Movie review (horror): “Malevolence” (2004)
I’m not sure why it took me so long to see this movie. It’s been a cult favorite since it came out. This stalk-and-slash is well made, with good acting and an interesting backstory.
A group of bank robbers botches the job. Two of them head straight for the creepy abandoned house that is their rendezvous point. Another robber blows a car tire and carjacks a woman and her daughter for their van. For some bizarre reason, he takes them with him to the old house.
The movie bogs down in the middle somewhat, as the angst-ridden “good” bank robber and his bitchy girlfriend talk and argue about the robbery. Things pick up a bit after the local psycho starts picking off the robbers.
This was a pretty solid movie, but I’m not sure I get the cult status. The acting was good, not great. The gore is good, not great. The main characters make a number of unbelievably stupid mistakes, which always irritates the living hell out of me. The backstory around the wacko killer is actually more interesting than the story unfolding in front of you.
I was happy to hear that a prequel, “Bereavement,” is going to be out on DVD in a few days. It centers around the killer and how he became what he is, which is what I really cared about anyway.
If you’re a slasher fan, you’ll probably enjoy this one. It definitely has its fun moments.
Rated R. Not for kids–older teen gorehounds are probably OK.
Three stars. And I’m looking forward to “Bereavement!”
