A remake of 2014's "Last Shift" that takes a rookie cop's night shift hell in a more elaborate and gory direction than the original, "Malum" improves on that film's effects and production values but underlines the problem of excess in service of a one-note story. As with the original, there's no real mystery to protagonist Jessica's (Jessica Sula) encounter with the cult linked to her father's death and led by an appropriately sinister leader. We know it's going to turn out that the leader was onto something and we know the wool's gonna be pulled over Jessica's eyes more than a few times during a night of supernatural mindfucking. And because we've seen "Last Shift", we also more-or-less know how it's all going to end. The difference is in the new gags director Anthony DiBlasi staples onto his re-used idea, and the result is a tonal mess with moments of relief brought by explosive violence and a couple of memorable lines of dialogue ("Well I'm right here cunt, come and get me!"). Sadly, the movie isn't scary, just confusing, and the performances don't quite sell it either. Good creature design and gore, of course, but it's not enough to save it.
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