#maddiehasson

[beautiful-celebs-pics]

Maddie Hasson

[ejsandfarkleslovebot]

CHAPTER ONE (of frozen heart)

It was just another day in Auradon. The sun is shining and the birds are chirping.

Elisa is standing at her locker in the hallway, minding her own business whenever she heard the familiar sound of Audrey's and Chad's laughter behind her. She tensed up at hearing them, hating how rude they always were to her for absolutely no reason. In times like that, it was hard for her to control her powers. Some say her powers are a gift, she believes they are a curse.

Belle and Adam have even told her that it was probably best for her to wear her gloves at times knowing she hasn't controlled her powers yet. She wears them every now and then, but she hates wearing them. She feels like she is locked in this cage.

But it has been difficult lately because well, she is technically half Spirit and half-human, so that means people have to believe in her to see her. It had its perks, but it can also be a bad thing at times. Like how sometimes she wishes some people couldn't see her.

"Oh, look who it is. Why, it's the ice princess in all of her cold glory." Audrey sneered, her voice now closer to Elisa.

Elisa didn't even realize the two teenagers were standing behind her until she turned around to face them when Chad tapped her on the shoulder. "We're talking about you, frosty."

She was honestly surprised that they believed in her. Because if they didn't then they wouldn't be making fun of her right now and she honestly believes that they only believe in her so they can tease and get on her nerves for the fun of it. Elisa balled her hands up into a fist, feeling the coldness of her powers form stronger in her body. She took a deep breath to try and calm them down.

Audrey laughs. "It's funny you think you can stop becoming who you really are. A monster. Just like your whole family."

Elisa glares at her as Audrey continues. "Oh! Remember when your mother froze her kingdom for no good reason? Talk about not being a good Queen."

Elisa opened her eyes, her bright blue eyes an icier blue than before. Knowing they were a different color, she took a deep breath and they returned to their normal blue color.

"Don't you dare talk about my family like that. And don't you dare talk about me like you know who I am. You don't get to talk about me and my family like that." Elisa glared at them, stepping closer to the two teenagers. Audrey took a step back, dragging Chad with her. Elisa had to refrain herself from rolling her eyes.

"My mother couldn't control her powers, she didn't know how to stop it…It wasn't her fault." She stood up for her family, trying her best to keep ahold of her own powers.

Chad rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest. "We can talk about you however we like. You are not the boss of us. If anything, we're the boss of you." He sneered, sending a harsh look towards her way.

She glanced down at her hands, noticing the familiar ray of her powers forming at her fingertips and her heartbeat quicken. Her blue eyes frantically looked around the hallway seeing if anyone was watching this. Most of the kids at the school and people in Auradon believe in her but some still don't. She just sometimes forgets that and always get so nervous and worried if something like this happens.

Audrey gasped, making Elisa realize what was happening. She looked forward to see Audrey taking a couple of steps back from her, grabbing a hold of Chad's arm. She took him with her as she pointed at Elisa's frightened figure.

"See? You're a monster! You're losing control of your powers. You're gonna freeze Auradon before we all know it!" Audrey exclaimed quite loudly causing some heads of the students that were nearby to turn their way.

Ben, who was nearby talking to some students, happened to hear Audrey's loud voice and started walking towards that direction. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion seeing that a small crowd had formed by the lockers. Walking closer, he pushed his way through the crowd, muttering an apology for being rude. He didn't stop until he was standing in front of the crowd, eyes wide at what he was seeing.

Once he and Elisa locked eyes, he noticed the scared look in her now icy blue colored eyes that made his heartache in pain for her. He hated seeing her scared or worried or in pain. He knew it was hard for her to control her powers and that she hated being in the center of attention like this.

"El-" He started, but Elisa ran past him, past the crowd and out of the hallway.

"Elisa!" He called after her. His lips curved downwards in a frown, watching as she ran off. He went to go after her, but felt a tug on his arm and stopped moving.

