malum horror movie review

"Malum," about a rookie policewoman besieged by terrifying incidents during her first night on the job, is a low-budget horror movie where the filmmaking is the star.

Jessica Sula stars as Jessica Lauren, whose dad, Will ( Eric Olson ), was also a cop. Will died exactly one year ago tonight, shortly after participating in a raid on a compound full of cultists who worshipped a demon and killed people to feed his power. It's said that Jessica's father perished by his own hand after shooting several of his colleagues to death in the same station where Jessica now stands watch. Supposedly he snapped because he saved three women during the raid but blamed himself for failing to save a fourth.

Of course, there's more to it than that, and the movie unpacks the rest of the (buried) details in due course. Daddy's grotesque and tragic backstory, plus rampant police department sexism, explains why everyone on the force treats Jessica with either condescension or contempt and doesn't take her seriously when she calls to tell them she's getting prank phone calls from women threatening to "kill the pigs," and that a large, long-haired homeless man has gotten into the station and is tearing the place up, and that somebody brought a gigantic hog with a stylized pentagram painted on its back to the front entrance of the building and tied it up. Cultists, cult sympathizers, and parasitic chaos agents are out on the streets stirring up trouble on the first anniversary, and we hear reports (via Jessica's phone and radio conversations) that the police force can't trace her prank phone callers or immediately send backup because they've got their hands full preventing the town from spiraling into mayhem.

How much do you really want to know about the rest of the plot? I think it's wiser with a film like this to surrender to the experience, knowing in advance that "Malum" isn't merely a haunted house movie but an experience that's like paying to go into a "haunted house" for kicks on Halloween. The movie takes its sweet time building to the commercially mandated jump scares, CGI blood plumes, and impressionist glimpses of mutilated faces and limbs (by RussellFX, whose sculptors must moonlight at the morgue). Once that phase of the movie kicks in, "Malum" becomes a dark labyrinth in a rented entertainment space where gruesome things periodically pop out at you, screeching and yowling, and there's blood on the walls, and the handful of working lights flicker drastically enough to create strobe-like effects, and you keep hearing a chorus of young women faintly singing a very old song, and hellish apparitions trudge out of the gloom and announce that they feast on angel's wings. Is Jessica seeing actual things, or is she losing her mind? The film keeps teasing that binary all the way to the end, then gives you a different, more interesting answer.

The jump scares work (jump scares almost always do; they're the easiest way to convince the audience that they've gotten their money's worth), but "Malum" is much more impressive when it turns its talented ensemble cast loose on material that was obviously a lot of fun to play with. What actor doesn't want to do a police interrogation where they get to lovingly recount the details of ritual sacrifice, pop their eyes, writhe around, and giggle? Or—as Chaney Morrow gets to do in the role of cult leader John Malum—look right into the camera and try to put the fear of hell in the viewer?

Director/co-writer/editor Anthony DiBlasi , a protege of Clive Barker , has mashed together two classic John Carpenter movies, " Assault on Precinct 13 " and " Prince of Darkness ," added a burbling, "Satan is coming, try to look busy" synth score (by Samuel Laflamme, what a name) and then stirred in a lot of contemporary stylistic tics, including flash-cut gore with dissonant sound effects, and an extended action sequence in a darkly lit series of corridors that often adopts the rear-view, over-the-shoulder angle of a "shooter" video game.

The final third is, in terms of story, the least impressive section—it becomes increasingly narratively incoherent and chop-chop in the editing—but it's also the most virtuosic in terms of compositions, camera movement, and physical acting. After a certain point, nothing in it scared me anymore because I was too enraptured by how much the filmmakers and actors were able to do with one location, lurid borderline-giallo cinematography (by Sean McDaniel , a name to watch), Laflamme's music, and a smart use of whatever effects budget they had (most of it seems to have gone into the demon, and if so, great accounting decision: it's magnificent).

If you care about indie horror trivia, here's a fun bit: "Malum" is a remake of an earlier DiBlasi film, 2014's "Last Shift," which has the same basic plot—a rookie policewoman guards an abandoned police station, a year after an incident that entangled police officers with demonic cultists. DiBlasi and co-producer/co-writer Scott Poiley decided to do it again with more money and make it different. The main story change is having the heroine volunteer for duty at the station where her father died in order to gain access to his locker, check out the facility, and otherwise try to get answers to questions that are keeping her up at night; well, that and probably 200 times more overt supernatural stuff. The main style change is, er, everything. It's a matter of energy, density, pacing, and scale, and this is even reflected in the music: the first one was defined by an acoustic guitar, while the second is wall-of-sound synth beats and chords that might liquefy your most recent meal if the speakers were loud enough.

