees.
On the way home from the prison, Lisa makes her argument on why she needs to die. Adam is attacked by the hag from the shower while driving and crashes the car. He wakes up after a time and finds that Lisa is gone. He makes his way home to find Becky has returned, and that she has been possessed by the entity. For some reason, Adam keeps having visions of his intern, Eddie, banging Becky against the tailgate of a pick-up truck, in the rain. He has this vision again, goes outside to investigate, and finds Eddie dead. He goes back into the house and finds Lisa, who is now babbling about needing to love and nuture and protect the entity, as Dead Emily had warned her NOT to do. Now, Lisa is possessed by the entity, and she stabs Adam in the stomach with a butcher's knife. Despite this Adam is able to battle the old hag, who suddenly appears and attacks him. He physically tries to stuff an adult-sized Old Hag back into the fertility box, which burns her. She rushes at Adam again, and he stabs her through the abdomen with a fireplace poker. Surprise! The old hag turns into Lisa, who begs Adam to kill her. He does.
Dr. Clark visits Adam in prison. Adam was tried and convicted of killing Lisa because she discovered that he was having an affair with one of his students, despite the fact that there wasn't a single shred of evidence of any such affair. Dr. Clark tells Adam that the police were unable to find the Mayan fertility box. Adam tells Dr. Clark not to worry, he knows where the box is. He sent it back to where it came from. The last scene is of a now pregnant Becky, about to open the box.
This movie is rife with loose ends, and offers no explanations as to most of the main plot points. It isn't "Malicious"; it's idiotic, and inane.
After his first lecture at his new college and classroom, Adam meets the head of his department, the blind Dr. Clark, played by Delroy Lindo. After an amiable introduction, they exchange views on the application of logic. Adam is very clinical in his opinion and approach, and Dr. Clark is a bit more cavalier in his opinion and interpretations of logic.
Meanwhile, at this same approximate time, Lisa manages to open an antique wooden box that she and Adam were previously unable to open. Shortly thereafter, Lisa goes for a jog in the woods near the house. Along her path, she finds a woman weeping. Lisa approaches the woman, and sees that the front of her dress is covered with blood. The mystery woman tearfully advises Lisa to lose her baby, not to care for it. Upset by this encounter, Lisa turns and goes home. Once there, she calls Adam to tell him about the encounter. Upon hearing of the encounter, which terribly upset his beloved wife, Adam jokingly asks the distraught Lisa if this mystery woman was playing a banjo, and if she had all of her teeth. Even the legendary "Star Trek" character Mr. Spock wasn't as devoid of emotion as Adam is.
Lisa ends up suffering a miscarriage and loses the baby. She and Adam are both told that there was significant internal trauma incurred during the miscarriage, and that Lisa will never be able to have children again. While Lisa is in the hospital, her younger sister Becky, played by Melissa Bolona, arrives, ostensibly to take care of Lisa. It becomes quickly apparent that Becky and Adam don't care much for one another. Adam views Becky as a scatterbrained occultist with wide-ranging views, and Becky sees Adam as cold and unfeeling.
Adam and Becky take Lisa home, and it takes Becky all of two minutes to lasciviously and overtly drool over one of Adam's interns, Eddie.
Lisa begins to experience increasingly eerie and macabre phenomenon in the house, and so does Becky, who is assaulted by her own reflection in a full length mirror. Becky decides not to tell Lisa about this. In the meantime, Adam agrees to a paranormal investigation of the house, lead by the blind Dr. Clark.
That evening, Adam comes home to find Lisa crying and distraught. Becky has gone missing. Adam tells Lisa not to worry, as Becky has always been erratic and flighty, almost completely unreliable. They then decide to make love, and during coitis, Adam suddenly and sporadically sees another woman on top of him, and not Lisa. Adam does not know this, but the mystery woman riding him like a rodeo star is the same woman that Lisa met in the woods just prior to the miscarriage. We know this because she is not playing a banjo, and she has all of her teeth.