He looks over to see Audrey, who flashed a sweet smile at him. "Oh, don't worry about her, BennyBoo, she just needs some time to…Cool off."

While Ben was distracted, Chad went to King Adam's office. He knocked on the door, waiting for a few moments before he heard King Adam say, "Come in." He opened the door and walked in, seeing that King Adam was sitting at his desk doing some paperwork. Adam looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Chad," He said, refraining himself from sighing. "What can I do for you?"

"Something had happened with Elisa," Chad started, pretending to look around the room worriedly before he looked back at the King of Auradon.

"What happened, Chad?" Adam asks him, slightly annoyed that he was bothering him while he was working. "You know I'm very busy."

"King Adam, I hate to tell you this, but Elisa has lost control of her powers. Her eyes changed color to an icy blue and something almost frost-like formed at her fingertips. She ran after that and there was even a trail of frost beneath her!" Chad waved his arms around dramatically making Adam start to think that he was making this all up.

"We need to do something with her before things get worse. Who knows what will happen if we let her roam around Auradon like this. She could freeze Auradon with just a snap of her fingers!" Chad exclaimed, snapping his fingers.

Chad's lips curves upwards when it looked like Adam was thinking this through and he was happy that the plan looked like it was working. He forms his lips into a tight line whenever Adam looked at him. "So, what will you do with her?" He questioned, tilting his head to the side.

Adam sighs, a frown forming on his lips as he ran a hand through his brown colored hair. "I'm afraid there is nothing else to do but send her to the Isle where we know that this Kingdom and others will be protected. There is no magic on the Isle so it will even be better for her as well."

Chad frowns, pretending to be sad. "Oh well, that's too bad. But that is true, it's what's for the best."

Adam node and stands straighter. "Yes, that's right. Well, I have to make some calls. Again, thank you." Adam patted Chad on the shoulder before walking out of his office.

A smirk tugs on Chad's lips and he crosses his arms. "Oh no. Thank you."

❄❄❄❄

"What?! Why is this happening? What did I do wrong?!"

"Believe us when we say that we don't want you to be living in that awful place either. But it's for the best. We're trying to protect you-"

"You're just trying to protect yourselves! That's all you've ever done!" Elisa yelled, sending a harsh glare to the couple.

Adam and Belle sighs, knowing partially that was the truth. Belle steps forward, placing a comforting hand on her arm. "We are deeply sorry about doing this. You know that we care about you."

Elisa scoffs, tearing her arm away from Belle's grasp. "As I said before, you only care about yourselves."

Elisa presses her lips together in a tight line, trying her best not to cry as she tries to blink away the tears brimming her eyes. "W-What about my parents? My aunt and uncle? How are you sure that they will let you go through with this?" She stuttered, now feeling more worried about being sent to the Isle of the Lost that is full of villains, somewhere she doesn't belong. Or at least that's what her family told her. But apparently she doesn't belong there in Auradon so maybe she doesn't belong anywhere.

"What about my brother? He won't be so happy with you guys knowing you sent his only sister away to the Isle. My cousin won't be happy at all either. And you're son definitely won't be happy with this decision either." Elisa pointed out. Sometimes she wished that it was her brother who had powers so she wouldn't have to deal with this. She thought it was ironic that Jax didn't inherit any powers but she did. Belle and Adam shared a look with each other.

"Actually, we invited your family over to say goodbye. We thought it was the least we could do. And technically even if they tried to overrule this, they don't have that kind of power here, that would be only in Arrendelle." Adam explained.

Elisa started to tear up and she felt herself begin to shake at the thought of living with villains. She was definitely going to die there without having her powers to protect her. Sure, she learned some defense moves from her family, but she didn't know if they could protect her from nasty and evil villains.

Turning around, she noticed her parents, her brother, and her aunt and uncle were getting out of the limo. Her brother has been graduated from Auradon Prep for a few months now and has been living in Arrendelle and helping out with the kingdom. She sometimes wished that he was her age so she could have family there with her and maybe things would be better.