A horror festival should consider screening both versions as a double feature, because the films are equally effective and fascinating to compare. The first is clearly a shoestring effort that relies on suggestion and spooky sound effects, has little gore and a clean, modern production design, waits 23 minutes to bring in score music, and keeps the story simple. The remake has a convoluted story that gets gradually and mostly verbally unpacked over 93 minutes; revels in its pre-World War II era, blue-tiled set; leans heavily on scoring from frame one; showcases its monster and gore effects with pride, and generally goes for a maximalist aesthetic. Both are equally valid ways to tell a story like this. That each is compelling in its own way makes me wish they'd try it a third time just to see what happens.

Now playing in theaters.

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor-at-Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

Jessica Sula as
Candice Coke as
Chaney Morrow as
Clarke Wolfe as
Morgan Lennon as
Valerie Loo as
Monroe Cline as
Eric Olson as
Anthony DiBlasi
Scott Poiley

Cinematographer

Sean McDaniel

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Malum Reviews

A modulation and expansion of Last Shift. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 13, 2024

One of the great satanic horror films of recent years. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 6, 2024

Malum does offer plenty of frights and thrills. It somehow manages the impossible of not only being a decent remake, but also doing something different as well.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 21, 2024

[DiBlasi] doesn’t have much sense of how to parse this hackneyed occult screed into sequences with any true tension...

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Apr 24, 2024

I'm afraid the new version, despite a bigger budget and added scares, is not better than the old version-just more glossy.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | May 21, 2023

While Malum still offers plenty of frights, it struggles to get out of the shadow of Last Shift. Yet it undeniably features impeccable craft from beginning to end.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | May 17, 2023

Malum is not very original, it can get repetitive, and some of the acting is amateurish from the supporting cast members. However, the movie excels at some terrific horror visuals, and the lead performances carry the movie during its weaker moments.

Full Review | Apr 6, 2023

From solid physical effects to some more unique creature designs in recent memory, Malum is awash in creeps and horrors. It may not be the most original or unique horror movie of the year, but it is a step above most of what is out there.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Apr 5, 2023

‘Malum’ is chilling, surreal, and serves up gruesome gore effects.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Apr 5, 2023

"Malum" is [most] impressive when it turns its talented ensemble cast loose on material that was obviously a lot of fun to play with.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 4, 2023

Definitely midnight movie fare...

Full Review | Apr 3, 2023

Malum is a modern horror film that knows how to be genuinely scary, creating some of the most frightening sequences of the year.

Malum is a horror film that delivers the goods in terms of both blood and lore.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Apr 3, 2023

It may be more blunt force more so than scalpel sharp, but Malum is one hell of a journey (pun very much intended), with more in common with Baskin than Assault on Precinct 13–and that’s certainly a reason to give praise to the dark lord.

Apart from Jessica Sula’s immersive performance, the practical effects by RussellFX recall the work of Bob Keen from Clive Barker’s Hellraiser. The finale takes the viewer on a rapid descent to hell that signifies horror is alive and well.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Apr 1, 2023

DiBlasi delivers what Last Shift fans will once again enjoy. That’s what’s slightly disappointing: Malum differentiates, but does it differentiate enough?

Full Review | Original Score: 6.5/10 | Mar 31, 2023

Malum has enough budget to be too glossy to be gutter fun, and adds little visually much beyond some very mediocre practical effects, often feeling that – yet again – its ambitions outstripped its grasp.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Mar 31, 2023

Malum is a frightening reimagining of Last Shift that manages to deliver more plot and excess gore.

Full Review | Original Score: 7.5/10 | Mar 30, 2023

The "Last Shift" reimagining "Malum" is a thrilling, terrifyingly sadistic spectacle that proves sometimes you can fix what isn't broken. It’s leaner, meaner, grislier, more investing, more unsettling, and perfectly paced.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Mar 30, 2023

DiBlasi’s remake keeps the bones of his previous effort but ups the ante in every conceivable way.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 30, 2023

Cast & crew
User reviews

A rookie police officer willingly takes the last shift at a newly decommissioned police station in an attempt to uncover the mysterious connection between her father's death and a vicious cu... Read all A rookie police officer willingly takes the last shift at a newly decommissioned police station in an attempt to uncover the mysterious connection between her father's death and a vicious cult. A rookie police officer willingly takes the last shift at a newly decommissioned police station in an attempt to uncover the mysterious connection between her father's death and a vicious cult.

