Malignant recently hit the theatres and the HBO Max streaming platform just three days ago, and while the film has the usual tropes of horror films, fans of the genre were wondering if the film is part of The Conjuring universe.
This film stars Annabelle Wallis, directed by James Wan, who has previously helmed the first two parts of The Conjuring and Insidious. She has already appeared in Annabelle and Annabelle: Creation.
It’s evident that the duo has worked well in the past by delivering one of the scariest films of all time – Annabelle, and it is easy for fans to get confused and speculate if Malignant would fall under the same universe as The Conjuring. So is it?
Malignant is not part of The Conjuring universe despite having the same director, James Wan, and actress Annabelle Wallis. Malignant for now is a standalone film in the horror genre and isn’t connected to Insidious either.
Annabelle Wallis’ character in Malignant is called Madison, and she is entirely different from her character Mia in The Conjuring series. Malignant can be considered a semi-paranormal film since it has elements of mysticism involved.
Madison (Annabelle Wallis) seems to have these unexplained superpowers, which give her enhanced strength and agility. Furthermore, she can also control electrical devices and has healing powers.
With these sort of powers depicted, it’s almost blending genres of horror and perhaps even a little bit of sci-fi.
This seems like an effort to create something new and different by James Wan. However, the usual tropes of screenplay and narrative do not give us the fresh feeling we now need from a horror flick. After all, most horror films feel the same these days, and it’d be good to build perhaps something more profound to grab our attention.
Either way, though The Conjuring universe and Malignant might feel similar, the two aren’t connected in any way.
In fact, James Wan even said that there could be a separate Malignant universe in itself if the film does well. In an interview with GamesRadar, James Wan recalled how Saw was supposed to be a film, but it ended up doing so well that it became a popular franchise of its own.
Likewise, Malignant could have a universe of itself. Furthermore, he mentioned how he usually thinks of an umbrella story for a film and brings to light only a section of the larger puzzle in his mind.
Well, that’s a pretty neat way to tell stories by being prepared beforehand. With Malignant, it could’ve been more interesting if we saw some connection and depth between Madison’s superpowers and her existential presence. Something that keeps the character grounded to human emotions for us as an audience to relate to her, invest ourselves in her, and even root for her.
Either way, if you are trying to keep track of The Conjuring universe, don’t worry. You can skip this one. Alternatively, you can also check it out if you’re in the mood for something spooky.
About Malignant
Malignant is a 2021 American horror film directed by James Wan from a screenplay by Akela Cooper, based on an original story by Wan, Ingrid Bisu, and Cooper. The film stars Annabelle Wallis as a woman who begins to have visions of people getting murdered, only to realize the events are happening in real life. Maddie Hasson, George Young, Michole Briana White, and Jacqueline McKenzie also star.
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