Dr. Clark comes to the house and makes like a cross between Uri Gellar and Charles Xavier of the X-Men. He is able to somehow sense that the box that Lisa opened is on the fireplace mantel behind him. Going to the box, he announces that Lisa did not suffer s miscarriage, but that instead, she killed the baby when she opened the box. Lisa takes this revelation remarkably well, and it is the cold and clinical Adam who becomes angry and throws Dr. Clark out of the house.
Subsequent to this, Adam is basically raped in the shower by the mystery woman, who transforms into a hideous hag. Shaken by this, Adam allows Lisa to convince him to bring Dr. Clark back to the house to conduct a thorough paranormal investigation.
This movie is inane on virtually every possible level. Adam is the archetypical emotionally distant husband who clings more to math and logic than he does to Lisa, his wife. Dr. Clark is portrayed as a metaphysical guru who just somehow has all of the answers, all of the time. And oh, by the way, the organically and practically blind Dr. Clark is possessed of clairvoyance... a sort of psychic sight. He is able to see and converse with the malicious entity during a psychic episode. The answer is to somehow get the entity back into the box, which Dr. Clark has identified as a Mayan fertility box.
The previous tenants of the house, James and Emily Spencer, went through the same experiences as Adam and Lisa. Lisa recognizes a photograph of Emily as being her mystery woman. Emily was killed by James, who is in prison. Adam and Lisa visit James in prison, to see if he can tell them how to put the entity back into the box. James tells them that the only way to do so is to kill Lisa.
And Lisa agrees.
On the way home from the prison, Lisa makes her argument on why she needs to die. Adam is attacked by the hag from the shower while driving and crashes the car. He wakes up after a time and finds that Lisa is gone. He makes his way home to find Becky has returned, and that she has been possessed by the entity. For some reason, Adam keeps having visions of his intern, Eddie, banging Becky against the tailgate of a pick-up truck, in the rain. He has this vision again, goes outside to investigate, and finds Eddie dead. He goes back into the house and finds Lisa, who is now babbling about needing to love and nuture and protect the entity, as Dead Emily had warned her NOT to do. Now, Lisa is possessed by the entity, and she stabs Adam in the stomach with a butcher's knife. Despite this Adam is able to battle the old hag, who suddenly appears and attacks him. He physically tries to stuff an adult-sized Old Hag back into the fertility box, which burns her. She rushes at Adam again, and he stabs her through the abdomen with a fireplace poker. Surprise! The old hag turns into Lisa, who begs Adam to kill her. He does.
Dr. Clark visits Adam in prison. Adam was tried and convicted of killing Lisa because she discovered that he was having an affair with one of his students, despite the fact that there wasn't a single shred of evidence of any such affair. Dr. Clark tells Adam that the police were unable to find the Mayan fertility box. Adam tells Dr. Clark not to worry, he knows where the box is. He sent it back to where it came from. The last scene is of a now pregnant Becky, about to open the box.
This movie is rife with loose ends, and offers no explanations as to most of the main plot points. It isn't "Malicious"; it's idiotic, and inane.
Impossibly inorganic, with zero understanding of human interaction.
icecreamassassin-3794823 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
TLDR, I hate this movie. COMPLETELY devoid of organic human interaction.
Would only recommend it to someone who feels like shaking their head for a few days after.
The following is a rant, full of spoilers, that will only be understood if you've watched the movie.