Anthony DiBlasi
Scott Poiley
Jessica Sula
Candice Coke
Chaney Morrow
87 User reviews
61 Critic reviews

Top cast 34

Jessica Loren

Officer Grip Cohen

Officer Price

Officer Hudson

Cult Singer
Young Diane

Shadow Lurker

Police Officer

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Trivia The film is a remake/reimagining of director Anthony DiBlasi's earlier 2014 film Last Shift (2014) .
Goofs At the climax of the film Jessica is carrying a shotgun and uses it, then drops it to the floor. A few minutes later she reaches for it and grabs it, but when she pulls it closer to herself, she is suddenly holding a handgun instead of a shotgun.
Crazy credits The chant that the worshipers used to sing is heard at the end of the credits roll.
Connections Featured in Horrible Reviews: The Horrors Of 2023: Malum | Video review (2023)

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‘Malum’ Review: A Horror Remake That Didn’t Need To Happen

Anthony DiBlasi directed and wrote – with the aid of writer Scott Poiley – a little horror film in 2014 called Last Shift . The film is for those who are into the horror genre but go past the surface level in search of something more indie and less known. That’s not to say that DiBlasi is not recognized for trying something different to this highly-loved genre. Consequently, the director applied everything from Last Shift to the remake, Malum . Malum beckoned DiBlasi and Poiley to take another crack at the story, but despite a larger budget and new cast, the movie fails to add anything new or even warrant its existence.

The concept of Malum is simple and has been done before in past horror/suspense/thriller films, but it puts a different spin on a few things. The film follows Rookie Cop Jessica Loren (Jessica Sula), assigned to the last shift of a decommissioned and possibly haunted police station. The location is significant to Jessica as it was the setting of a notoriously vicious cult’s demise by her father, the Chief of Police Will Loren (Eric Olson). However, the repercussions of Will’s questionable psychotic break would be felt across the station and town as the chief goes on a killing spree.

It’s similar to the setting of Resident Evil 2 with the vibe of Silent Hill .

It works for most of the movie before it becomes tedious.

The method adds something to the story but becomes overused to justify the repeated jump scares. The trope has been done a thousand times in thousands of other horror movies and doesn’t do the movie in favor. Therefore this technique starts pissing away the “brownie points” gained by the negative space tension in the film. It might work for some horror fans, but I slowly started questioning Malum ‘s art direction.

The script has moments of descent concepts like “The Sins of the Father/Mother” that start to move the plot forward. Many times throughout the movie involve Jessica, exploring and examining her father’s actions to better understand why he commented such a heinous act. The dive into the mystery takes a few turns that held my attention for half of the movie. However, the actors caused the writing to drop the ball and become a huge distraction.

The acting is stiff and wooden. The level of constraint is apparent because the cast comes off as people either reading the cue cards just out of the cameras’ sight or trying to remember their lines. William Shatner charmingly did the latter because he could. However, when the actors in Malum do it, it’s just sad. The poor acting happened so often that I started to feel dread when I discovered I had forty-five minutes left in the movie.

Lastly, some of the demon designs are well put together. The one on the poster of Malum shows up during the movie and gives it a much-needed boost in the horror department. Undoubtedly, it pairs well with a satisfying amount of blood, like a wine complementing the steak, which makes the costume design of the main demon even more perplexing. It came off like a cheaply conceived knock-off monster from the Hellraiser movies.

DiBlasi made a second attempt at Last Shift , hoping to bring something new or not fully explored with this remake . Most directors have good intentions when creating a film and expectations that will make a mark on their craft. Sadly, Malum is a failed attempt with its typical horror tropes, poor acting from his talent, and a plot twist that is in no way deserved. The creature design works in the movie except for the wannabe Cenobite, and the setting is a cool idea for this genre. However, that’s not enough to save the film.

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‘Malum’ Review – ‘Last Shift’ Reimagining Takes a Bigger and Bloodier Approach

In a rare turn of events, director/co-writer Anthony DiBlasi gives a new update to his own 2014 horror film Last Shift with Malum . DiBlasi reunites with Last Shift co-writer Scott Poiley , creating an expanded story that strengthens the original narrative and offers even bloodier occult mayhem. DiBlasi’s Malum serves as a perfect introduction to his twisted demonic realm while supporting his original film as a fascinating companion piece.

Rookie cop Jessica Loren ( Jessica Sula , Split ) requests the last shift in a decommissioned police station where a notoriously vicious cult saw their demise years prior. Loren hopes to use the solitude to her advantage as she searches the empty building for answers about her father’s strange death. What should be a simple, quiet evening becomes anything but when the cult members seem to reach out from beyond the grave, plaguing the officer with harrowing visions and torment in attempts to finish what they started.

Loren will learn horrors beyond her family’s entanglements with the Malum cult.

A disarming vulnerability to Sula’s Jessica Loren instills rooting interest straightaway. The officer carries herself like a rookie that’s still finding her footing. Still, the family ties and desire to understand her father’s final moments ensure we’re invested in her survival. Part of that is owed to DiBlasi and Poiley’s more robust storytelling, giving their protagonist more plausible means for winding up in such a dementedly haunted place. However, much of it belongs to Sula’s performance, who carries this increasingly gory ride on her shoulders with poignancy, charm, and fortitude. Malum takes care to deliver a more well-rounded heroine.

