Synonymous with the horror genre, James Wan is one of the sainted few in the horror canon. While he is a veteran with the horror genre, Wan is also a deft hand with more mainstream titles like Furious 7 and that time a crab fought a shark in Aquaman. To date, his films have netted over $3.6 billion worldwide. Today – as we draw closer to the release of his horror passion project, Malignant on September 10th – we appreciate the journey of one of horror’s great masters as we look back at some of the films that he’s known for.
Saw (2003)
The film that started it all, Saw. Not the feature but rather the spec film that Wan and his screenwriter, Leigh Whannell pitched to create the full-length feature of the same name. Shot on relatively no budget, you can see Wan’s ability to craft tension-taut scenes. It’s also the first suggestion of Wan’s Giallo horror influences – in particular, the horror themes of Mario Brava and Brian De Palma’s psychological thrillers. The series went on to spawn movies and games, although without Wan at the Helm we received – let’s call them ‘mixed’ results.
Dead Silence (2007)
If you thought Billy the Puppet was creepy, Wan dialled up the dread factor by introducing the ghost puppeteer Mary Shaw, who rips out the tongues of anyone who follows their baser instincts when they meet her and screams. It’s not his best work with a twist ending that veered a little drastically into silliness, but despite the lacklustre conclusion, the film still manages some impressively unique horror moments.
Dead Space “Loved Ones” Trailer (2008)
Dead Space made waves with its survival horror in space. Its moody atmosphere and solitude in the far reaches exploits players’ fears that are both primal and psychological. Privy to early development stages of Dead Space, James Wan wanted to be part of the project in some shape and form. Drawing from his love of space horror, Wan directed a trailer that offers a glimpse of the terror, while still standing on its own.
Insidious (2010)
While Wan was proud of Saw, he felt that the gore and violence in that movie have put some people off. Insidious is Wan’s challenge to create a film without the level of violence in Saw. And he pulled it off. Wan plays with the tension, pulling it taut and then releasing it when you least expect it. And you’ll never hear “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” the same way ever again.
The Conjuring (2013)
If you think Hollywood has sucked out all the terror from The Amityville Horror, James Wan will prove otherwise. Bolstered by a strong script about a family in desperate need to rid a house of an evil entity, audiences will care about the fate of the family. The trailer for The Conjuring had a pair of hands clapping out from the darkness. I’ve watched that scene so many times and every time it still gets me.
Aquaman
While Aquaman doesn’t fall into the horror genre, there was a moment in the film where Wan was in his element. Jason Mamoa’s Aquaman sailed to the Trench which will take them closer to finding the trident. There, in the roiling storm, their fishing boat is beset by sea monsters from the Trench. As the creatures swarm the boat, Aquaman only sees the gravity of the invasion when underneath the waters, as the flare he holds chases away the darkness, we see the ocean replete with thousands and thousands of the creatures, filling up the entirety of the screen. And then later the aforementioned crab vs shark battle happens. Still cool. Not scary.
Malignant
While not much is known about Malignant, from what we could gather from the trailer, it’s about a woman plagued by horrifying visions of murders as her childhood imaginary friend re-enters her life. Malignant is Wan’s passion project. Based on an original story by Wan, it takes him back to the intimate style of filmmaking that excited him when he was growing up. The trailer suggests Wan is going back to his Giallo horror roots, with the tone seemingly inspired by the likes of Mario Bava and David Cronenberg, albeit with an even spookier tone as Wan adds his personal touch.
Good luck trying to tease out any other details about the film; Wan is pretty tight-lipped about the plot. He’s not even going to comment on the title. I guess we’ll only find out what Malignant is when it comes out.
Despite the mystery surrounding it, Malignant promises to be some of Wan’s best work; a masterpiece of cinematic horror. Check it out when it comes out in theatres on September 10th.