Writer: Eva Konstantopoulos, Ben Ketai (Screenplay) Eva Konstantopoulos (Novel)
Starring: Florence Pugh, Celia Imrie, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Scott Chambers, Georgina Bevan, Daniel Campbell
Plot: Siblings Jackson and Angela run a profitable ghostbusting racket; swindling the bereaved with fake detection equipment and Angela’s paranormal ‘visions’. Hired to investigate a haunted old foster home, the team uncover its terrifying past: young girls brutally slaughtered, mouths stitched shut; silenced by a sadistic killer. And Angela’s on the edge – sleepless, strung out and losing her mind, no longer certain what’s actually real; convinced she hears the girls crying out to her from the darkness… But supernatural terrors are the least of their problems when they discover the very real evil lurking in the isolated house
Tagline – A group of fake paranormal investigators suffer the ultimate reality check when confronted by the true horrors that lie hidden within a haunted orphanage.
Runtime: 1 Hour 28 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Slow & Dull
Story: Malevolent starts as we get to see the fake ghostbusting team of Angela (Pugh), brother Jackson (Lloyd-Hughes), Elliot (Chambers) and Beth (Bevan) show their methods of getting people to give them money to pretend to rid them of ghosts. Angela does have a gift, but for now it is just about making money.
When Jackson finds himself struggle for debts he owes, he talks Angela into taking a big high paying job for Mrs Green (Imrie), this case however, turns out to be real and the full abilities that Angela possesses will be put to the test.
Thoughts on Malevolent
Characters – Angela has been given the same gift as her mother, the ability to connect to the dead, she uses the gift to help people rid them of ghosts, only her brother takes advantage of the people who believe. She has been struggling with the hauntings over the past few cases not wanting to take more, she reluctantly takes the next case to help her brother, though it will test her resolve. Jackson is the brother that runs the show, he keeps people believing everything they are doing no matter how wrong it might be, he has also collected debts which need to be paid off. Mrs Green is the latest client that needs help in her mansion where the secrets of her past only increase the hauntings.
Performances – Florence Pugh made a massive impact last year, so going into this film I was expecting something great, in the end she doesn’t do much to make us care, giving us a bland performance, we can’t support through the film. Celia Imrie is ok in her role, though we don’t get enough dimension about her character. Ben Lloyd-Hughes is ok the mostly disappoints not giving us anything in this role, which is the same the rest of the cast.
Story – The story follows a ghostbusting team that pretend to help people for extra cash, facing a real situation with the ghosts of a mansion they must prove that Angela can communicate and save themselves before it is too late. This is follow the lines we have seen before it doesn’t do anything to make us feel like we are part of this atmosphere and it ends up feel like it rushes everything to try and get to the twist which doesn’t make the most sense and by the end of the film you will most likely forget anything you saw.
Horror – The horror aspects of this film get sucked out of the film by telling us how the team fake their hunt, they try to explain things as pranks which just doesn’t make it interesting to watch. Anything horror related just doesn’t draw your attention at any point during the film.
Settings – When we get to the mansion we instantly get the isolated feeling about where the film could go, only it doesn’t use it well enough.
Special Effects – The effects look disturbing at times, but we don’t get enough time for that shock value.
Scene of the Movie – Preparing the victim.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The team is never believable.
Final Thoughts – This is mostly a dull horror that doesn’t give us anything to really enjoy in this film. by the time the horror starts we will have lost interest.
Overall: Disappoint and boring.
Rating