The internet reacts to James Wan’s new horror Malignant: "A miracle it got made"

Malignant
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Every so often, a movie comes along that captures our attention like no other. This year's take on The Movie Everyone Can’t Stop Talking About is James Wan’s devilish new horror, Malignant.

While the movie starts off slow, the story quickly turns into a pulsating, affecting tale – and then swiftly takes a left turn down WTF Avenue. Predictably, it’s set social media aflame and could end up being one of the most buzzed-about horror movies of the past decade.

Don’t worry: there are no Malignant spoilers here for those who want to experience it for themselves, but some reactions may hint at what's to come. You have been warned.

So how zany does it get? "I’m astonished [it] got made by a major studio," one user said on Twitter. Those thoughts are echoed by another, who said it was "like a nightmare on steroids. It’s so shockingly original and strange, it’s a miracle it got made."

Horror buffs will be pleased to hear that this is not only "top-tier James Wan," but the director of Saw and The Conjuring has delivered a “throwback to the high concept insane horror films of the 80s and 90s.”

As for the twist, there’s a reason why social media users are calling it "the craziest big budget studio horror film I can think of." We won’t go into details here but when it’s being described as on the level of Sixth Sense’s "I see dead people" twist, you know it’s approaching classic status.

As one Twitter user puts it: "James Wan, you sick, sick genius." We couldn’t agree more. 

Malignant is now out in cinemas and streaming on HBO Max. Looking for more scares? Come out from behind the sofa and dive into the best horror movies ever made.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.