Malevolent

Florence Pugh always delivers. You any fault her as an actress, she's just so natural and she's does a great American accent.

The same cannot be said for Ben Lloyd Hughes. His American accent comes & goes (not helped by the somewhat clunky script he has) & he really just isn't leading man material. Albeit very much a support to Florence anyways but he's just not very good. I realise his character is meant to be somewhat unlikeable but he has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Maybe he's a better actor than I am giving him credit for on that basis alone.

I know from the music and the Walkman / phone / phishing machine etc that this is set in the 80's but it doesn't have an 80's feel to it...it's like they are just using retro items...can't quite explain it...doesn't have the feel.of.a different era.

But I am giving it 8 stars cos I can't fault Florence!

A simple idea but easily to determine how it's going to end. Good acting but sometimes a bit stiff. Some scenes were gruesome but overall an ok 'ghost' story if you have a spare hour or so to watch it. Nothing to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Starts out good enough. Your average horror film. Decent actors, Ok plot. a little bit of Occulus mixed with Grave encounters and other films.

And then, the ending. Wtf. I can't find any words for it. It is truly horrible. How did they not come up with anything better?

Minor spoilers ahead:

1. They show way (waay) to much. Not a scary ending. 2. Elliot can apparently survive anything.

There were moments during this horror flick where I was fully engaged but then found myself struggling to keep interested. The pace is uneven and the dialog stiff and unnatural. A big part of the problem is actor Ben Lloyd-Hughes. Perhaps it's the fault of the filmmakers for making this Brit actor an American caritcature, cartoonish in his immorality, bullying with denim shirt sleeves rolled up like a 50's Kerouac character, but most of the fault likes with the actor himself. Lloyd-Hughes prefers bludgeoning the viewer instead of giving us muted shades. On the other hand, Florence Pugh is a revelation. Whereas Lloyd-Hughes's portrayal lacks subtlety, Pugh is all nuance. Silent through much of the movie, the director lets Pugh's face tell the story. She has a way of barely moving her facial muscles to convey a great deal. At one point early on, a friend asks a newly-haunted Angela if "she's on something." Her reaction perfectly captures that look narcotic drugs can bring to a person; it leaves the viewer with no doubt to her changing state of mind. A wonderful moment. As for the film itself, it avoids many of the genre's repetitious gimmicks, relying on our imagination to fill in the blanks. For that alone, and Pugh's remarkable performance, I enjoyed "Malevolent," despite the lagging moments, weak dialog and Ben Lloyd-Hughes.

I really looked forward to Malevolent, particularly when I read the outline and saw that both Celia Imrie and James Cosmo were in it.

The script is a really good one, the plot is clever, and is probably the film's biggest asset, the performances are good, and at least the film manages to surprise you, as you watch it, you think you know exactly the direction the film is moving in, you quickly discover you were wrong.

It is definitely flawed, at times it seems not to make sense, almost as if scenes were cut, but it hangs together well, and after a pretty tame start it transforms into a much grittier, darker film.

Fine performances, Ben Lloyd-Hughes and Florence Pugh were particularly good I thought, Celia Imrie is excellent as always, a great chance to witness just how wonderfully talented and versatile an actress she is, what a difference to her character in Acorn Antiques.

It never looks high budget, but it's an enjoyable watch, 7/10.