Malevolence commits what is, to my mind, the worst sin a film can commit - it's boring. Just competent enough that it's not bad, and just pedantic enough that it will never be any good, Malevolence is a stalk 'n' slash movie that exists in that demilitarized zone of the truly uninteresting.
The opening exhibits a certain minimalist style that is actually quite effective. A boy is forced to watch the murder of a woman by a methodical killer. Writer/director Stevan Mena understands the basic brutality of the scene, and doesn't go in for a lot of additional flash. The creepiness speaks for itself.(read more...)