I have to admit that I never did catch Anthony DiBlasi’s original 2014 film “Last Shift.” Despite its acclaim and reputation in the horror world, it never quite caught my attention. Anthony DiBlasi does what many indie filmmakers do, and uses this opportunity to not only remake “Last Shift,” but expand upon it with bigger scares, more gore, and a greater emphasis in to the mystery of John Malum. The results are ultimately a mixed bag of horror highs and lows. I tend to appreciate with director Anthony DiBlasi and writer Scott Poiley do here, taking “Last Shift” and giving it a polish that allows their universe to breathe better.
“Malum” is an expanded reimagining of the 2014 horror cult classic, “Last Shift.” On a search to uncover the mysterious circumstances surrounding her father’s death, a newly appointed police officer, Jessica Loren (Jessica Sula) is assigned to the last shift in a decommissioned police station where a notoriously vicious cult saw their demise years prior. The lone officer at the station, she soon finds herself barraged by terrifying paranormal events, and in the process, is taken on a journey during which she learns the shocking truth behind her family’s entanglement with a demented cult leader.
Director-Writer DiBlasi’s efforts amount to a very good horror movie that suffers from surefire flaws, but comes out looking pretty nevertheless. The overall bare bones premise and narrative allows for a lot of jump scares and cut aways that ultimately feel like filler. At one point it even feels like a first person video game, with a lot of running around and shooting, while bringing together a puzzle. Thankfully DiBlasi is able to compensate with a sheer sense of urgency and an intriguing Lovecraftian mystery. DiBlasi is very good at setting the stage for the narrative with a disturbing prologue that gives way to our introduction of Jessica Loren.
As a protagonist she’s a broken rookie anxious to prove herself. But the deck is quickly stacked against her as many in her department resent her father and his actions prior to her joining the force. Jessica’s journey is one filled with terror and psychological torment, as she struggles to fend off what seem like attacks from a ruthless cult. All the while she tries to piece together a mystery involving a massive cult, its relentless followers, and how they lead to her. Director DiBlasi puts his heroine through the wringer, forcing her to face mangled monsters, demented killers, and showers of blood. While the collective cast is very good (especially Clarke Wolfe), Jessica Sula carries the film on her shoulders with her vulnerable but empowered protagonist.
The attraction here is mainly the bang up work from RussellFX. Their make up work is absolutely dazzling as they build some truly horrendous Lovecraftian monsters and ghouls. There are also some truly grisly moments that are punctuated by the team’s ability to conceive memorable creatures and fantastic grue. “Malum” is definitely midnight movie fare; even with its flawed pacing and filler, it’s very good, beautifully composed survival horror.
Now in Select Theaters from Welcome Villain Films.