This article contains spoilers for 2018’s MalevolentFlorence Pugh is having a moment. Although she made her film debut, alongside Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams, in 2014’s The Falling, it was Pugh’s breakout role in 2016’s independent drama, Lady Macbeth, that garnered attention. She’s been a rising star in Hollywood ever since, appearing in notable films like Little Women, Marvel’s Black Widow, and Don’t Worry Darling (though the latter was more famous for its behind-the-scenes controversy than the movie itself).
Pugh also starred in two of the biggest films of the last year: 2023’s Oscar-buzzing Oppenheimer and 2024’s universally acclaimed, science-fiction blockbuster, Dune: Part Two. Pugh has also dipped her toes in the horror genre. Yes, she starred in the folk horror, cult classic, Midsommar. But Florence Pugh also starred in another little horror gem, even before Midsommar, that most people have either forgotten about or never heard of: 2018’s Malevolent.
What Is Malevolent About?
malevolent
- Release Date
- December 13, 2018
- Director
- Olaf de Fleur Johannesson
- Runtime
- 88
Horror movies love evil one-word titles: Insidious, Sinister, Malignant. Now here, we have Malevolent, a British horror film and Netflix original. Set in 1986, it follows Angela (Florence Pugh) and Jackson (Ben Lloyd-Hughes) Sayers, a brother-sister team of paranormal investigators.
Except, they’re really not. They’re con artists, who claim that Angela has inherited their late mother’s alleged gift of communicating with the dead, and run a scam on grieving clients who believe their houses are haunted. But as it turns out, their mother’s gift was real, and both Angela and Jackson have inherited her ability.
Angela, Jackson, and the rest of their team get more than they bargained for when they try running their scam on Mrs. Greene (Celia Imrie), whose house is supposedly filled with the screams of her three foster daughters — who were all found dead with their mouths sewn shut 15 years earlier, a series of murders that Mrs. Greene’s son, Herman (Niall Greig Fulton), was blamed for.
Angela embraces her ability and meets the ghosts of the deceased girls. And together, they uncover the malevolent truth: it was Mrs. Greene and her son who tortured and killed the girls 15 years ago.
A Solid Horror Film That’s Helped by the Twist Ending
Malevolent is like a mash-up of The Conjuring and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: a team of paranormal investigators stumble upon a deranged and murderous family, which includes a muted son who serves as the family’s muscle. It’s not the most original story ever. Paranormal investigators, ghosts of dead little girls, and maniacal families are nothing new in the horror genre, though Malevolent does take a fresh approach by exploring the scam artist angle of paranormal investigation.
The movie also fails to answer questions and flesh out plot points. Why would Mrs. Greene risk exposing the truth about the little girls’ murders by bringing paranormal investigators to her house? Was Herman ever punished for his alleged crimes (presumably not, since he just randomly shows up at the house, as if he’s been living there all this time scot-free)? Why would the Sayers’ mother kill herself if she was already using her gift as a medium to communicate with the dead? And what was the point of giving Jackson their mother’s ability, too?
Malevolent’s twist ending also delivers some pleasant surprises: Angela finds her brother walking aimlessly down the road, searching for the girlfriend that he had accidentally killed earlier, suddenly healed of all his bloody injuries. She’s devastated to learn that Jackson is dead (but don’t feel too bad, he was a jerk anyway).
Afterward, while talking on the phone with her grandfather, a shadow suddenly looms over Angela. She looks up at the shadowy figure and assures her grandfather, “I’m not alone.” Who is she seeing? Her dead mother? Her dead brother? Both of them? The answer is left open to interpretation. Despite its flaws and tired story, Malevolent is a quick watch, a decent horror movie with a few jump scares, and a solid early addition to Florence Pugh’s growing resume.
Stream Malevolent on Netflix
