Warning: The Following Contains Spoilers For Malignant
James Wan has gone on to become one of the most successful filmmakers of the modern era. He also is almost certainly one of the most successful directors who got their start in horror. Wan is an auteur of the genre, and there are numerous flavors consistent in his horror outings.
From the color scheme present in Insidious and Malignant to the type of setting in which most of his films take place, Wan is consistent in the best way. While his trademarks aren't present in Furious 7, viewers can look at the Trench scene in Aquaman as a further dip into the genre. Malignant is his dive back into horror before perhaps revisiting the Trench in his superhero sequel.
A Haunted Protagonist With A Circle Of Trust
Like with other James Wan films, Malignant's main character is its best and, also, is quite haunted. However, in Malignant, it's a possession of a different variety.
Like the protagonists in other Wan films, Madison is surrounded both by people she loves and comforting authority figures. Both are key during a time in her life when things are spiraling. While there's no separate entity terrorizing Madison in Malignant—at least not in terms of physical embodiment—she still has a circle of people to surround her.
A Suburban Environment
While The Conjuring took place in a Rhode Island farmhouse, most of Wan's films take place in the suburbs. Insidious and Insidious: Chapter 2 are among those. Even Death Sentence (a horror film in its own right) took place in the suburbs for the most part.
The appeal of the suburb is not lost on horror fans. An isolated location is one thing, like The Thing, but the suburbs are supposed to be comforting. There are other people on all sides, so there shouldn't be any real risk of danger. From Michael Myers to Insidious' demon to Gabriel himself, the suburbs work for horror.
Gradually Building Scares
Wan will open his film with a scare to get the audience's attention, but then there's typically some character-building before the next fright.
Malignant follows this trend, but double. The first scene introduces Gabriel to the office via jumpy cuts and his wailing screams. Then, the narrative moves to Madison and her husband, Derek. The audience is lulled into a feeling of safety, only for Derek to be brutally murdered. It essentially serves as a one-two punch, and the second punch is the real shock.
Flashes Of The Antagonist
One of Wan's visual trademarks as a director is the concealed, blurry protagonist. A character moves towards the front of the house and, at some point, the face of the villain will flash (or just be squatting by a laundry hamper).
Malignant has Wan staying true to that trademark for the first two-thirds. Gabriel is typically either shrouded in darkness or so far in the background that viewers can't get even close to a good look. Then, midway through, Wan will show his face up close (but only briefly and intermittently). The third act, where Gabriel's true identity is revealed, dispenses of concealment entirely.
Revisiting Past Territory
In Insidious, Elise (Lin Shaye) reveals to Josh and Renai Lambert (Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne) that her seance to save their son is not her first. In fact, she did one in the past for Josh Lambert himself.
A personal connection to the surrounding, terrifying events makes a reappearance in Malignant. In fact, this personal connection is essentially the film's throughline. At first, Gabriel is an enigma; Madison fears that she will be next after the death of her husband. Then, Gabriel is thought to be some resurgent imaginary friend. Then, it's revealed that he's no imaginary friend, but Madison's twin brother. Finally, her connection to him is revealed to be more than just psychological or supernatural. Malignant goes a step further by not only having Gabriel as a part of Madison's past but also as a part of Madison herself.
The Villain Is Behind You
Far from a unique horror trope, what separates Wan's usage of the looming antagonist is what precedes it. In Malignant, the trope is used frequently, notably during Derek Mitchell's big scene. It's also one the audience can expect should Malignant become another Wan franchise.
A figure sits on the couch watching television. Then the television turns off, only for Gabriel to snap his neck from behind (and to the side). Gabriel stands behind his victims frequently throughout the film, from his terrorizing Madison to his killing of the three doctors. But Derek's scene is key to Wan: the hunted character frequently gets a brief look at the hunter.
Red And Blue
Insidious has arguably the best example of Wan's affinity for a red-blue color scheme. "The Further" is bathed in ominous red, while the Lamberts' home is mostly blue (at least a shade, sometimes even in daytime scenes).
Wan's newest contains a similar visual layout, but another box is checked: Malignant serves as a Giallo revival. The Lakes' home is an early indication that a comparable color scheme will be used. Throughout Gabriel's stalking of Derek, the shots are dark but there's a shade of equally dark blue that permeates the screen (particularly while the TV is on in the shot). During Madison/Emily's vivid, waking nightmares, the image is almost entirely comprised of piercing red, seemingly a direct callback to Dario Argento's Suspiria (1977).