I have so very many issues with this movie. First off, the director knew NOTHING about women's bodies. Or miscarriages. The female protagonist was SO pregnant, at least 7 or 8 months for a first-time mom with a naturally thin frame to show that much, which means a miscarriage isn't a miscarriage, it's a stillborn. There would have been a baby body to hold and mourn and bury, not just a token black doctor telling you in the hallway that it was a miscarriage. Also, there's no doctor in the world who would drop a "and you'll never have kids again" bomb right on top of that, while the dad is alone. There's also no guarantee of that, there's all kinds of things that can be done now to help fertility. Next, she got home the next day, completely flat-bellied. THAT'S NOT HOW BODIES WORK! You don't come home skinny the day after being hugely pregnant! And the dad should have been waaaayyy more shook up about it, that's literally the loss of a child, and any future of a child, not just a "Darn. We'll get over it." His acting was notably awful. At one point he got stabbed clear through the belly with a 6"+ blade, and it never came up again. He got stabbed all the way through his gut, went to his knees for ten seconds, then went on like he was fine. He didn't even bleed. And when the daughter ghoul threw him into the wall after, he didn't even clutch his side. And there were WAY too many unnecessary sex scenes, that were completely inorganic and are not how real people behave. Again, not understanding women, there's no WAY she would be all hot for him right after giving birth to a stillborn, emotionally or physically. And then the timeline was all screwed up, because after he was obviously arrested for murder, he sent the evil fertility box to the sister (which makes him cruel and evil, no matter how much he thought this was her fault), and she was suddenly super pregnant? How long did it take for the paranormal expert to visit him? He would have gone right away, and this was an open-shut murder case, taking no more than two months, and yet the belly-shirt wearing sister, who was obviously not pregnant, was suddenly 7 months along? And is that the only size the director thinks pregnant women get? There's 9 months of changing sizes, but he only went with 7 or 8 months, both times. And if only the box was haunted, why was the picture moving? Nothing else near the box was moving. And why on EARTH did the daughter ghoul come after the dad in the shower? Was it supposed to show tension? It was just weird, made more weird by her telling him that he wasn't supposed to "tell Mommy". The lines were cut-and-paste from a comic, completely lacking in emotion or human depth, and solely for the purpose of shoving the clunky plot along. Also, why wasn't Lisa working? Why was she all alone in the house all the time? She was going for runs, she obviously wasn't on bed rest. And she would have been WRECKED after losing and holding a stillborn, and there should have been a funeral, not just a blood stain (that would have been brown by the time they got back the next day, not still red), and she didn't show that at all. She almost-cried a few times, but it's emotionally devastating. And why was that same token hunky boy everywhere? That made no sense. He didn't even have a lot of lines. And why did Adam keep imagining the boy out having sex with the ladies in the rain? He never did, Adam's jealous brain just kept seeing things, and then the poor boy DIES for no reason! There's so much more to say, and no more room to say it. I'll leave it at a cold one-star rating. Not upsetting for any of the right reasons, just a truly poor representation of what the director and bad actors couldn't wrench past the concept stage.
Would only recommend it to someone who feels like shaking their head for a few days after.
The following is a rant, full of spoilers, that will only be understood if you've watched the movie.