Jack, her father, was the first to get to her and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ground some as he hugged her tightly. She didn't hesitate to wrap her arms back, burying her face into her father's neck while hugging onto him tighter.

"I'm so sorry, Snowflake." He whispered to her, wishing that there was something he could do. He felt helpless at the moment and he hated feeling helpless. He was a Guardian for crying out loud and he couldn't even protect his own daughter.

"Hey, we're on a time limit, Jack, and I would like to hug my niece." Anna told him, crossing her arms over her chest.

Jack rolls his eyes as he chuckled. "Alright, alright. Calm down, don't hit me with a guitar." He jokes. He sat his daughter back on the ground and let go of her. Anna punches his arm, obviously offended by his joke and he just laughs. "What?" He looked at her as she rolled her eyes at him.

Elisa then moves to her mother, who already had tears in her eyes. "Lisa, I want you to know that we're so proud of you-" Elsa started. The other three adults of her family nodded in agreement.

"Oh, yeah, so proud." Jack interrupts and Elsa shot him an annoyed look. Jack looks at her with confusion. "What? I'm agreeing with you."

Elsa just shakes her head and turns back to her daughter, taking Elisa's hands into her own. "Just remember that we love you and we will never forget you. We will try to write to you as much as we can and fill you in on everything that's happening at home."

She squeezes Elisa's hands while Elisa sadly smiled as she nods. "Okay. I love you guys, too."

Elsa let go of her hands to get something out of her pocket and then showed it to Elisa, revealing a beautiful snowflake necklace that looked like it was made out of ice.

"I made that, in case you were wondering." Jack spoke up with a proud smile on his face.

Elsa nods, chuckling a bit at how proud he was of himself. Smiling a bit, she turns to face her daughter. "That's true. This is made out of solid ice, one that will never break even if you try. This is something to remember us by. If you're ever missing home, look at this and think of us." Elisa smiled at her parents, thinking it was so sweet her family did something like this.

"May I put it on her?" A voice asked from behind her. Elisa turned around to see Ben standing there. She felt like her heart stopped at the sight of him. This would be her last time seeing her best friend, the guy that she secretly loved that she would never get to tell. She couldn't possibly tell him now in this situation.

Elsa smiles and nods. "Be my guest."

Ben smiles a bit and looked over at Elisa after he delicately took the snowflake necklace from Elsa. He nodded towards her and it was as if she knew what he meant because she then lifted her hair up. He stood behind her and raised the necklace, the snowflake glittering when the sunlight bounced off of it. He hooked it together to keep it in place once it around her neck, his fingers gently grazing her neck which sent a shiver down her spine.

Letting her hair back down, she turned around to face him. Elisa glances down at her necklace, smiling at it. "It looks beautiful." She looks up at him as Ben said that, their eyes locking and it felt as if they were the only people there.

"You look beautiful." Ben complimented, his face turning a bright pink color just like what Elisa's face does at hearing the compliment.

"Thank you, Ben. For everything." She said softly, a smile tugging on her lips.

Ben smiles shyly and nods. "You're welcome."

"Okay," Jax coughs loudly so the attention was brought to him. He points at Elisa, looking at her with a playful yet stern expression. "You better come hug me right now or I'm pulling you away from him." Walking over to him, Elisa chuckled, and her lips curved upwards while they hugged each other.

"Try to stay alive over there, yeah? I would like to hear from you every now and then." Jax said to her.

Elisa chuckles and smiles. "Yeah, okay."

"Okay, I hate to ruin this beautiful moment, but I wanna hug my niece. I waited a long time to hug her. I don't wanna wait anymore." Anna spoke up and made grabby hands towards Elisa.

"You only waited a few minutes." Jax pointed out as he and Elisa pulled away from the hug.