The cult also gets expanded here, along with its victims. It’s this aspect that provides the most prominent departure; cult leader John Malum ( Chaney Morrow ) and his Flock of the Low God undergo a considerable expansion of mythology, complete with a more extensive history and demonic lore. Flock member Dorothea ( Clarke Wolfe ) stands out among them as the most ruthless and chilling; her withering icy stare alone makes for a successful villainess.

But the biggest scene-stealer in Malum belongs to the special makeup effects and grisly deaths brought to life by Russell FX . The hellish designs of the cult’s denizens are fantastic, especially as the film builds to a satisfying climactic confrontation. Gore hounds will also find themselves satiated by the extreme bloodletting the more Jessica Loren’s last shift barrels toward dawn. Malum presents a more robust cast, which means a higher and grislier body count that brings the pain and viscera in equal measure.

The downside to the expanded narrative, however, is that the scares don’t hit quite as hard as they did in Last Shift . The barebones plot of Last Shift meant the scare crafting did the heavy lifting and successfully induced chills. Malum doesn’t skimp on the scares, though they’re frequently crowded out by the storytelling choices that give DiBlasi’s latest a more complete feel. Some editing decisions can also distract, like a final lingering shot that stretches just a smidge too long.

Overall, DiBlasi makes excellent use of this rare remake opportunity. Malum is an imaginative, unsettling reimagining that builds upon the skeleton of Last Shift to create an entertaining and oft-thrilling new entry in demonic horror. The new mythology, more impressive set pieces, and gnarly practical effects impress. Infectious performances ground it. While it may not reach the bone-chilling highs of Last Shift , its commitment to introducing an even more menacing entity and its nefarious worshippers ensures a haunting night at a police station worth booking.

Malum releases in theaters on March 31, 2023.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon, SeriesFest, and Popcorn Frights Film Fest.

Miley Cyrus Reveals She Wanted to Remake ‘Mandy’ as a Musical and Play Nicolas Cage’s Character

Miley Cyrus on Mandy (bloodied Nicolas Cage pictured)

Count musical artist and pop star Miley Cyrus as a major fan of Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy . So much so that she revealed in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar that she wanted to remake the movie as a musical and star as Nicolas Cage’s character.

The artist considers the film one of her all-time favorites, so much so that she shared that she also named her dog after the title character.

Nicolas Cage played Red Miller in Mandy . In the film, “Pacific Northwest. 1983 AD. Outsiders Red Miller and Mandy Bloom lead a loving and peaceful existence. When their pine-scented haven is savagely destroyed by a cult led by the sadistic Jeremiah Sand, Red is catapulted into a phantasmagoric journey filled with bloody vengeance and laced with fire.”

The film was released in 2018 and also starred Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache, Ned Dennehy, and Olwen Fouéré with Richard Brake and Bill Duke . Panos Cosmatos wrote the script with Aaron Stewart-Ahn .

“I wanted to play Nicolas Cage,” Cyrus told HB. “I love that it’s a romance revenge story. Romance and revenge—those are some of the greatest tragedies. I forever and always will be interested in those.”

Cyrus reached out to Cosmatos to do just that. While her vision for a Mandy musical didn’t pan out, it turns out that Cosmatos is now involved with her upcoming album, Something Beautiful, slated for release sometime in 2025. The artist describes her upcoming album as highly visual; the visual component drives the sound here. That explains why Cosmatos is involved and why Cyrus draws from another surprising source of inspiration…

“It was inspired by Pink Floyd’s The Wall, ” she told HB of the album. “We really leaned in. And so I have this heart-first attachment to it. My idea was making The Wall, but with a better wardrobe and more glamorous and filled with pop culture.” Cosmatos added, “[The album is] more experimental than anything she’s ever done, but in a pop way that I love.”

While a Mandy musical may not be in our near future, an intriguing creative partnership between Cyrus and Cosmatos may be forming.

credit: Jeff Kravitz/Filmmagic

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‘Malum’ is Another Eerie Offering from a Master of Modern Horror [Review]

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When I first heard the news that Anthony DiBlasi was remaking Last Shift , my reaction was to question why one would want to reimagine a film that’s nearly perfect. But seeing as DiBlasi is one of my favorite voices in contemporary horror, I had to assume he had valid reason to do so. And after watching Malum , I see what he was setting out to do. This isn’t so much a straight remake as it is a companion piece. Malum is a variation of the same story but from a different perspective and with new context. What does carry over from the original is the bleak, unsettling tone that made my skin crawl in the best possible way. While Malum doesn’t reach the level of greatness that Last Shift does, it is absolutely a harrowing experience that boasts outrageous gore effects and a consistently palpable sense of dread.

