‘Malum’ is a Bloody Good Time
Malum as an original property based on director DiBlasi’s earlier entry Last Shift brings a more fleshed-out background for the horror film’s mysteries. Much like the 2014 original, we spend our time with rookie police officer Jessica Loren, here played by Jessica Sula (Split, Godless), during the final shift in an abandoned precinct — the very one Jessica’s father worked in prior to a sudden shooting he committed before taking his own life. Jessica sees the opportunity to reconnect with her father and try to understand what might have been going through his head in those final moments but of course she finds nothing but that on her very first job.
The experience of Malum feels very much like a guided tour through a haunted house in some places but in this sense the approach doesn’t detract. Rather it adds to the openness yet claustrophobic feel of being the only one in an empty building who suspects they’re not alone. Something does haunt this precinct, whether it’s Jessica’s mind playing tricks on her or something that actually physically manifests is something left up for interpretation entirely. There is something afoot in the vicinity, however; the area is buzzing with emergencies relating to a cult that operates in the town, one that appears to have some kind of connection to Jessica and her father specifically. The film’s title draws from the leader of this cult, John Malum, as someone who not only founded the organization but is said to have been resurrected through means beyond our understanding. Jessica is given one boundary to respect in the empty precinct: stay out of the holding area. But when her job demands to break that instruction, the veritable floodgates of chaos open.
It’s unclear whether the goal of reimagining a previous film is an attempt to expand a fictional world into one that can be depicted in follow-up features to launch a franchise. But the energy surrounding such an idea is still so populated with a predication that big-name studios or AAA production teams can take those risks. DiBlasi may be challenging that here by re-establishing the foundations of this world where a cult worshipping a demon called “The Lower God” could blossom into multiple stories reaching through multiple films, much like Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead have done with their projects Resolution and The Endless. Malum decidedly takes an event horror approach with its siege-style setup (see Assault on Precinct 13 or the aptly-titled Siege) with law enforcement being directly in the middle of the community’s affairs. Unfortunately it doesn’t have much to say with the tools it wields regarding societal shifts and the role law enforcement has assumed within communities. Police forces tend to make things safer for some and less safe for most, their existence being overbearing enough for those they inconvenience.
Stepping back as a witness to the events in Malum is the intended effect here, though. The secrets Jessica uncovers in the film are relatively simple and easy to piece together before the proper reveal, but DiBlasi makes the journey there at the very least an entertaining one, filled with appropriately grisly visuals and inventively supernatural death sequences. There’s much to be enjoyed in Malum but it should be noted that it is something that engages far better on the surface than it does in exploration of the ideas it introduces yet doesn’t interrogate as it should. But that doesn’t necessarily equate to a missed opportunity. If DiBlasi does indeed intend to expand on this world in future films then he would have the chance to investigate the film’s untapped societal themes but for now, it’s a gruesomely fun alternative to all those Conjuring spinoffs.
As a critic who spends their time viewing films like this alone, it’s unquestionable that the communal experience is better, more energetic, and infinitely more entertaining in respectful settings. The recommendation from me to you stands firm on the merits of Malum’s set pieces, but it’s certain that a crowd’s reaction can be a key ingredient for enjoying the movie’s genre fare. As basic as it may seem on the outset Malum knows how to throw a good time. I found myself verbally reacting to some kills even while alone in a dark room watching at full blast. Of course, it’s not high art, which any film can be, but for the gore-minded horror fans or even the uninitiated, the experience is something to relish. The film is releasing in theaters on March 31st in some areas so if there is a showtime near you this film comes recommended.
