Malice (2024) Review: Relentless Supernatural Chaos!

Malice, another indie horror entry from the Crum brothers that once again leans heavily into atmosphere, practical horror, gore, and unsettling supernatural chaos. Much like their previous films, this movie clearly understands the kind of horror experience it wants to deliver. It embraces the classic “cabin in the woods” formula but mixes it with possession horror and psychological paranoia, creating a film where danger constantly spreads from person to person like an infection.

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The story follows a group of strangers trapped inside an isolated woodland cabin after unknowingly unleashing an ancient evil hidden within the surrounding woods. What begins as a seemingly normal getaway slowly descends into supernatural madness as the entity begins manipulating and possessing individuals within the group. Unlike a traditional slasher where a killer simply hunts victims one by one, the evil here spreads almost like a virus, turning ordinary people into horrifying threats. The survivors spend much of the movie desperately trying to understand what’s happening while fighting to stop the evil from consuming everyone around them.

One thing I immediately liked was the overall premise and progression of the storyline. While the setup itself is familiar, the film handles it in an entertaining way. There’s something timeless about isolated cabin horror stories because the environment naturally creates tension and helplessness. Once the supernatural force begins spreading through the group, the film maintains a decent level of suspense throughout the runtime.

I also thought the opening portions of the film worked well, especially the mother-son interactions early on. Those scenes establish an eerie tone right away and help set the foundation for the horror that follows. The dialogue and setup there are simple but effective enough to pull you into the movie.

Technically, this is once again where the Crum brothers’ strengths really shine. Similar to The Hunt and The People in the Walls, the creature effects, gore work, unsettling imagery, and overall creepiness are handled very effectively. This clearly feels like the area where these filmmakers are most comfortable and confident, and it shows throughout the movie.

This time, instead of elaborate monsters or giant creatures, the horror comes primarily from ordinary humans becoming corrupted and violently possessed. Because of that, the film leans much more heavily into practical gore effects—blood splatter, cuts, injuries, physical deterioration, and disturbing body damage. The violence feels raw and uncomfortable in the best way possible for this kind of horror film.

I also liked some of the editing and movement choices used during the possession scenes. The film frequently uses rapid frame movement, sudden motion bursts, and mechanically aggressive body movements to make the possessed individuals feel unnatural. Characters quickly crawl, jerk, sprint, and move in ways that feel deliberately unsettling. Combined with the fast-cut editing and abrupt camera transitions, it creates an almost inhuman rhythm whenever the evil fully takes over someone.

Where the movie didn’t fully work for me, however, was with some of the performances and dialogue delivery. The actors themselves are clearly committed to the material, but there are moments where the emotional intensity needed for certain scenes doesn’t entirely land.

In horror films like this, fear, panic, desperation, and emotional breakdowns are extremely important because they help sell the danger to the audience. At times, some performances feel a little flat emotionally, especially during moments that should have carried more urgency or terror. Certain dialogue exchanges also could have benefited from stronger direction or more emotional energy behind them. The reactions to horrifying situations occasionally feel more restrained, which slightly weakens the emotional impact of the horror.

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Overall, Malice is another solid technical showcase from the Crum brothers. While the acting and emotional delivery occasionally hold the film back from reaching a stronger dramatic level, the effective gore work, creepy visuals, possession horror, and claustrophobic atmosphere make it an entertaining supernatural slasher. If you enjoy indie horror films that prioritize practical effects, unsettling imagery, and relentless supernatural chaos over deep storytelling, this delivers enough creepy fun to make it worth the watch. You can now check all the streaming/rental links for ‘Malice’ on the MGI Films’ website or check out MGI Films Linktree.

‘Malice (2024)’ Rating – 3.25/5