Anna shrugs. "So? I still wanna hug her." Elisa giggled while walking over to her aunt and uncle. Anna is the first one to hug her, bringing her into a bear hug.

"Remember, you're going to a place that is filled with evil villains that will always try to make you forget who you are. Never forget who you truly are, Lisa. You are a strong, brave, beautiful and talented young woman." Anna told her as they pulled apart from the hug. Elisa smiled at her and nodded, moving over to her uncle.

Kristoff smiles at her. "We're gonna miss you, kid. Things won't be the same without you." He told her and brought her into a tight hug.

Elisa hugs him back and smiles. "I'm gonna miss you guys too, so much."

Belle and Adam smiled sadly as they watched them saying their goodbyes. "I'm afraid that there is a time limit that we can have the barrier open. So, Elisa, it's time for you to leave." Adam spoke up. Elisa nodded, pulling away from Kristoff and started walking to the limo that was going to take her to the Isle.

"Wait! Elisa!" Ben called out to her, running over to her before she opened the door to the limo.

Stopping in her place, she turns around to look at one of her best friends, who stopped to stand in front of her. "I wanted to give you something. "

Elisa tilts her head to the side in confusion, getting more nervous by the second. She furrowed her eyebrows as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. The ring is similar to the one he was wearing, but it had a beautiful snowflake on it.

Elisa gasps at the sight of it, memorized by how beautiful it is. "Ben, I…I can't take that."

Ben shakes his head, grabbing her hand. "I want you to. Just like with that necklace, if you miss me, look at this ring and remember me." He spoke softly, gently placing the ring on Elisa's right ring finger.

Elisa smiles softly as she looked down at it. Looking more closely at it, she realized that el + ben was engraved on the back of the ring and she felt her face grow hot.

"Do you…Do you like it? I had it made specifically for you." He admits nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I was going to give it to you on better circumstances, but now I felt like it would be better for you to have it now."

Elisa looks back at him with a smile, and gently squeezing his hand. "I love it, Ben."

And I love you. She also wanted to say but she bit her tongue before she said it and made a mistake. Ben smiled at her and pulled her into a hug. Elisa doesn't hesitate to hug him back.

"I'm gonna miss you." Ben whispered to her.

Elisa sighs, hugging onto him tighter since she didn't want to let go. "I'm gonna miss you too." She whispered back to him.

After a moment of them hugging onto each other, they finally pulled apart, sending sad smiles to each other.

"WAIT! Don't leave yet!" Elisa heard a familiar voice yell. "You can't leave without saying goodbye to me! I'll chase after you if I have to!"

Elisa looks over her shoulder, seeing her cousin, Krystal, run down the steps and over to her. "Excuse me," Krystal goes over to her cousin and Ben. "I wanna say goodbye to my cousin, Benjamin." She stated rather dramatically. Ben nodded, chuckling a bit as he stepped out of the way so they could have a moment.

"I'm sorry, Krystal-" Elisa apologized and was shocked whenever Krystal threw her arms around her, pulling her in for a hug.

"Don't apologize for nothing, Ellie. Makes you look kinda dumb." She commented. Elisa giggled a bit and hugged Krystal back.

"Stay out of trouble, okay, Krys?" Elisa said to her once they pulled apart from the hug and Krystal sent her a look.

"I should be the one saying that to you," Kyrstal shrugs. "But okay, I guess I'll try."

Elisa chuckles and shakes her head even though her lips curled upwards. "I'm gonna miss you and your craziness."

"Well, this is the first time in forever you said that to me." Krystal smiled sadly.

They hug each other one more time before Krystal went to stand by her parents as Ben opened the door for her, being the gentleman he always was.

Elisa sent him a sad smile, whispering a word of thanks before getting into the limo. Ben closed the door, a small frown on his face as he watched the limo start to pull away. He knew from then on things would never be the same without her.

From inside of the limo, Elisa moved over to the window, waving at her family who waved back until she was out of sight.

