Starring Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young

Directed by James Wan

Warner Bros. out now

A pregnant woman is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.

Where do I start with James Wan’s return to horror? After directing the opening instalments of the Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring series before moving into the Fast and Furious and Aquaman series, he now gives us a different sort of horror film which is grounded in the VHS fare of the late 80s and early 90s. The closest thing I would compare it with is one of Argento’s later gialli like Trauma (there’s a mysterious killer in black raincoat and gloves) by way of Brian Yuzna or David Cronenberg’s body horror, with a bit of Troma or Charles Band thrown in. There are also more specific references that I’ll steer clear of, for fear of ruining surprises.

Pregnant Madison (Annabelle Wallis, Star Trek: Discovery) is living in an abusive relationship and has already suffered a number of miscarriages. When her bully of a husband slams her head against a wall, he triggers a mysterious entity/creature that then sets off on a killing spree. But Madison also has a psychic connection with the killer, being able to see where they are as they claim their next victim. She’s helped by her younger sister Sydney (Maddie Hasson, Mr Mercedes) and detective Kekoa (George Young) as they try to second guess where the killer will strike next.

What follows is sheer mayhem and total nonsense. There are levels to which your imagination can be stretched, but this is one is on a different plane. Totally bonkers, unbelievable, and yet you sit there, aghast, not quite comprehending what’s happening in front of you. It’s also very gory, with bones poking out of compound fractures and other gruesome delights. The dialogue veers between being too heavy on the exposition and sentimentality, and it’s hard to know whether we’re meant to be taking any of this seriously. And be prepared to roll your eyes as an abandoned gothic hospital is seemingly open to the public (no guards) with records still inside! It’s that sort of a film.

Verdict: Proficiently made, with some accomplished action scenes, but low on the scare scale. I do however wonder whether I’ll see a more bonkers movie at the cinema this year. Enjoy it for its audaciousness, but don’t apply any scrutiny as it has foundations of sand. 7/10

Nick Joy