Quartile rating: 5/10 · 1 rating
A brother-sister team who fake paranormal encounters for cash get more than they bargained for when a job at a haunted estate turns very, very real.
Malevolent is a formulaic haunted-house horror that follows a well-worn template of skeptics encountering genuine supernatural phenomena. The plot offers few surprises and relies heavily on genre clichés, while the acting is serviceable but unremarkable. The cinematography has some atmospheric moments with decent use of the dark estate setting, but nothing truly distinctive. The twist ending attempts to subvert expectations but feels rushed and undercooked. Overall a by-the-numbers genre entry that fails to distinguish itself in a crowded field.