Malum 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Malum 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Malum is an intense and grueling horror film exploring paranormal activities surrounding a satanic cult. Executive produced by Bonner Bellew (Beaten to Death), Justin Brown (Masquerade), Eric Kleifield (Mainline), and Luke LaBeau (Grummy), Malum is a worthwhile watch for horror enthusiasts with an appreciation for slow-burn terror and the quiet bumps in the night. Produced by Dan Clifton (The Belko Experiment, Brightburn) and Scott Poiley (Vitruvian, Exhume), Malum stars Jessica Sula. Co-starring Monroe Cline as Betty, Natalie Victoria as Marigold, Candice Coke as Diane, and Kevin Wayne as Nate.

Jessica Loren (Jessica Sula) is a new rookie cop who has gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to her work schedule. As a newbie without as much experience as her co-workers, Jessica is given the least desirable shift on the clock – the late shift in a decommissioned and eerie police station known notoriously as the location where a violent cult met a fatal end several years ago. Jessica is all alone, traveling the eerie and desolate halls of the police station, and wondering what to do with herself as things stir up emotions as she pushes forward with her role. Jessica is also tormented by thoughts of what happened to her own dearly departed father. Now that night is pitch-black, Jessica begins to see eerie visions at the police station.

The station becomes overwrought with paranormal visions and eerie terrors. Could Jessica’s family have had a possible connection to the demented cult that met its end at the station? When Jessica finds a stray pig outside she phones her superior to ask if it’s okay to bring in the pig and take care of her. Given a resounding “no” by her superior, Jessica decides to bring in the pig anyway. As she looks over the pig, the pig has a satanic cult star symbol emblazoned on the body. She brings in the pig to give it some water anyway. As the night goes on, more visions take place, and before long Jessica might have to face the wrath of the demised satanic cult – and its violent cult leader. Can Jessica survive her night at the station?

Jessica Sula delivers a strong lead performance in Malum. The performance is one that is surprisingly nuanced and engaging throughout the film. Given the premise of Malum, the film focuses on the protagonist a great deal. There are many sequences throughout the film with no other actors. A testament to the strength of Sula as an actress. Sula provides a great sense of dedication to the performance. There is a sense of ambition and determination from Sula to provide the film an invigorating and commanding lead.

The actor often has to command the screen with little to no dialogue, with many scenes showcasing Sula as she explores the creepy terrain of the late-night shift at the otherwise empty police station. With a lesser performer, the concept might have dragged on a bit and it would have been less engaging. With a strong lead, Sula manages to make the film more entertaining and the mystery element feels a bit more concrete as a result. A great showcase for a slow-burn genre horror film.

The production design by Nicole Balzarini (Last Shift, Exhume) is sleek and engaging. The production design brings the most out of the late-night police station setting. The aesthetic is creepy as an old, decommissioned building. The art direction by Kyle Michael Wilson (Last Shift, Cassadaga) is quite compelling, too. The visual sensibilities of the production certainly help to aid the horror element throughout the film. Some scenes are a bit creepy to watch simply in the normalcy of the location – highlighted by the stark, cold, and gray landscape surrounding the lead protagonist. A great style imbued throughout the film adds to the terror and a building sense of dread.

The cinematography by Sean McDaniel (Grummy, Bullitt County) is one of the best qualities of Malum. The cinematography is visually rewarding and surprisingly sophisticated. The cinematography is quite invigorating and creative throughout the feature-film. The style showcases a range of dark color tones, highlighting dark blues and gothic undertones during the slow-build dread of the production. A quality effort by McDaniel.

The score composed by Samuel Laflamme (Apres la peine, Seuls) is a nice backdrop for the production. The music is eerie and adds to the suspense. The score is a solid backdrop to the terror of the film. A score that fits the horror as needed – while also remembering the importance of subtlety when it is required, too.

