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{{as of|2021|9|12|df=US}}, ''Malignant'' has grossed $5.4{{nbsp}}million in the United States and Canada, and $9.3{{nbsp}}million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $14.7{{nbsp}}million.<ref name="BOM" /><ref name="NUM" /> |
{{as of|2021|9|12|df=US}}, ''Malignant'' has grossed $5.4{{nbsp}}million in the United States and Canada, and $9.3{{nbsp}}million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $14.7{{nbsp}}million.<ref name="BOM" /><ref name="NUM" /> |
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In the United States and Canada, ''Malignant'' was projected to gross $5–9 million from 3,500 theaters in opening weekend.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/2021/film/news/box-office-shang-chi-malignant-1235059812/ |title= Marvel's 'Shang-Chi' to Rule Box Office Again as 'Malignant' Eyes Soft Start |author= Rebecca Rubin |website= Variety |date= September 9, 2021 |access-date=September 10, 2021}}</ref> It made $2 million on its first day, and went on to debut to $5.6 million, finishing third at the box office.<ref name="opening">{{cite web |url= https://deadline.com/2021/09/shang-chi-strong-second-weekend-with-31m-malignant-dying-1234831053/ |title= 'Shang-Chi' Strong Second Weekend With $31M+; 'Malignant' Dying |date= September 11, 2021 |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date= September 11, 2021}}</ref> |
In the United States and Canada, ''Malignant'' was released alongside ''[[Queenpins]]'' and ''[[The Card Counter]]'' and was projected to gross $5–9 million from 3,500 theaters in opening weekend.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/2021/film/news/box-office-shang-chi-malignant-1235059812/ |title= Marvel's 'Shang-Chi' to Rule Box Office Again as 'Malignant' Eyes Soft Start |author= Rebecca Rubin |website= Variety |date= September 9, 2021 |access-date=September 10, 2021}}</ref> It made $2 million on its first day, and went on to debut to $5.6 million, finishing third at the box office.<ref name="opening">{{cite web |url= https://deadline.com/2021/09/shang-chi-strong-second-weekend-with-31m-malignant-dying-1234831053/ |title= 'Shang-Chi' Strong Second Weekend With $31M+; 'Malignant' Dying |date= September 11, 2021 |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date= September 11, 2021}}</ref> |
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=== Critical response === |
=== Critical response === |
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| Malignant | |
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Release poster
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| Directed by | James Wan |
| Screenplay by | Akela Cooper |
| Story by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Michael Burgess |
| Edited by | Kirk Morri |
| Music by | Joseph Bishara |
Production | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $40 million[1] |
| Box office | $16.4 million[2][3] |
Malignant is a 2021 American horror film directed by James Wan from a screenplay by Akela Cooper, based on an original story by Wan, Ingrid Bisu, and Cooper.[4] The film stars Annabelle Wallis as a woman who begins to have visions of people getting murdered, only to realize the events are happening in real life. Maddie Hasson, George Young, Michole Briana White, and Jacqueline McKenzie also star.
Malignant was theatrically released in the United States on September 10, 2021, by Warner Bros. Pictures under the New Line Cinema banner; it will also stream on HBO Max for one month. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who found it "either painfully average or bloodily brilliant".[5]
In 1993, Dr. Florence Weaver with her colleagues Victor Fields and John Gregory, treat psychiatric patient Gabriel at Simion Research Hospital. Gabriel has special powers like controlling electricity and broadcasting his thoughts via speakers. One night, Gabriel turns violent and kills several staff members of the institution.
Twenty-seven years later, Madison Lake, a pregnant woman living in Seattle, returns home to her husband, Derek Mitchell, after her pregnancy causes her to feel ill at work. During an argument, Derek smashes Madison's head against a wall after which she locks herself in the bedroom and falls asleep. Madison later wakes up to find Derek's body after having a dream of a man entering their house and violently killing him. The killer, who is still in the house, attacks Madison, rendering her unconscious.
The next morning, Madison wakes up in a hospital and is informed by her sister, Sydney, that her unborn baby didn't survive the attack. After being interviewed by police detective Kekoa Shaw and his partner Regina Moss, Madison returns home. There, Madison reveals to Sydney that she was adopted at eight years old. That same hour, the killer kidnaps a woman running a Seattle Underground tour. Madison has another vision, this time of the killer murdering Dr. Weaver.
During their investigation, Shaw and Moss discover a photo of Madison as a child in Weaver's house and learn that Weaver specialized in child reconstructive surgery. Madison and her sister approach the police after Madison has another vision, this time of the killer murdering Dr. Fields. The killer contacts Madison and reveals himself to be Gabriel, Madison's childhood imaginary friend. She and her sister visit their mother, Jeanne, to learn more. Madison realizes that Gabriel wasn't her imaginary friend but someone real to whom she spoke during her childhood. Shaw finds a link between the doctors and Madison, which leads him to discover Dr. Gregory's dead body.
