Malignant (2021)
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A woman haunted by visions of murder discovers a terrifying secret hidden within her own body.
The story
Madison Mitchell, a woman living in Seattle, begins experiencing terrifying visions of people being murdered in real-time. After a violent altercation with her abusive husband leads to a head injury, her visions intensify. As she navigates the aftermath of the attack, she is joined by her sister, Sydney, and must deal with the escalating sense of dread. When a local woman is kidnapped and Madison begins to see a mysterious figure in her visions, she must uncover the truth behind her own past and the source of the violence she is witnessing.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1993, a patient named Gabriel with supernatural abilities is deemed a 'cancer' and hidden away. Twenty-seven years later, Madison Mitchell lives in Seattle with her abusive husband, Derek. After a violent confrontation, Madison is injured and begins experiencing visions of a killer. She is eventually reunited with her sister, Sydney, and they begin investigating Madison's past. They discover that Madison was adopted and that her 'imaginary friend' Gabriel was actually a parasitic twin brother who was surgically sealed inside her skull. When the truth is revealed, Gabriel takes control of Madison's body to commit a series of murders. After a final confrontation where Madison regains control and mentally seals Gabriel away, she is reunited with her biological mother, Serena, while the truth of her condition remains a hidden secret.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 111
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James Wan
- Writers
- Akela Cooper · screenplay; James Wan · story; Ingrid Bisu · story; Akela Cooper · story
- Cast and characters
- Annabelle Wallis · Madison Mitchell; Maddie Hasson; George Young; Michole Briana White; Jacqueline McKenzie
- Genres
- horror; thriller
- Themes
- parasitic twinning; identity; domestic violence
- Tone and mood
- gory; bonkers; zany
- Setting
- Seattle, present day.
- Premise and plot tags
- body horror; supernatural; serial killer
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and is considered a cult classic, though some critics noted its 'bonkers' and 'ridiculous' nature.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 76% · scale: percentage · review count: 172; Metacritic · score: 51 · scale: 100 · review count: 23; CinemaScore · score: C · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film was inspired by the medical anomalies of Edward Mordake.; It was influenced by the works of Italian horror filmmaker Dario Argento.; The film was not based on the graphic novel Malignant Man.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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