I have so very many issues with this movie. First off, the director knew NOTHING about women's bodies. Or miscarriages. The female protagonist was SO pregnant, at least 7 or 8 months for a first-time mom with a naturally thin frame to show that much, which means a miscarriage isn't a miscarriage, it's a stillborn. There would have been a baby body to hold and mourn and bury, not just a token black doctor telling you in the hallway that it was a miscarriage. Also, there's no doctor in the world who would drop a "and you'll never have kids again" bomb right on top of that, while the dad is alone. There's also no guarantee of that, there's all kinds of things that can be done now to help fertility. Next, she got home the next day, completely flat-bellied. THAT'S NOT HOW BODIES WORK! You don't come home skinny the day after being hugely pregnant! And the dad should have been waaaayyy more shook up about it, that's literally the loss of a child, and any future of a child, not just a "Darn. We'll get over it." His acting was notably awful. At one point he got stabbed clear through the belly with a 6"+ blade, and it never came up again. He got stabbed all the way through his gut, went to his knees for ten seconds, then went on like he was fine. He didn't even bleed. And when the daughter ghoul threw him into the wall after, he didn't even clutch his side. And there were WAY too many unnecessary sex scenes, that were completely inorganic and are not how real people behave. Again, not understanding women, there's no WAY she would be all hot for him right after giving birth to a stillborn, emotionally or physically. And then the timeline was all screwed up, because after he was obviously arrested for murder, he sent the evil fertility box to the sister (which makes him cruel and evil, no matter how much he thought this was her fault), and she was suddenly super pregnant? How long did it take for the paranormal expert to visit him? He would have gone right away, and this was an open-shut murder case, taking no more than two months, and yet the belly-shirt wearing sister, who was obviously not pregnant, was suddenly 7 months along? And is that the only size the director thinks pregnant women get? There's 9 months of changing sizes, but he only went with 7 or 8 months, both times. And if only the box was haunted, why was the picture moving? Nothing else near the box was moving. And why on EARTH did the daughter ghoul come after the dad in the shower? Was it supposed to show tension? It was just weird, made more weird by her telling him that he wasn't supposed to "tell Mommy". The lines were cut-and-paste from a comic, completely lacking in emotion or human depth, and solely for the purpose of shoving the clunky plot along. Also, why wasn't Lisa working? Why was she all alone in the house all the time? She was going for runs, she obviously wasn't on bed rest. And she would have been WRECKED after losing and holding a stillborn, and there should have been a funeral, not just a blood stain (that would have been brown by the time they got back the next day, not still red), and she didn't show that at all. She almost-cried a few times, but it's emotionally devastating. And why was that same token hunky boy everywhere? That made no sense. He didn't even have a lot of lines. And why did Adam keep imagining the boy out having sex with the ladies in the rain? He never did, Adam's jealous brain just kept seeing things, and then the poor boy DIES for no reason! There's so much more to say, and no more room to say it. I'll leave it at a cold one-star rating. Not upsetting for any of the right reasons, just a truly poor representation of what the director and bad actors couldn't wrench past the concept stage.
Those doll faces....
jonerogers21 October 2018
I gave this a 7 but it was bordering on an 8 as I liked the plot, visual scares and overall content.
It's a classic person becoming possessed type of film and this had some good content where that was concerned. It had a small cast and mostly set in one house lots of Doll faces in some of the scenes and that in itself is creepy.
The overall story was good and the ending not your normal kind where everything gets put right but as for the scares? Well lots of screams and not too much gore. The screen writers choosing to allow the story to entertain us rather than pools of blood and body parts.
Great horror/thriller flick, entertaining and not too drawn out
It's a classic person becoming possessed type of film and this had some good content where that was concerned. It had a small cast and mostly set in one house lots of Doll faces in some of the scenes and that in itself is creepy.
The overall story was good and the ending not your normal kind where everything gets put right but as for the scares? Well lots of screams and not too much gore. The screen writers choosing to allow the story to entertain us rather than pools of blood and body parts.
Great horror/thriller flick, entertaining and not too drawn out
Is this how Cinema Sins feels?
nrcsinger13 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Malicious
My first impressions of this movie include suddenly remembering the gross scene from alien where like the alien protrudes from the lady's stomach. The actors weren't told what was exactly going to happen and their reactions were genuine.
God I hope this movie isn't gross.
After watching this movie, I can safely say that it was not as gross as anticipated.
I thought the pacing itself was slow. Every scene took about a minute to actually get into the nitty gritty and some of the dialogue itself was pretty boring. I thought the shower scene was overrated, and pretty much this trope should die. Shower scenes almost always add nothing to the movie, and I thought this scene could be cut out all together. The writing on the shower door the word "mom" didnt really do anything for the movie in general and should have been left on the cutting room floor as there are more effective ways of portraying the ghost is her "daughter". And damn it there was not one but 2 shower scenes. Is this how cinemasins feels when they give sins for cliche scenes?
