Malum is one of those movies where a lot happens but probably none of it is real. This kind of ambiguity often doesn’t work for me and that’s the case with this sometimes creepy flick.

It’s about a cop who is the final officer on duty at a police station on its final night of operation. But a creepy cult and demonic forces are conspiring against her.

Ehh… there’s some cool stuff in this movie but none of it – or possibly all of it – is actually happening. Sometimes I can get over the hump of endless dream sequences/hallucinations, but I couldn’t this time. If none of it’s real, then what, as a viewer, am I meant to be afraid of?

There’s a lot of time filler wandering around the station in the first half of the film. I think it’s meant to be a slow burn but really it’s just tedious. Things pick up in the second half and that includes some clever and cool creature designs (which probably aren’t real). The practical demon makeup in particular is inspired.

I wanted to connect with this film but I mostly couldn’t. Since some of the second half worked, I give it a marginal recommendation. There’s an excellent chance this kind of hallucination-horror might work for you in which case you might dig this flick.

Score: 74