Sommerleigh Pollonais, Horror Head Writer
Plot: 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.
Review: As someone who tends to go into a lot of movies blind, by which I mean I avoid trailers and background info that might spoil my viewing experience, Malum gave me a serious case of deja vu as the first few minutes unfolded. Turns out the reason for this is Malum is a reimagining of the 2014 horror movie Last Shift.
I remember finding Last Shift to be genuinely creepy and well executed, so my knee-jerk reaction to Malum was to treat is a rip-off, but as it continued on…well, I still think Last Shift did a better job with its eerie premise, but this version is worth checking out, if only to make comparisons.
Both films are written and directed by Anthony DiBlasi but this time the lead role of rookie cop Jessica Loren is played by Jessica Sula (Skins, Split). Loren’s father was once a hero cop who inexplicably took his own life after rescuing three young women from a murderous cult and their Manson-like leader, John Michael Paymon. Jessica decides to start her first shift (and maybe her last one) as a cop in the soon-to-be scuttled precinct her father worked in, hoping to discover what led him to suicide. But what she doesn’t know is Paymon and a few of his followers also died at the precinct and their ghosts are not only haunting it, but have a plan to unleash a demon into our world. A plan that poor Jessica also has a part to play in.
If you’ve ever had to work late at the office or spend time isolated somewhere at night, you’ve probably experienced the sense of being watched or, at the very least, had your brain work overtime as it came up with the creepiest scenarios possible, and that’s the fear DiBlasi plays on with Malum. Slowly taking innocuous moments and making them insidious while also delivering logical reasons for why rookie Officer Loren doesn’t just bail on the damn place also keeps the movie from coming across as ridiculous. And as the story unfolds the blood, gore and supernatural occurrences all build towards a harrowing conclusion. Jessica Sula is also solid in the lead role, and I did find myself sympathising with her need to find out what happened to her father, a man she both loved and admired. All of this could’ve made Malum a solid entry into the supernatural genre if not for the simple fact, ALL of this was done before in Last Shift.
I’m at a loss as to why the director felt the need to “reimagine” his first movie when there wasn’t much about it that needed fixing. I would have to watch these together as I haven’t rewatched Last Shift since I saw it back in 2014, but from what I do remember, both lead actresses deliver fine performances and, with the exception of the conclusion and a few bits here and there, the story is relatively the same, leading to the same ending for both rookies.
The only thing I can recommend at this point is watching both films yourself and deciding which you prefer. Personally, I think Last Shift was better in terms of atmosphere while Malum delivered more in the blood and gore department.
Malum and Last Shift work as examples of why Hollywood should really stop with all the remakes, reimaginings and reboots. Unless you’re going to swing for the fences and deliver an entirely different version of the original story, we’re just going to end up with a movie that leaves us with one question, “Why bother?”
Sommer’s Score: 5.5 out of 10
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Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes.
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