Sitting back in her seat as the limo drove onto the bridge once the barrier opened, she knew things were about to change for her. For good or for bad? She had no idea.

[cunninghamh2014]

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Impulse Henry

[therealmrpositive]

Macabre Month 5 Part VIII: Malignant (2021)

In today's review, I find the deep horrors are buried deep in the mind As I attempt a #positive review of the film Malignant #AnnabelleWallis #MckennaGrace #MaddieHasson #GeorgeYoung #MicholeBrianaWhite #JeanLouisaKelly #MadisonWolfe #SusannaThompson

Our mind is a complex machine, one we can take for granted. Sometimes, the greater details are lost, buried deeps in the perpetually expanding archives. Other times it is conjuring up strange new worlds that we could almost live in. From the mundane to the theoretical, there is not a lot it cannot accomplish. In 2021, a horror film broke the internet with the discussion of its polarising merits.…

[franciscomaldo]

#AnthonyMackie #MorenaBaccarin y #MaddieHasson protagonizaran thriller postapocalíptico #Elevation √

#AnthonyMackie #MorenaBaccarin y #MaddieHasson protagonizaran thriller postapocalíptico #Elevation √

George Nolfi dirigirá el thriller de acción postapocalíptico de Lyrical Media, Elevation,  con Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin y Maddie Hasson como protagonistas.  Anthony Mackie / Imagen cortesía Manny Carabel/Getty Images Brad Fuller está a bordo para producir con John Glenn y el dúo de escritores Kenny Ryan y Jacob Roman escriben el guión.  La película se anuncia como una pieza de acción de…

[tayswift-world]

"2021 GQ Men Of The Year Party" in West Hollywood, LA

Alexandra Daddario wore a Zuhair Murad Couture dress at the "2021 GQ Men Of The Year Party" in West Hollywood, Los Angeles w/ Sydney Sweeney & Maddie Hasson (Thursday November 18th, 2021)

[losvolumenes]

Maligno (Malignant, James Wan, 2021)

#jameswan se saca la chorra una vez más en este desmadre que comienza repleto de mal rollo, y termina con un golpe de efecto que deja al de #silenciodesdeelmal a la altura del betún, y aún así nos sirve de referente directo. Una forma de rodar tan brutal que parece de otro mundo, repleta de detalles de puesta en escena dispersos por todo el metraje, desde la alucinante persecución equiparable a la de #seven, que pocas veces se ha superado después, hasta un breve plano secuencia (me la pela que esté trucadísimo) detallando parte de la matanza en la comisaría (cuantas ejecuciones, por cierto) pasando por los planos cenitales en la casa de la protagonista, las transformaciones "líquidas" de las escenas del crimen o ese momento final de reclusión mental que nos acerca también a ese delirante tramo del desenlace de #insidious.

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#horror #terror #cinedeterror #horrormovies #annabellewallis #maddiehasson

[doomw123]

‏‎hanry has going nuts with this @ImpulseSeries @maddiehassonofficial #maddiehasson #impulseseriesart #graffitiart #photoshop‎‏ (ב‏‎Rishon LeZion‎‏) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6p7iGYAnYI/?igshid=i834jc640072

[jacki24x7-d-f-casting-blog-1]

Ricky played by Colin Ford

Danny played by Cody Kearsley

Angie played by Liv Hewson

Honor played by Sarah Desjardins

Neil Buckingham played by Wyatt Nash (teacher)

Trevor played by Daniel Maslany

Bailey Malone played by Maddie Hasson

[billybennight]

Here’s my full length fashion shot of Mehcad Brooks at the Comic-con Bash by Entertainment Weekly at the Hard Rock Hotel. @comic_con @entertainmentweekly @hardrockhotels @supergirlcw @mehcadbrooks #mehcadbrooks #comicconbash #redcarpetfashion #fashion #fashionable #redcarpetfashion #fashionphotography #maddiehasson #sdcc2019 #sdcc #photography #sandiego #photographer #redcarpet #losangelesphotographer (at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0RvSeBpRki/?igshid=14l0xn7ikm557