I thought the whole b plot with the sister was really confusing. It was hard to figure out what exactly she wanted from Adam and why the entity took her form and was intent on getting with adam as much as possible. Like isnt the entity Lisa's daughter? Why is she making out with her dad? The whole thing is the grossest part of the movie and all in all, unnecessary.
I was a fan of the props in the house I thought it encompassed the feel of an old but dignified house. I really liked the different reiterations of the picture over the fireplace and I thought this was the highlight of the movie. I also thought the Dr. Howard was a treasure. He definitely had the best line in the movie which was "Mrs. Pierce I believe you. Now I need you to believe in me".
All in all, 5 out of 10 spoops.
My first impressions of this movie include suddenly remembering the gross scene from alien where like the alien protrudes from the lady's stomach. The actors weren't told what was exactly going to happen and their reactions were genuine.
God I hope this movie isn't gross.
After watching this movie, I can safely say that it was not as gross as anticipated.
I thought the pacing itself was slow. Every scene took about a minute to actually get into the nitty gritty and some of the dialogue itself was pretty boring. I thought the shower scene was overrated, and pretty much this trope should die. Shower scenes almost always add nothing to the movie, and I thought this scene could be cut out all together. The writing on the shower door the word "mom" didnt really do anything for the movie in general and should have been left on the cutting room floor as there are more effective ways of portraying the ghost is her "daughter". And damn it there was not one but 2 shower scenes. Is this how cinemasins feels when they give sins for cliche scenes?
I thought the whole b plot with the sister was really confusing. It was hard to figure out what exactly she wanted from Adam and why the entity took her form and was intent on getting with adam as much as possible. Like isnt the entity Lisa's daughter? Why is she making out with her dad? The whole thing is the grossest part of the movie and all in all, unnecessary.
I was a fan of the props in the house I thought it encompassed the feel of an old but dignified house. I really liked the different reiterations of the picture over the fireplace and I thought this was the highlight of the movie. I also thought the Dr. Howard was a treasure. He definitely had the best line in the movie which was "Mrs. Pierce I believe you. Now I need you to believe in me".
All in all, 5 out of 10 spoops.
Interesting Horror Film
debbystardust20 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
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.
Not Scary But Entertaining
cwilliams-6889320 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Picture this:
Four people sit in small room, filled with gear to listen for a spirit/demon/entity. There's a couple that's being haunted, a young college student who seems to work every job at the campus, and a blind professor of math and parapsychology. Two people manage the listening equipment. The young college student manages the tape recorder. Another person manages the computer and tries to observe a visual representation of audio activity. Who do they put in front of the monitor that shows the audio activity? THE ONLY PERSON IN THE ROOM WHO CAN'T SEE.
So of course when something happens on the screen, the blind man asks "What's going on?" The college student has to come over to look and then go back to the tapes. Why didn't they just put the college student in front of the monitor and the tapes? He was doing everything else anyways, including building maintenance, welcoming new tenants, garbage removal, and ferrying the blind professor around.
Verdict: The plot, characters, and scares we're all cliche, but it was just stupid enough to be funny at times. The acting is good enough, but the writing is weak. The only scares are jump scares, and they're weak too. The best aspects of this movie are the production quality and the acting. Everything else is bad.
So of course when something happens on the screen, the blind man asks "What's going on?" The college student has to come over to look and then go back to the tapes. Why didn't they just put the college student in front of the monitor and the tapes? He was doing everything else anyways, including building maintenance, welcoming new tenants, garbage removal, and ferrying the blind professor around.
Verdict: The plot, characters, and scares we're all cliche, but it was just stupid enough to be funny at times. The acting is good enough, but the writing is weak. The only scares are jump scares, and they're weak too. The best aspects of this movie are the production quality and the acting. Everything else is bad.
Surprisingly good!
3_the_monkey22 October 2018
I was put off by the negative reviews so this took me longer to get round to watching than it should. I'm glad I did watch it though as I found it really good, better than some of the recent big budget horrors.