Malum follows rookie police officer Jessica (played by Jessica Sula of Split ) on her inaugural shift as a police officer. She is manning a rundown police station the night before operations relocate to a new facility. Jessica volunteers for the gig with the hopes of learning more about her late father who died at the very same station in a brutal murder-suicide. His puzzling demise came shortly after he made headlines for rescuing three young women from a satanic cult. In her attempt to put the pieces together, Jessica comes face-to-face with the very same evil that touched her father in his last moments on earth.

While Malum doesn’t necessarily get everything right, there’s plenty that I really enjoyed about it. For starters, there is a turn of events in the first five minutes of the film that completely blew my mind. It’s one of those situations where you have to do a double-take to make sure you actually saw what you thought you saw. It works as a welcome subversion of expectations and lets the viewer know that absolutely anything can happen. Moreover, it smartly sets the tone for what’s to come.

DiBlasi builds upon the harrowing incident that unfolds in the first five minutes and continues to ramp up the tension with each passing moment. He uses lingering, eerie shots, low lighting, and ominous set design to elicit a sense of dread in the audience. And that never wavers. I was on the edge of my seat from the very beginning and felt like I couldn’t catch my breath until the end.

The tension is made all the more effective by some truly sickening effects work. The gruesome images DiBlasi conjures onscreen are unsettling and nightmarish. They are vaguely reminiscent of body horror films of years past like Hellraiser but with a repulsive flare that is very much unique to this picture.

The entire film has a surreal and dreamlike quality that keeps the viewer in a continuous state of uncertainty. That works as something of a double-edged sword. It serves to make Malum a disorienting experience. Although, it also works to lower the stakes to a certain extent. Some of the proceedings immediately feel like a hallucination, with very little likelihood that they are actually transpiring. As such, some of the scenes don’t pack the same punch that the original does. In Last Shift , the hallucinations and dreamlike sequences aren’t always immediately identifiable as such. They are a little sneakier. And that really serves to make this film’s predecessor all the more terrifying.

My final critique is that Malum might have worked even better if it had distanced itself just a little more from Last Shift . Malum carves out a different path than its predecessor and it stands on its own. But with the skeletal outline loosely mirroring the events of the previous film, I didn’t get quite as much bang for my buck. I’d have liked to have seen DiBlasi separate the narratives just a bit more to allow for maximum shock value. The similarities led to a couple of instances where I didn’t jump out of my skin as much as I might have if I hadn’t had a pretty good idea of what was coming. With that said, this stands as a fairly minor complaint and one that can be lodged against the vast majority of remakes.

All in, I really enjoyed Malum and I think fans of Last Shift will find a lot to love. While Malum doesn’t necessarily improve upon its predecessor, it’s still an eerie effects bonanza filled with thrills and chills. You can catch it exclusively in theaters beginning March 31 st .

‘Malum’ is chilling, surreal, and serves up gruesome gore effects.

Categorized: News Reviews

Movie Reviews

‘malum’: a rookie, a cult, and a thrilling last shift.

As horror fans, we’ve seen plenty of short film adaptations. They give the director and writer the chance to expand their creative vision, building lore and pressing budget restraints to bring their full intentions to a captive audience. But it’s not often that we see this same treatment done to an existing feature film. Malum presents director Anthony DiBlasi with that very golden opportunity, and a theatrical release to match.

Released straight to video in 2014, Last Shift was a bit of a runaway hit in the indie horror circles. It’s garnered its fair share of praise. With Malum , DiBlasi sought to expand the universe created within Last Shift – almost 10 years later – by reimagining the story and the characters in a bigger and bolder way.

In Malum , rookie police officer Jessica Loren (Jessica Sula, Skins ) requests to spend her first shift at the decommissioned police station where her late father had worked. She’s there to guard the facility, but as the night progresses she uncovers the mysterious connection between her father’s death and a vicious cult.

Malum shares most of its plot and some key moments with Last Shift – a line of dialogue here, a sequence of events there – but visually and tonally, you feel like you’ve entered a very different movie. The station of Last Shift is fluorescent and almost clinical, but Malum ’s location feels more like a slow, dark descent into madness. It was filmed in a real decommissioned police station in Louisville Kentucky, which DiBlasi used to its full extent. The location provides ample opportunity for scares.

The color through the film becomes darker and grittier as Loren learns more about the cult that – perhaps – never really left the station. Between the color grading and the practical gore and creature effects (by RussellFX), the first comparison that came to mind was Can Evrenol’s Baskin , though Malum presents this terror in a more digestible way (Turkey doesn’t mess around). It’s like a demonic Assault on Precinct 13 , fueled by cult chaos.

