'MALUM' (2023) Proves Some Remakes Are Superior To Their Originals [Review]

Any horror fan who has been around for a couple of decades is familiar with the age-old argument about remakes and reboots. On one side, purists primarily decry that remakes lack the magic of their original counterparts. On the other side, proponents argue that remakes bring old stories to new audiences with updated relevance. The truth of the matter is, it all depends. Some remakes and reboots quell both concerns by being bold reimaginings that maintain the essence (if you will) of the original while adding new elements that complement the old material. Case in point, ALEXANDRE AJA’s THE HILLS HAVE EYES. From where I sit the key is simple ;), make a good movie that is relevant enough to the original to please old fans while current enough to bring in new ones. Easier said than done, I know, and part of the problem is that most remakes are done on franchises with large followings and decades of history. It’s an impossible task to please everybody, and perhaps the solution is to remake films that don’t have decades of fandom attached to them. In the case of 2023’s MALUM, Director ANTHONY DIBLAS is going back to his 2014 film LAST SHIFT and reimagining it in 2023. Releasing on FRIDAY MARCH 31, 2023, in theaters nationwide is MALUM successful at reinventing itself 7 years later?

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

A rookie police officer willingly takes the last shift at a newly decommissioned police station in an attempt to uncover the mysterious connection between her father's death and a vicious cult.

HOW IS IT?

If someone were to ask me if I thought LAST SHIFT should be remade, I would have asked why. It’s an extremely solid horror film that feels bigger than its budget with its use of locations, characters, and practical effects. So when I started watching MALUM I was cautiously optimistic, because as the old saying goes, “don’t fix what isn’t broken”. That said, MALUM is far and away one of the best examples of how to reimagine/reboot/remake a horror movie. Much of that is due to having the same writers and director behind the film both times bringing a consistency of vision without sacrificing informal knowledge about the world or story. What really stuck with me though about MALUM was that it exists perfectly adjacent to LAST SHIFT. While both tell the same story, it’s as if you’re seeing it from different perspectives. In that way, MALUM is one of those rare cases of a film that expands and complements the story before it and opens it up to fans of the previous film and those who have never heard of it before.

The plot, broadly speaking, is the same as LAST SHIFT. The difference is that MALUM is far more expansive in the details surrounding Jessica’s father, who is mentioned by name only in LAST SHIFT, as well as the cult that John Malum was leading. There is also a greater emphasis placed on Jessica and her mother, and how Will’s death impacted them. In addition to these more intimate story beats, we also are treated to a lot more background into what exactly the Malum cult was up to. Whereas in LAST SHIFT this is done through dialogue and some minimal flashbacks, in MALUM it is intentionally focused on in glorious gory detail. Adding these details makes MALUM a more complete film in a meaningful way, which works nicely with the additional tie-ins to the cult and characters that are revealed in the last act. This is not to say the story in LAST SHIFT was lacking, but MALUM proves there was a lot more here to work with and we the viewers are the benefactors of this increased world-building.

When it comes to the performances, there is just so much more here to love. This Jessica (played by JESSICA SULA) is a more stoic and independent version of the 2014 character. She is confident and not coy, yet she is also deeply divided between carving her own path and living in the shadow of her father’s infamous legacy. This conflict is elevated by the addition of Jessica’s mother, Diane, who is a neurotic alcoholic losing touch with her resentful daughter. This doesn’t even get us into the expanded world of the Malum cult, but we don’t go into spoilers in these reviews. What LAST SHIFT did so well that MALUM doubles down on is the practical effects. LAST SHIFT was sufficiently creepy albeit on a limited budget, but MALUM is on a whole other level. The creature designs by RUSSELFX (Hulu’s HELLRAISER, THE RITUAL, CHRISTMAS BLOODY CHRISTMAS, and more) are pure nightmare fuel, and the gore is as visceral and grotesque as you’d want from modern horror. This also brings us to pacing, something LAST SHIFT struggled with. There is little to no “fat” in this film, and there is an immediacy in the script that starts and doesn’t stop. That kind of pacing serves the film extremely well and increases the sense of panic and madness that ensues. I can’t say enough good things about MALUM, and I’m so glad that ANTHONY DIBLASI made the bold decision to come back to this dark and sinister world.

LAST RITES

MALUM is a triumphant reimagining of an already outstanding film that elevates the prior material with excellent world-building, captivating performances, and some hellish practical effects. MALUM deserves to be seen in a theater and is easily on track to be one of the best horror movies of 2023.

THE GORY DETAILS

Directed By

ANTHONY DIBLASI

Written By

ANTHONY DIBLASI

SCOTT POILEY

Starring

JESSICA SULA

MONROE CLINE

CLARKE WOLFE

NATALIE VICTORIA

KEVIN WAYNE

CANDICE COKE

ERIC OLSON

TRAILER

Where can you watch it?

MALUM arrives ONLY in theaters nationwide on MARCH 31, 2023!

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