[between-two-worlds]

[ejsandfarkleslovebot]

FROZEN HEART (ben beast, 1)

WINTER WAS Elisa Frost's favorite season, not only because she was the daughter of Elsa and Jack Frost, but because she was inherited with ice/snow powers from her parents. She loved the way the world transformed into a glittering wonderland of ice and snow, feeling a deep connection to the cold and the beauty it brought. She was most at home in the winter. But she yearned for the warm, fuzzy and giddy feeling of love and the promise of a bright future with someone. She wanted to feel special and loved and not be so alone all the time. Because she was the daughter of Elsa and Jack Frost, she was also part spirit, inheriting that from her father. People had to believe in her for people to see her. There was both pros and cons with this. The pro being she could go wherever she wanted without having to worry about someone running into her, or bumping into her, or the cons was she was often very lonely and felt invisible most of the time, even when she was around people. Elisa's heart ached to find someone that could understand her. Someone she could truly connect with. Someone who always believed and loved her. 

Ben Beast have known her his whole life. They've been best friends for as long as they can remember. They had their ups and downs like every friendship does, but their friendship was still going strong. There was clearly chemistry between them, Elisa even had a crush on him and can you blame her? Ben was attractive, kind, caring, loving, loyal, she could go on and on about how great he was. But he was taken by Audrey, daughter of Aurora and Phillip. Audrey never liked Elisa and Elisa never liked her, that was obvious. They just never got along. Elisa always had that thought in the back of her mind that she thought she was a monster, a freak. She had powers she often couldn't control, powers that could hurt people. Audrey had always thought of her to be a monster, a freak. 

Her and Chad, son of Cinderella, were the reasons Elisa was banished to the Isle of The Lost, the place villains and their kids were trapped there. No one knew that Audrey and Chad were the ones who had taunted and pushed her to her limits until she snapped. They lied about the real reason she lost control and she was then sent away. Adam and Belle felt awful about doing this, they had watched her grow up and treated her like she was family. Though they had to do what was best for their kingdom and at the time they thought it would be best for her as well. The Isle of the Lost was a horrible place. A prison for all villains and their kids.  No magic was allowed, it had no wifi, and was basically cut off from the rest of the world. There was no sun or happiness, it was always gloomy and dull. 

Elisa was terrified when she was sent to the Isle. She didn't know what to do and her powers didn't work. She was thankful four villain kids took her under their wing, teaching her how to survive the harsh conditions on the Isle. Though she didn't trust them right away. Elisa had quickly learned to put up a frozen exterior, not to let anyone see her vulnerable and weak. On the Isle of the Lost, you have to be tough. It's survival of the fittest. Though she didn't have a mean bone in her body. At first. She pretended to be someone else. A person she wasn't. 

That was until she wasn't pretending anymore and that frozen, cold exterior became her new normal. It had been said that only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart, and a frozen heart she has. Elisa has done things on the Isle that she isn't proud of, but had to do in order to survive. She did whatever she could to protect herself and the villain kids that took her under their wing. Her frozen heart had become her shield, a way to keep herself safe in the harsh, unforgiving environment of the Isle of the Lost. 

Yet, deep down, Elisa longed to be free from the chains of her own making, to feel warmth and love again, to be seen and believed in. And Ben Beast might be the key to thawing her frozen heart.

CHAPTER ONE!

CHAPTER TWO!

CHAPTER THREE!

CHAPTER FOUR!

CHAPTER FIVE!

CHAPTER SIX!

CHAPTER SEVEN!

CHAPTER EIGHT!

CHAPTER NINE!

CHAPTER TEN!

CHAPTER ELEVEN!

CHAPTER TWELVE!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN!

CHAPTER FOURTEEN!

CHAPTER FIFTEEN!