The music for Malum was composed by Samual LaFlamme (who also scored the music for the Outlast video games). It’s pulsating, gritty, maddening music that drives you face first. The score will be released on vinyl, CD, and digital, so if you want to experience the tension and thundering tones at home, good news!

The cult aspect of Malum is given much more screen and script time. The web is complex and pulled taut, giving more meaning to the Flock of the Low God. Horror loves a good cult, and Malum really adds to its lore to create a creepy clan of followers with purpose. The third act of the film really takes off, plunging Loren and the audience into terrifying chaos.

Creatively, Malum is everything you want it to be. It’s bigger, stronger, and drives the knife deeper. It’s the type of horror that begs to be seen on a big screen with a screaming audience. The scares are fun and the effects are delightfully gruesome; it jeers as it pushes Loren to complete madness.

Conceptually, admittedly, there are some challenges with expanding a fully-formed feature. Some moments that are mirrored from Last Shift are more deeply explored, while others (namely, the “turn around” command when Loren first enters the station) don’t really have the same follow through to provide an explanation.

Similarly, Loren’s purpose at the station seems a tad shallow. In Last Shift , she’s there to wait for a bio-collections team to come pick up materials from the evidence locker. Fair purpose, easy ask. In Malum , it’s not as clear why she would need to stay there, alone, on her first day on the force, while cult members are closing in on the new precinct. There’s nothing strictly keeping her there other than her own pride (which, to be fair, is a strong enough reason for Loren, but maybe not for every audience member yelling at the screen for her to get the hell out of there).

Enjoying a recent viewing of Last Shift may color your vision of Malum . It’s such a strong film on its own that it’s difficult to not draw comparisons. Last Shift is so contained that you’re allowed to leave with questions and fodder for imagination. Malum is a creative creature of a feature that grows to fill that space, but it’s left with some stretch marks.

You can catch Malum in theaters on March 31st. For more on Last Shift , check out our list of 5 Must-See Cosmic Horror Films .

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10 of 2024’s Most “Stale” Horror Movies You Can Stream Now To Make Up Your Own Mind

It’s been a really great year for horror movies. Some say they haven’t seen a bumper crop like it since the 80s . But just like that decade, not every horror movie was a winner among audiences. However, there is one tool we have now that we didn’t have back then: Rotten Tomatoes .

Whereas in the 1980s, we had to wait for the Friday newspaper to read a movie review, Rotten Tomatoes gives them to us daily. They also do something that wasn’t available back then: allow audience reviews in the form of something they label a Popcornmeter . This is an aggregate section of the site for non-professional critical reviews epitomizing the idiom “Everyone’s a critic.”

But as we have stated many times on this site: Art is subjective : what is considered bad for one viewer might be great for another. The Popcornmeter tallies up those sentiments and slaps a percentage, good or bad, on it in the form of a splattered green tomato emoji.

Below we have listed 10 of the lowest audience-scored horror movies of 2024. We have paired them with their trailer and one good, and one bad, audience review.

Keep in mind labeling something with a stale, splattered green tomato means positive reviews are less than 60%. The ones below are based on audience scores.

The Platform 2 (Netflix) 26%

The Good: ignore everyone else— this movie is an amazing follow-up to the original. I literally made an account just to say this. Everyone who says otherwise is allergic to critical thinking and metaphors, because this movie did nothing but expand upon the original in a way that enriched the narrative instead of diminishing it.

The Bad: “I have to be honest and admit that I could only get through half of the film, without finishing it. What I saw was almost like Blair Witch Project 2: Book of Shadows level of badness. This sequel throws out everything that works about the original and adds extra layers of narrative devices (much like Blair Witch 2) that stunt the story rather than add to its mystery and developing plot.

Salem’s Lot (Max) 40%

The Good : I don’t get why people don’t like it if you liked the original. Yes, they made it more diversive but it still had that cool creep factor the original had. I thought they were going to go all over the top with special effects etc just because of the times and how they do horror movies now. I was so glad they kept it looking pretty old school. Also glad I didn’t listen to the score posted here for this movie. I really enjoyed it.

The Bad: Boring, bad performance of the Actors, lazy writing and unfaithful to Stephen King’s Novel. Waste of Time.

The Deliverance (Netflix) 41%

The Good: Pretty good. Well conceived characters, the mom is believably flawed and all the more relatable to the viewer for that. In terms of the drama it goes deeper than most horror films into the background and interactions of the family members. The supernatural aspect was run of the mill cliches but it held together.

The Bad: Starts off good but then drags on and eventually turns into a cliched schlocky possession movie that we’ve all seen too many times before.