Written by Anthony DiBlasi and co-screenwriter Scott Poiley (Exhume, Last Shift), Malum is a fun and engaging script. Though the script might not be the most original horror script out there, the film is considerably engaging and the dialogue is well- done. The pacing is good and the writing handles exploring the lead character and the mystery of the satanic cult. A quality script for the film.

Directed by Anthony DiBlasi (Last Shift, Dread), Malum is a lot more entertaining and fun than expected. The film sounded like it could be an average horror film on paper – perhaps one to watch-once and just forget about – but it actually is rather unnerving during several sequences and something about it just creeps under the skin. Malum is well worth watching and might even reward audiences wanting repeat viewings. A solidly crafted horror film and one that remembers to highlight the slow- dread (in an almost Japanese-horror esque style) rather than simply relying on jump scares or whatever creepy-crawly scene one might expect. Malum is an underrated and worthwhile horror film – certainly one well worth seeing.

Malum 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on 4K UHD by Terror Vision, Malum is presented in HEVC / H.265 in 2160p 4K in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.00:1 widescreen. The 4K release has received a new HDR (high dynamic range) presentation as supervised and approved of by the filmmakers. The release has a HDR10 presentation. The release provides a native 4K UHD encode and is not an upscale. The 4K UHD presentation is outstanding. The crisp clarity and detail in the presentation is something fantastic to behold. The transfer is remarkably sharp and there is a razor-like precision to the level of detail one can see during the presentation.

The transfer is also aided significantly by the exceptional high-dynamic-range presentation. The HDR color grading is sleek and impressive. The sense of color is often quite creative and well-implemented into the presentation. As a result, there is a nice balance between the darker and lighter parts of the image and the colors have more pop than one might otherwise expect. Malum is a dark and eerie visual experience and the cinematography reflects this while the HDR gives more depth and dimension to the visuals than expected.

Malum 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound. The 24-bit high-resolution lossless audio track sounds outstanding on the release. The lossless surround sound track has excellent clarity and depth. The surrounds are actively utilized and the track gives some added depth to the audio presentation. The score and sound effects are well integrated into the rear channels and effects sound exciting during moments of tension.

The lossless encoding allows for the audio to sound clearer and more involving throughout. There are some scenes that sound relatively quiet and sparse, too – because of the slow-burn quality of the production – so when the sound effects are utilized in the film these scenes make an even bigger impression. A great lossless encoding by Terror Vision.

Malum 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release features an impressively designed o-card slipcover. The limited-edition slipcover looks outstanding and features a superb piece of art for the main illustration. The slipcover features unique artwork. The artwork underneath the slipcover features different key art and it makes the quality of the package feel extra special in hand. The print quality of the slipcover is excellent and it makes the release feel even more special in hand. The inside cover also features an inner-art print. These kind of design elements add to the premium quality of the limited-edition packaging.

Audio Commentary with Anthony DiBlasi and Jessica Sula

Creature Feature B-Roll (HD, 18:56) explores the special effects make-up created for the monster creatures of Malum.

Behind the Scenes with the Cast (HD, 1:11)

DiBalsi Intro (HD, 1:34)

Reimagining The Last Shift (HD, 1:55)

Blooper Reel (HD, 3:46)

Extended and Deleted Scenes (HD, 7:26)

B-Roll (HD, 1:56:38)

Texas Frightmare (HD, 1:01:33)

Photo Gallery (HD, 2:33)

Trailer (HD, 2:24)

Malum 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Malum is an entertaining and thrilling bump-in-the-night horror film. Malum provides a nice slow-build energy and the pace and build up of dread in Malum makes the experience all the more terrifying to watch unfold in the film. Malum is led by a strong lead performance by Jessica Sula. The 4K UHD features an impressive native 4K presentation with a strong high-dynamic-range (HDR) grade. The release is packed with extensive bonus features and the limited edition includes a stunningly designed o-card slipcover. Fans of distributor Terror Vision should consider it an essential purchase. Highly recommended.