[meluviel]

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Impulse video edit on my youtube channel ✨

[adamwatchesmovies]

Malignant (2021)

Sometimes, you don’t even realize you're craving for something until you see it. Malignant throws away reason with wild abandon but the way it fully commits to its outlandish premise is a breath of fresh air. It reminds me of the kind of films I used to see on the shelves of the video rental store when I was a kid. Even back then I knew pictures like Basket Case, Re-Animator or The Nest wouldn’t hold up to any sort of real-world scrutiny but it didn't matter then and it doesn't now. This film delivers the kind of sights you’ve never seen before, which makes it memorable.

In 1993, Dr. Florence Weaver (Jacqueline McKenzie) makes a radical decision to treat Gabriel, a murderous boy with psychic abilities that allow him to control electrical devices. Twenty-seven years later, Madison Lake (Annabelle Wallis) wakes up to find her abusive boyfriend dead - the first in a series of murders linked to Gabriel. How has he returned after all these years and how does he connect to this woman?

You can already tell that this story isn’t entirely plausible. It gets much zanier from here. The thing is, director James Wan (who conceived the story with Ingrid Bisu and screenplay writer Akela Cooper) knows what he's doing. This isn’t one of those movies that “cheats” by telling us that “we only use 10% of our brains, so what if…”. There isn’t a person alive who could do what Gabriel does. The movie is way too much fun to be concerned with reality. There are many insane twists along the way. Some you might see coming, others you won’t. Even when you predict events accurately, it'll be because of your keen sense of observation. Not because you've seen anything like this before.

Though the film is unsettling and disturbing in its violence - when people die they get savagely mauled - it isn’t frightening on the level you might expect from a James Wan film (remember the levels of terror achieved by The Conjuring?). It makes up for this in jaw-dropping reveals and spectacular action scenes. I know. I didn’t see that coming either. There’s a point in which Gabriel attacks a group of police officers. The stunt work and choreography make anything Marvel has shown us in 2021 to shame - partially because you can tell it’s an actual stunt person doing all the running, jumping, and slashing. I'm sitting here, thinking back to it and still stunned.

Malignant is a memorable film whose audacity has to be applauded. While it might be reminiscent of a variety of horror pictures - ranging from classy Giallo to low-brow, high-concept B-movies sold purely on the “yuck!” and “woah!” factor - it’s well-made, with good performances, convincing gore, cool special effects, and spectacular stunts. It’s the kind of movie you’ll watch and want to show your friends so they can be in on the secrets it has to offer. (December 22, 2021)

[doomonfilm]

Review : Malignant (2021)

When the trailers for Malignant started making the rounds, lots of my friends got excited, but I personally did not feel a connection to the promotion.  As early as release night, however, the buzz on the timeline became too big to ignore, and though the responses was varied and divided, it was consistently positive and devoid of the bashing that is so present in today’s social media sphere.  Considering that I had a lazy weekend on the docket, and finding a screening of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings that’s not loaded to the gills is tough, I decided to jump on HBOMax and see what all the hype was about.

Malignant is the kind of exploitation that thrived in the 1970s and 1980s, attempted to find new ground in the late 1990s and the new millennium during the found-footage era, and seemingly died as horror became high brow in the run-up to the modern era.  The production design on Gabriel, not to mention the alterations and costuming used for his Scorpion iteration, hearken back to the 1970s and 80s practical effects that directors like John Carpenter and those of his ilk made the horror standard.  The film is deeply set in the lore of demons, phantoms and ghosts, but it also flirts with the idea of shadow people and a sort of “waking” sleep paralysis in a very interesting way that I would love to see continued in the genre.  All of your standard exploitation sets are used, including the overly large home with one inhabitant, psychiatric hospitals, abandoned mansions and police stations, with some of the high-level apartments and suburban homes that killings take place in serving to modernize the exploitation elements.  Even the way that the film is written steers clear of the highly cerebral and darkly suspenseful methods that Ari Aster and others go for, opting instead to lean into dialogue that props up the visual stimulus we as viewers receive while eliminating subtext.