The jumps are good, atmospheric all the way through, good acting, there is no special effects to speak of but visually it's really good, all in all a very satisfying horror!
Personally I liked the ending, it wasn't a let down like so many recent films...
Highly recommended.
Definitely not a great, but good for casuals
ngknovak16 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This horror film does nothing great, but also is not the worst thing you will ever see. The professor never says anything of substance in the two lectures. Pair this with budget stevie wonder in each class, and it shows that they couldnt find any other way to introduce a paranormal character into the plot. Now , the real trooper in this film is the actor that plays David. Not only is he the doing work at the couple's house, he also studies as a full time student, navigates for blind people, and accompanies stevie as a ghostbuster. For some reason, the professor works till the sun goes down every night, and the sister character doesnt own a bra
Average Horror with Lousy Ending
jeymatt31 October 2018
I don't write out reviews So know this movie is that bad.
LiAmberNichole4 February 2019
It starts out promising with the first couple. The moment the main characters appear it goes strait down hill. Wooden performances. No chemistry between any characters. The movie is so bad it made Delroy Alonso look like a terrible actor. It wasn't believable. It became redundant, constantly repeating a joke about one plus one throughout the movie. Don't even get me started on the annoying student and over the top sister. It's disappointing because the main couple are great actors in other films, Bonjana in Devil and The Hallow and John Stewart in The collector and The collection. Do yourself a favor and pass this one. It's drivel at best.
Murder with malice
TheLittleSongbird31 October 2018
Actually wanted to like 'Malicious', and yes there was the intention to judge the film for myself after watching it and even more intention to judge it fairly. Both have always been the case with me when it comes to reviewing a film. The idea was attention-grabbing and it didn't look too bad, so there was potential.
Potential that was not lived up to very well at all. 'Malicious' was not a waste of time but it is a long way from a must watch from personal opinion. Didn't regret watching it and didn't find that my intelligence was insulted, something that cannot be said for some other films seen recently, it just didn't compel let alone unsettle me which is a primary factor as to why 'Malicious' as an overall film doesn't work.
Lets start with the good things. 'Malicious' started off very well, it does draw one right in, sets things up promisingly and has an eerie vibe. It's a decent looking film, with the setting giving off the right amount of unease and the photography has atmosphere. The music is haunting and not too obvious or intrusive.
Generally the acting was better than average. Nobody over-compensates and nobody looks uncomfortable or robotic.
However, while the characters don't annoy there could have been much more development to them. The script is an overload of cheese and awkwardness and the direction is at best lethargic.
'Malicious' biggest issue is the story. There is very little tension, suspense or dread, with the scares infrequent and being going-through-the-motions-like and obvious when they appear. It is dull too often despite starting off so well and is very predictable from the excessive over-familiarity of a lot of scenes, while it becomes increasingly far-fetched and confused. Not enough is explained properly either, too much is left vague and leaves one scratching their heads.
Not a waste of time but doesn't scare or compel enough. 4/10 Bethany Cox
Potential that was not lived up to very well at all. 'Malicious' was not a waste of time but it is a long way from a must watch from personal opinion. Didn't regret watching it and didn't find that my intelligence was insulted, something that cannot be said for some other films seen recently, it just didn't compel let alone unsettle me which is a primary factor as to why 'Malicious' as an overall film doesn't work.
Lets start with the good things. 'Malicious' started off very well, it does draw one right in, sets things up promisingly and has an eerie vibe. It's a decent looking film, with the setting giving off the right amount of unease and the photography has atmosphere. The music is haunting and not too obvious or intrusive.
Generally the acting was better than average. Nobody over-compensates and nobody looks uncomfortable or robotic.
However, while the characters don't annoy there could have been much more development to them. The script is an overload of cheese and awkwardness and the direction is at best lethargic.
