Brendan Jesus
Nearly 10 years ago, Last Shift brutally shot its way into the hearts of genre fans the world over. A film that seemingly came out of nowhere, Last Shift was a film I was wholly unprepared for. The blend of psychological horror, cult horror, and pure insanity caught me off guard in the best way possible. Cut to today. Writer and director Anthony DiBlasi and writer Scott Poiley are back at the helm of something not seen often, a reimagining of a film they’ve already made. Coming soon to a theater near you is 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 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, is taken on a journey during which she learns the shocking truth behind her family’s entanglement with a demented cult leader. Malum takes the premise of the 2014 festival hit and flips it on its head, thrusting viewers into an unrelenting, adrenaline-fueled, bloody cult nightmare.
From the trailer, I can find a few differences between Last Shift and Malum, but enough of the moments I loved and wished they had expanded upon. The imagery in Malum looks to be dialed up to 11 and is sure to have audiences at the edge of their seats. From the two-minute trailer alone, my Apple Watch notified me that my heart rate was getting faster and faster. Cult horror has never really been my bag, but Malum is going to be an exception in that category.
The cherry on top of the bloody sundae here is the SFX team. Last Shift focused heavily on the viscerally realistic-looking practical effects, and I’m glad to see Malum is taking the same path. Practicals for Malum are being done by the extraordinary RussellFX who have worked on films like Would You Rather, Beyond The Gates, Sequence Break, The Ritual, Bliss, and VFW (just to name a handful). Needless to say, we’re going to get one nasty-ass looking film, and I could not be more prepared for it. Grab your popcorn, get a beer from the movie theater bar, and get ready for what looks to be a bloody good time.
Distributed by Welcome Villain Films, Malum hits theaters on March 31.