The detectives enlist the help of a psychiatric hypnotherapist, hoping to unlock Madison's memories. Madison recalls that her birth name is Emily May and that Gabriel wanted her to kill her unborn sister. She came close to doing it but was able to stop herself. The police arrest Madison when the kidnapped woman falls from the attic in her home, revealing that Gabriel was living inside her house. It is later revealed that the woman is Serena May, Madison's birth mother. Sydney visits the now locked Simion hospital and finds that Gabriel is Emily's twin brother who lives within her body as an extreme version of a "teratoma,” sharing the same brain and spinal cord as Emily. In Emily's childhood, Gabriel appeared as a half-formed child facing out of Emily's back. Weaver operated on Emily to cut out the parasitic tumor and sewed Gabriel back into her brain. He was dormant during her childhood but woke up when Derek hit her head against the wall. Gabriel's face now emerges from the back of Madison's skull and operates her body backwards when he takes control, explaining his unnatural movements and the upside-down fingerprints at his crime scenes.
Gabriel, provoked by fellow inmates in the lockup, takes full control of Madison's body, slaughters them and almost the entire precinct with superhuman strength and agility, and eventually leaves with his clothing and weapon. Sydney and Shaw intercept him at the hospital where Serena is admitted. Shaw is stabbed by Gabriel, and Sydney is pinned to the wall by a thrown hospital bed. Sydney informs Madison that Gabriel is the cause of her miscarriages because he was feeding off her fetuses. Angry at the revelation, Madison wakes up and takes back control of her body. Transporting both of them to a black mindscape, Madison locks a disbelieving Gabriel behind bars saying that she is now the one in control and that Gabriel's powers are hers now.
As Madison leaves Gabriel to rot in the mindscape, he insists to her that he will return one day. Madison replies that she will be ready for him when he does and leaves the mindscape. Back in the hospital and in full control of her body, Madison lifts the hospital bed pinning Sydney to the wall with her newly acquired strength. The pair hug as Madison affirms that even though she was adopted and is not related by blood, she has been her sister all along and is proud to be so. As the two embrace, Serena looks on happily, while the electric humming that accompanied Gabriel's attacks can be heard faintly.
In July 2019, it was announced that James Wan would direct the film at New Line Cinema from a screenplay by Akela Cooper and J. T. Petty, based on an original story he wrote alongside his wife Ingrid Bisu and serve as a producer alongside Michael Clear under his Atomic Monster banner.[6] That September, Wan officially revealed the title as Malignant, with Bloody Disgusting claiming the film would be more in line with a giallo film.[7]
On October 24, 2019, Wan clarified that the film is not based on his graphic novel Malignant Man, stating, "It's definitely not a superhero film. Malignant is an original thriller not based off any existing IP."[8]
In August 2019, Annabelle Wallis, George Young, and Jake Abel were cast in the film.[9][10][11] In September 2019, Maddie Hasson, Michole Briana White, and Jacqueline McKenzie joined the cast of the film.[12][13] Mckenna Grace was added to the cast in March 2020.[14]
Production began on September 24, 2019, in Los Angeles[15][16] and concluded on December 8, 2019.[17][18]
Malignant was theatrically released in France on September 1, 2021, and was released in the United States on September 10, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures under the New Line Cinema banner.[19] It was originally scheduled to be released on August 14, 2020,[20] but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film was removed from the release schedule in March 2020.[21] As part of its plans for all of its 2021 films, Warner Bros. will also stream Malignant simultaneously on the HBO Max service for a period of one month, after which the film will be removed until the normal home media release schedule period.[22]
According to Samba TV, the film was streamed by 753,000 U.S. households in its first weekend.[23]
As of September 12, 2021[update], Malignant has grossed $5.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $9.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $14.7 million.[2][3]
In the United States and Canada, Malignant was released alongside Queenpins and The Card Counter and was projected to gross $5–9 million from 3,500 theaters in opening weekend.[24] It made $2 million on its first day, and went on to debut to $5.6 million, finishing third at the box office.[1]
Onreview aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 75% based on 105 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Although Malignant isn't particularly scary, director James Wan's return to horror contains plenty of gory thrills—and a memorably bonkers twist."[25]OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 50 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[26] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported 59% of audience members gave it a positive score, with 38% saying they would definitely recommend it.[1]
Andrew Barker of Variety wrote: "It's hard to say whether a film this bonkers 'works' or not, but it's impossible not to admire both the craft and the extravagant bad taste behind its go-for-broke energy."[27] Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting rated the film 3.5 out of 5 and said, "It's silly, it's outrageous, and it's a blast."[28] Josh Millican of Dread Central gave the film 4 out of 5 and called it "the best horror movie of the year."[29] Michael GingoldofRue Morgue described the film as having "WTF energy" but criticized the implausibility of the plot, saying, "Too often, it's hard to know whether Wan and co. are kidding or not."[30]
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