'Malicious' biggest issue is the story. There is very little tension, suspense or dread, with the scares infrequent and being going-through-the-motions-like and obvious when they appear. It is dull too often despite starting off so well and is very predictable from the excessive over-familiarity of a lot of scenes, while it becomes increasingly far-fetched and confused. Not enough is explained properly either, too much is left vague and leaves one scratching their heads.
Not a waste of time but doesn't scare or compel enough. 4/10 Bethany Cox
Up
Edvis-199722 October 2018
Bland and boring
caesarlivenloud9 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
All I can say is that I will never get those 90 minutes of my life back.
The premise of the story had some promise but the execution failed miserably.
Terrible dialogues and subpar acting; bad use of musical score, little to no scares.
The scene where the spirit as an old lady showed up... I just laughed out loud at how bad it looked. It would look great on a Scary Movie type of film, where they just use the bad effects just for laughs, and that was it. Bad wig, bad makeup...
I kept nodding throughout the movie and telling to myself why did we pick this movie to watch. If I was watching it alone I would have stopped playing it after the first 15min.
The premise of the story had some promise but the execution failed miserably.
Terrible dialogues and subpar acting; bad use of musical score, little to no scares.
The scene where the spirit as an old lady showed up... I just laughed out loud at how bad it looked. It would look great on a Scary Movie type of film, where they just use the bad effects just for laughs, and that was it. Bad wig, bad makeup...
I kept nodding throughout the movie and telling to myself why did we pick this movie to watch. If I was watching it alone I would have stopped playing it after the first 15min.
I fell asleep
laurhartwick13 May 2019
"You know it's bad when we both laugh"- my boyfriend part way through. I usually scare easily but this movie didn't scare me and I laughed at a few things. It's literally all been done before. I was not scared of the made-in-China dollar store jewelry box.
I missed the very end as I fell asleep. I won't be re-watching.
Worth a watch
filmmakersis7 February 2019
The acting is very good by the two leads - not the actress who plays the sister however, wow was she terrible! Not sure how she was cast, in fact she really pulled you out of the story she was so bad. But the leads were good and had good chemistry with each other. The set design was excellent. The script was fine/decent.
The real malicious one is the husband!
DreamWonder20 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I was going to rate this high because I did enjoy it but the ending made me far too angry.
Why after all that happened to your wife would you send the box to her sister....she didn't know there was an entity in it when she gave it....what did she actually do to peeve off the husband so much, apart from tantalising his fantasies which wasn't even her....maybe you should've believed your wife when she told you she was having visions....think we all know who the true malicious one is!!
Why after all that happened to your wife would you send the box to her sister....she didn't know there was an entity in it when she gave it....what did she actually do to peeve off the husband so much, apart from tantalising his fantasies which wasn't even her....maybe you should've believed your wife when she told you she was having visions....think we all know who the true malicious one is!!
I absolutely loved this!
JaneBingley26 August 2023
"Malicious" delivers an engaging and suspenseful supernatural thriller that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. While it might not be as widely recognized as some other horror films, it offers a fresh take on the haunted house subgenre with its effective use of tension and supernatural intrigue.
Director Michael Winnick skillfully builds an atmosphere of unease from the very beginning. The film's pacing allows for a gradual escalation of tension, providing ample time for the audience to connect with the characters and immerse themselves in the eerie ambiance of the story. This patient approach pays off as the supernatural occurrences intensify, leading to some genuinely chilling moments that are sure to make even seasoned horror fans jump.
Bojana Novakovic's portrayal of Lisa, a pregnant woman targeted by malevolent forces, is commendable. Her emotional journey from curiosity to fear is palpable, and viewers will find themselves empathizing with her struggles. Josh Stewart, playing Lisa's concerned husband, adds a layer of relatability to the story as he grapples with the inexplicable events plaguing their lives.
