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Orphan's Esther actor Isabelle Fuhrman, known for her own celebrated past in the genre, is weighing in on James Wan's controversial horror film Malignant. Released in 2021, the movie revolves around a woman who starts experiencing visions of brutal murders, eventually discovering that these visions are connected to her forgotten childhood. While the movie received a "Certified Fresh" rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, Malignant has continued to divide both critics and audiences over the past two years. Now, a seasoned genre veteran is adding her voice to the ongoing discussion.
In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, while discussing her latest project, the action-comedy Sheroes, Fuhrman revealed that she and her castmates had a horror movie night as a bonding activity during filming. Specifically, they watched James Wan's Malignant together, resulting in a thrilling and divisive experience, especially due to its unexpected twist. Here is what Fuhrman shared:
Why Malignant Was So Divisive
We watched Malignant, the horror movie that we saw. It had a humorous aspect, and we found ourselves laughing quite a bit. While it did have some scary moments, there were also parts that we found amusing. Our discussion centered around the twist in the movie, which sometimes elicited a reaction of surprise and other times made us question its believability. We all had a mixed response, with a sense of "okay, sure" and not quite anticipating what unfolded. It had a certain campiness to it, which we didn't expect as the reviews seemed overwhelmingly positive. Sasha prefers more gore in horror films, while Wallis leans towards psychological elements, and Skai is an avid horror viewer. Ironically, I don't watch much horror despite being here for the experience. So, I was just going along for the ride. Let's do it.
With the imminent release of Malignant, horror enthusiasts eagerly awaited Wan's return to the genre after a five-year hiatus in which he focused on blockbuster films like Aquaman, as well as expanding his popular Conjuring Universe and Insidious franchise. Even before its release, Wan foresaw that the movie would be polarizing due to its extreme violence, describing it as his most brutal work to date and promising an "outrageous" experience.
Malignant received a mixed response primarily due to its distinct tone, which some compared to the suspenseful Italian giallo films of the 1970s, while others drew similarities to the horror movies produced by Dark Castle Entertainment in the early 2000s, like House on Haunted Hill and Thirteen Ghosts. Viewers were divided on the movie's line delivery and the exaggerated level of gore, questioning if it was intentionally unconventional or unintentionally comedic.
One significant aspect of Malignant that spurred debate among critics and audiences was its memorable twist in the final act. It was revealed that the killer was actually Madison's parasitic twin, Gabriel, who had been controlling her body without her knowledge. The shocking visual of Gabriel emerging from the back of her head added to the absurdity of the twist. Some argued that this twist saved the movie from being unimpressive in the first two-thirds. However, like Fuhrman suggested, a cult following seems to be emerging for Malignant, indicating that Wan's vision ultimately prevailed.
