Malign (2018) – A 6 Minute Sprint of a Thriller – A Fitz of Horror Short Film Review

Synopsis- In a frantic rage, Trish’s mind becomes her battleground as she searches for answers to eliminate her past. Will she win the battle we call life, or will this loving family be divided.

I saw that J.P. Edwards’ Malign won Best Thriller and Short Horror Film at The Culdee Arts Reel Entertainment (CARE) Awards, so I ran to Amazon Prime to check it out. I’ve never officially met J.P. but we have the smallest degree of connection through Sam Qualiana’s Post Apocalyptic Commando Shark, which I was aware released around the same time last year. It’s always nice to squeeze in a quick review of a short movie, especially one that’s being recognized nationally. Little did I know how dire this would be.

J.P. Edwards as ‘Jake’ in Malign, a film which touches on abuse and PTSD

Lily (played by Eda Edwards) is playing near a pond when something tragically sinister happens. We then see a clearly broken Trish, played by Rachel Keefe (Vessel & Still), completely switched off and checked out of her relationship with Jake (played by J.P. Edwards). It’s through no fault of her own, that she is this way, as we soon see flashbacks to a very sad childhood. The events that unfold thereafter are even more depressing and maybe even a little confusing or open to artistic interpretation.

You might not think there’s a whole lot of content in a film that only runs 6 minutes but on the contrary, one might even argue that there’s too much. In the least, it’s a lot to handle…mentally. This is the second film I’ve seen this year where I’ve said “wow, it takes a lot of courage to cover that subject matter”. This differs in that it is more sorrowful and not intently sadistic. It’s a psychologically exhausting 40-yard dash. It kicks off in very dramatic fashion and takes but a brief gasp of air before relentlessly hitting you with more. The long and short of it, Malign is HEAVY. A lot is open to debate; asking what is real and what is imagined. Not having an insight into the writer’s mind may leave some feeling that all of the stuff thrown at you is a little contrived. I’d suggest otherwise, however, you really should give yourself some time to absorb the subtleties. Take for example the image and props below.

Rachel Keefe as the afflicted ‘Trish’

This paragraph is for spoilers, avert your eyes and jump to the next if you wish to avoid them. You’ve been warned. I didn’t want to believe Lily was real, but then I saw the gun sitting at the dock with Trish. I believe Trish sees similarities in Jake to that of her father, thus the knife and blood. She’s highly delusional, or is she? She’s lost her reality in space and time, the teddy bear and tea set show that. Who was killed first though? Trish has blood on her hand as she’s walking to the dock with Lily. Is Lily even real? Is all this questioning what Edwards intended? You’d have to ask him.

There’s a lot to debate. Is it a continuity thing or artistic? Is it symbolic and if so what’s the point that’s trying to be made? I’d guess that PTSD and all of its effects are agonizing. The other takeaway, I’ve seen quite a few shorts…I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 6 minute short with so much heavy content and development in such a short amount of time. Thus, all the questions…which may be my favorite thing about it but also its also unsettling. How that sits with the viewer is a gamble J.P. Edwards was willing to take. What do you think?

Check out Malign on Amazon and Acclaim Video Releases on Facebook!