The idea of secrets and cover-ups serves as the foundational subtext for the film, grounding it in personal suspense and deeply traumatic terror as the exploitation elements run parallel.  We are given an adoption story, a misunderstood child story, a domestic abuse story and an estranged family story all within the first act of the film, not to mention higher level espionage in the opening via the explosive introduction of Gabriel.  The kill list is a direct echo of said espionage, with all of the key figures in the bigger cover up serving as the fodder for Gabriel’s Scorpion form.  Watching Maddie learn about her sister’s past and horrible situation allows us as the audience to have a character we can connect to in terms of taking in pertinent information.  There is even a divide between Detectives Kokoa Shaw and Regina Moss that creates a rift that mirrors the different mindstates of those who believe in the supernatural versus those who are deeply skeptical.  

An exploitation film the likes of Malignant has absolutely no business being as technically proficient as it is.  The cinematography oscillates between calm, observant moments during the exposition dumps, but when the terror starts to spike, the camera becomes a free flowing, specter-like entity as it rotates, watches from above and generally moves with complete freedom and autonomy to be in the best position possible to maximize the fear.  The general lighting very much shares the look and feel of Se7en for large portions of the film, but once the in-world lighting starts acting up and the washes of red make their presence felt, the film starts to mirror Suspiria while tonally feeling close to a film like Repulsion, but with modern day horror.  The transition sequences that trap Maddie in the middle of the murders are highly stylish and well executed.  Gabriel’s use of technology to communicate is extremely unsettling in its nature, as it manages to both implicate the otherworldly and interdimensional nature of the threat while also making our disturbing antagonist have a deep presence despite minimal screen time.  The creeping, haunting and airy score works better than standard musical beats, and the use of old school ghost-like voices in the sound design play up the exploitation very well.  Huge praise must be given to the living legend that is Zoë Bell for her top-tier stunt work as the phantom threat.  

Anabelle Wallis does a powerfully understated job of carrying the dramatic weight of the film, with the premise of her adopted past and abusive husband setting the table for a deeply troubled protagonist tethering symbolic and literal ghosts with her.  McKenna Grace matches the energy Wallis sets in her youthful portrayals of Maddie, with her reserved nature standing as the backstory for Maddie’s current day disposition.  Maddie Hanson plays the supportive younger sister to a tee, letting her curiosity, admiration and unconditional love drive her need to protect her older adopted sister.  George Young and Michole Briana White make a wonderful detective team, with Young’s naivety and need for answers playing well off of White’s deeply jaded and highly procedural outlook.  Marina Mazepa and Ray Chase team up to create the unsettling terror that is Gabriel, with Mazepa’s brooding physicality creating a symbiotic connection to Chase’s instantly iconic vocal performance.  Supporting cast members Jean Louisa Kelly, Susanna Thompson, Jake Abel, Jacqueline McKenzie, Christian Clemenson, Amir AboulEla and Ingrid Bisu all turn in strong performances in their smaller roles.

Based on the level of this film’s insanity, not to mention its wholehearted attempt at swinging for the fences, Malignant could have very easily been a messy, unfocused trainwreck prime for mockery.  Somehow and someway, though, James Wan and company found a way to coordinate all of their chaosand turn it into something extremely visceral and unforgettable.  Malignant certainly isn’t the Citizen Kane of horror films or anything, but it is EXTREMELY watchable, and if you’re willing to buy into the off the wall setup you’re presented with in the opening, then you’ll be in for quite the enjoyable rollercoaster ride.

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@goodafterbad will be shown at the @BFFfestival May 2nd and 3rd. For ticket information click on the link #BillyBurke #MaddieHasson #GoodAfterBad http://bentonvillefilmfestival.com/artists/good-after-bad/