"Malicious" strikes a balance between psychological horror and traditional supernatural scares. The film's ability to blend these two elements results in a storyline that keeps viewers guessing and engaged. Delroy Lindo's role as the parapsychologist adds credibility and intrigue to the unfolding mystery, and his interactions with the main characters help guide the narrative in unexpected directions.
What sets "Malicious" apart is its willingness to embrace classic horror elements while incorporating modern twists. The film successfully utilizes jump scares and eerie visual effects to create an immersive experience. While some aspects of the plot may feel familiar, the execution and unexpected turns in the story breathe new life into the genre.
Visually, "Malicious" shines in its use of lighting and cinematography to create a haunting and immersive environment. The setting, particularly the couple's new home, becomes a character of its own, contributing to the overall sense of foreboding.
In conclusion, "Malicious" is a hidden gem for fans of supernatural horror seeking a suspenseful and engaging cinematic experience. Its effective blending of psychological tension and supernatural scares, along with strong performances and atmospheric visuals, make it a film that deserves more recognition. If you're looking for a well-crafted horror movie that will keep you guessing until the end, "Malicious" is well worth a watch.
Director Michael Winnick skillfully builds an atmosphere of unease from the very beginning. The film's pacing allows for a gradual escalation of tension, providing ample time for the audience to connect with the characters and immerse themselves in the eerie ambiance of the story. This patient approach pays off as the supernatural occurrences intensify, leading to some genuinely chilling moments that are sure to make even seasoned horror fans jump.
Bojana Novakovic's portrayal of Lisa, a pregnant woman targeted by malevolent forces, is commendable. Her emotional journey from curiosity to fear is palpable, and viewers will find themselves empathizing with her struggles. Josh Stewart, playing Lisa's concerned husband, adds a layer of relatability to the story as he grapples with the inexplicable events plaguing their lives.
"Malicious" strikes a balance between psychological horror and traditional supernatural scares. The film's ability to blend these two elements results in a storyline that keeps viewers guessing and engaged. Delroy Lindo's role as the parapsychologist adds credibility and intrigue to the unfolding mystery, and his interactions with the main characters help guide the narrative in unexpected directions.
What sets "Malicious" apart is its willingness to embrace classic horror elements while incorporating modern twists. The film successfully utilizes jump scares and eerie visual effects to create an immersive experience. While some aspects of the plot may feel familiar, the execution and unexpected turns in the story breathe new life into the genre.
Visually, "Malicious" shines in its use of lighting and cinematography to create a haunting and immersive environment. The setting, particularly the couple's new home, becomes a character of its own, contributing to the overall sense of foreboding.
In conclusion, "Malicious" is a hidden gem for fans of supernatural horror seeking a suspenseful and engaging cinematic experience. Its effective blending of psychological tension and supernatural scares, along with strong performances and atmospheric visuals, make it a film that deserves more recognition. If you're looking for a well-crafted horror movie that will keep you guessing until the end, "Malicious" is well worth a watch.
It has it's scary moments
michaelRokeefe14 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
A college professor, Adam (Josh Stewart), his pregnant wife Lisa (Bojana Novaskovic) and her sister Becky (Melissa Bolona) find themselves tormented by an evil entity, when a "new home" gift is opened. Mysterious and frightening moments seem to form a scary puzzle only an occult specialist (Delroy Lindo) can figure out. More than just bumps in the night. The scares could be a little stronger and more frequent. Obvious this horror flick was made on the cheap. Howerer, Miss Bolona is nothing but HOT!
Hilarious
ChrisKay7510 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This movie was funny. Like the time the blind guy was the one sitting at the computer monitor, or the airbag in the car didnt work, or how the sister "caused a bunch of chaos and then left" but no one at the time knew that the box was evil... well, the audience did as the plot was super predictable. The acting and cinematography wasn't even bad, just the story and the bloopers that were part of the story made this a sad affair. I will be recommending this to my friends, as a great movie. Just to see the look on their faces afterwards.
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