Night Swim (rent) 43%

The Good: I was scared. I was entertained. 5 stars

The Bad: Very ‘Amityville’ like but instead of a haunted house it’s a haunted pool and a former pro-baseball player with MS along with his family. Other than that it’s a basic run-of-the-mill haunted horror with nothing truly shocking or twisted.

The Strangers: Chapter One (Starz) 44%

The Good: Although the strangers chapter 1 doesn’t offer anything new and is essentially the first film just remade now it’s still entertaining. I’m not really a fan of the new costumes and I know I’m being a little bias but although this might not be the best entry in the franchise it does pave the way for the sequels to come in the new trilogy.

The Bad: This movie is pure trash. There is nothing new or interesting to see here. There is seemingly no point to this movie and I won’t be bothering to watch any sequels.

The Watchers (Max) 52%

The Good: Loved it. Amazing dark fantasy with a great premise. I will be reading the book. A lot of hate in these reviews about pacing and script. It is written in a classic fairytale style.

The Bad: Horrible acting, horrible script, thought there was a plot twist but i actually ended up laughing at how bad the movie was for the rest of it.

Hold Your Breath (Hulu) 53%

The Good: I thought this movie was scary AF. Sarah Paulson is a scary actor and I loved her in this. The story is so mind-twisting, and if you’re not paying attention then you’ve really not understood how the game of mind plays so heartfelt in the worst scary moments.

The Bad: Failed to achieve its ambition by having confusing themes and narrative and generic direction, fortunately, the cast still did incredible performances.

Imaginary (Starz) 54%

The Good: Loved it! One of the scariest movies I’ve ever watched. Hands down.

The Bad: The movie seemed promising but then it just turned into one of those goofy horror movies that I used to watch on Elvira’s show when I was a kid. If horrible acting is what you like… If you enjoy a good chuckle while watching a “horror” flick, then this is the movie for you.

Never Let Go (rent) 56%

The Good: I never seen it in the movies but sure wish I did. It was amazing. Loved every bit of it. Kids who acted in the movie..amazing job. Halle Berry f-ing awesome.

The Bad: M. Night Shyamalan wannabe, but much worse!

Tarot (Netflix) 58%

The Good: The themes of comedy, cinematography style, and performance by Jacob Batalon provided a fresh, modern feeling to the psychological horror.

The Bad: What the hell was that? Everything is stereotypical. The only cool thing here were the ‘monsters’. The acting and everything else were terrible.

[REVIEW] ‘Terrifier 3’: A Jolly Bloody Time! Slight Spoilers

Terrifier 3 is a stomach-churning, disgustingly brutal, Yule-Time gore fest! Fans are going to love it!

Damien Leone’s Terrifier series is well known for its amazing low-budget special effects, its graphically brutal on-screen kills, and its memorable, maniacal killer, Art the Clown – played wonderfully by David Howard Thornton .

The upside-down saw scene in part one, and the bedroom scene in part two will both live in infamy for a very long time. What the series is not known for, however, is cohesive storytelling. As fun as part 2 was, introducing some fantasy elements to the mix, it left more questions than it answered with its convoluted plot, confusing lore, and vague imagery. This problem does seem to persist in Terrifier 3 .

Slight spoilers coming… stop reading now if you want to go in fresh!

Okay, to start, Terrifier 3 is darker, and a bit more grounded than part two. That isn’t to say that it’s totally sensical, by any means. The story is slightly easier to follow, but then the third act does get a bit wonky, and overtly ridiculous. Even confusing.

I was willing to forgive this by the time we got to that point, though, because it remained a fun, well-paced watch. The entire cast does a great job, and Lauren LaVera is just as good as Sienna in this one as she was in part two. You can’t help but root for her.

The last time we saw Art, his severed head was reborn via Victoria Heyes ( Samantha Scaffidi ) during the wild mid-credits scene of Part Two . He’s back now, it’s five years later, and Vicky is his right hand, and partner in crime. A bold move taking the original final girl and having her turn heel, but it actually works very well in this scenario. Samantha does awesome as a villain, and definitely has a few shining scenes, at times even outdoing Art himself. I said what I said.

Being that it’s a Terrifier film, don’t expect a lot of clear answers as to how, or why this even happens. It isn’t explained very well, but the clues are there. Vicky appears to be possessed by The Little Pale Girl from part 2. Watch her eyes. Damien Leone has even confirmed this to Screen Rant . I just wish this was explored and explained in more detail. Amelie McLain was super creepy, and for her to not even make an appearance was a major disappointment.

Sienna is just getting out of an institution and is staying with her mother’s sister and her husband, which brings in an interesting dynamic. Sienna is struggling with the past. Her little cousin idolizes her but Jonathan ( Elliot Fullam ) seems to be distant. This confused me, because she saved his life, but it does drive some of the story. Still felt like an odd choice.

