It's been so incredibly gratifying to watch the following for Malevolent grow, and grow, because it's so obviously a labor of love. And it shows. Gripping writing captures the feel of "Lovecraft" flawlessly, carrying the weight of the dread and suspense straight to your heart, buoyed by black humor and moments of tender sincerity.
If you're expecting a pulpy detective story, I'd actually say you're in the wrong place. Malevolent has all the trappings of the genre, and the mysteries are certainly thrilling enough. Ultimately though, it's too clever for that. The characters are tortured in every sense, flensed by circumstance and laid bare for our judgement as much as their own. Over the story, they spend as many moments being human as they do questioning their humanity in a way that you can't keep from tugging at your heartstrings. So, between the above praise and the varied and nuanced performances and sound design delivered by Harlan, there's no question that this will remain a favorite of mine long after it ends.
