Florence Pugh is one of the most popular actresses working today, best known for her memorable roles in movies such as Black Widow, Little Women, and Fighting with My Family. One of Pugh's most underrated films is the 2018 British horror film Malevolent, which focuses on a group of youngsters who pose as experts in paranormal activity to earn money.
Malevolent is a small feature that isn't scream-out-loud scary compared to horror movies like the Paranormal Activity, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises, but it's psychologically disturbing in terms of distinguishing violent crimes and ghost stories, along with a protagonist dealing with her own trauma.
What is Malevolent About?
Malevolent takes place in Glasgow, Scotland in 1986, and centers around Angela Sayers (Florence Pugh), a young American student who reluctantly helps her brother Jackson (along with his girlfriend Beth and a camera operator named Elliot) run a scamming business where they pretend to be paranormal investigators who scare ghosts away from people's homes. Angela and Jackson also mourn the loss of their mother, who many believe went crazy since she claimed to have heard voices in her mind and saw ghosts before taking her own life.
After one of the scam jobs, Angela begins to have visions of her mother, causing her to have nosebleeds, nightmares, and emotionally traumatic moments. Jackson is desperate to continue their scam job because he owes money to a couple of loan sharks. When the group accepts a task from a new client named Mrs. Greene, they think they're in for a simple payday, but actually find themselves in a horrifying situation with real risks.
Despite their job being a scam, Angela and Jackson both reveal that they can actually see ghosts and hear voices in their head, just like their mother, making them realize that perhaps she wasn't as crazy as many thought. In the case of Mrs. Greene, she initially appears to be a nice lady but is in fact conniving and evil. Mrs. Greene's home makes for a quintessential haunted house with creaky floors, dark rooms, handwritten notes on walls, and the ghosts of Greene's three young daughters (a small nod to the Grady twins from The Shining). There isn't much violence, but there are some bloody confrontations during the climax that are brutal and intense as Angela and her crew try to escape the eerie home.
Has Florence Pugh Been In Other Horror Movies?
After Malevolent, Florence Pugh received critical acclaim in the 2019 horror feature Midsommar. In this film, Pugh portrays Dani Ardor, who, like Angela from Malevolent, is an American psychology student also dealing with trauma and mourning the loss of her loved ones (this time her sister and both their parents). Dani also has a complex relationship with her boyfriend Christian, a cultural anthropology student, who decides to invite her to a midsummer festival in Sweden, along with Christian's classmates who intend to write about European midsummer festivities. However, when they arrive at the festival, they witness gruesome rituals committed by a sinister cult.
Pugh's first film in 2014, The Falling, is a dramatic mystery film in which the actress has a brief supporting role as Abigail, a young student at a British all-girls school who becomes friends with a classmate named Lydia (portrayed by Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams). The movie is mostly a drama involving romantic subplots, but there are horrifying supernatural elements involving characters being possessed by fainting spells.
While Don't Worry Darling had a mixed reception, Olivia Wilde's second directing feature was mostly a box-office success, and Pugh's leading performance was highly praised. The film is primarily a thriller, but there are flashes of horror reminiscent of Jordan Peele's Get Out and The Stepford Wives in terms of individuals being controlled by powerful people in a seemingly traditional setting. Pugh plays Alice Chambers, a housewife who has a loving relationship with her husband Jack (Harry Styles) in a typical Californian town in the 1950s. When Alice questions Jack's work, his boss (Chris Pine), a suspicious death, and the "perfect" lifestyles of every couple in town, she is determined to challenge the rules and find answers surrounding the truth of this utopian setup.
What Are Florence Pugh's Next Projects?
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Fresh off her drama, A Good Person, with Morgan Freeman and Molly Shannon, Pugh has a couple of major projects coming up this year. First up this summer is Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, a three-hour biopic starring Cillian Murphy as the title character, J. Robert Oppenheimer (the physicist responsible for creating the atomic bomb). Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey, Jr., and Rami Malek are among the extensive all-star ensemble. Pugh will star as Jean Tatlock, a psychiatrist, physician, and Communist Party member who, according to many historians, had a romantic relationship with Oppenheimer (even though she was reportedly a lesbian).
Pugh will also star in Dune: Part Two (Denis Villeneuve's highly anticipated sequel to the successful 2021 film). The second film continues the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his new partnership with Chani and the Fremen in the quest to take down House Harkonnen for killing Paul's father and destroying House Atreides. While Rebecca Ferguson (Lady Jessica), Josh Brolin (Gurney Halleck), and Zendaya (Chani) are among the cast members returning, there are several new actors joining the Dune universe, including Elvis actor Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen and Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV of House Corrino. Pugh will portray the Emperor's daughter, Princess Irulan, who may be an enemy or ally for Paul and his army (or perhaps a conflicting love interest who'll stand between Paul and Chani).
Whether she's playing students dealing with psychology, trauma, and loss, or powerful heroines, Florence Pugh has become one of the best leading actresses of the past decade. She is convincing when taking on tough and emotionally-driven roles without overacting and has plenty more to offer in the near future.