Art seems to have a fascination with Santa, which is actually hilarious. There’s even a scene where he steals the mall Santa’s spot, and tries having kids sit on his lap before getting the boot. Of course, this doesn’t end well for the people involved. It’s a great scene , though. Having something so creepy happen in the middle of a well-lit mall, in the middle of the day in front of everybody is super unsettling.

I’m not going to ruin the plot of the film, or bang the table about how the story could have been so much tighter, I’ll let you decide on that. Besides, it’s a Terrifier film, nobody comes for the story. I will say this – It’s freaking brutal, and there’s a shower scene that will probably be just as infamous as the prior bedroom scene. It’s a rough one, be prepared.

That being said, there are certain parts that make very little sense, but if you’re a fan of the first two films, you’re going to love part three. The special effects seem to have taken a step up, and there’s plenty of blood and guts to go around. If that’s your draw, you’re in for a treat . The film also does a great job of retaining small bits of humor throughout, despite the super dark subject matter, and it does so without taking you out of the movie. That’s not easy to do. Just be prepared to leave with more questions than answers in terms of actual lore.

It’s a chaotically fun ride . Fun may seem like an odd word to keep using when discussing such a dark, violent, and graphic movie, but it knows what the fans want, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

As usual, David Howard Thornton is just so damn good and entertaining as Art. His movements, his antics, he nails all of it. You can tell the man studied clowning, and he’s in top form the entire run time. He has really carried this franchise on his back with his always memorable and haunting performances, and according to him , Art isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon! Hopefully, a Part 4 can straighten out, and maybe even solidify some of the lore!

Go see Terrifier 3 , in theatres now, and tell us what you think in the comments!

Terrifier 3 opens theatrically today.

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IMAGES

Malum (2023)
Malum
Malum Movie Review
Malum (2023) Review: Feeds The Horror Soul
MALUM Horror Movie Review
Poster and Trailer for Horror Movie Malum Now Available

COMMENTS

Malum
MALUM is a bold and expanded reimagining of the 2014 horror cult classic, LAST SHIFT. On a search to uncover the mysterious circumstances surrounding her father's death, a newly appointed police ...
Malum movie review & film summary (2023)
March 31, 2023. 6 min read. "Malum," about a rookie policewoman besieged by terrifying incidents during her first night on the job, is a low-budget horror movie where the filmmaking is the star. Jessica Sula stars as Jessica Lauren, whose dad, Will (Eric Olson), was also a cop. Will died exactly one year ago tonight, shortly after participating ...
Malum
Malum is a modern horror film that knows how to be genuinely scary, creating some of the most frightening sequences of the year. Full Review | Apr 3, 2023.
Malum (2023)
Malum: Directed by Anthony DiBlasi. With Jessica Sula, Candice Coke, Chaney Morrow, Natalie Victoria. A rookie police officer willingly takes the last shift at a newly decommissioned police station in an attempt to uncover the mysterious connection between her father's death and a vicious cult.
'Malum' Review: A Horror Remake That Didn't Need To Happen
Sadly, Malum is a failed attempt with its typical horror tropes, poor acting from his talent, and a plot twist that is in no way deserved. The creature design works in the movie except for the ...
Malum Review Gives Bigger Bloodier Last Shift Retelling
March 31, 2023. By. Meagan Navarro. In a rare turn of events, director/co-writer Anthony DiBlasi gives a new update to his own 2014 horror film Last Shift with Malum. DiBlasi reunites with Last ...
'Malum' Is Another Eerie Offering from a Master of Modern Horror
She is manning a rundown police station the night before operations relocate to a new facility. Jessica volunteers for the gig with the hopes of learning more about her late father who died at the ...
Malum Reviews
On a search to uncover the mysterious circumstances surrounding her father's death, a newly appointed police officer, Jessica Loren (Jessica Sula), is assigned to the last shift in a decommissioned police station where a notoriously vicious cult saw their demise years prior. The lone officer at the station, she soon finds herself barraged by terrifying paranormal events, and in the process ...
'Malum': a Rookie, a Cult, and a Thrilling Last Shift
With Malum, DiBlasi sought to expand the universe created within Last Shift - almost 10 years later - by reimagining the story and the characters in a bigger and bolder way. In Malum, rookie police officer Jessica Loren (Jessica Sula, Skins) requests to spend her first shift at the decommissioned police station where her late father had worked.
Malum (film)
Malum (Latin: Evil) [4] is a 2023 American horror film directed by Anthony DiBlasi, who co-wrote the film with Scott Poiley.A remake of the 2014 film Last Shift, also directed by DiBlasi, the story sees a rookie cop who experiences paranormal occurrences at a decommissioned police station where she's working the final shift. [5] [6] The cast includes Jessica Sula, Eric Olson, Chaney Morrow and ...