Nicole Henig
Alex Lawrence
Overview
A college student, battling severe depression over the loss of her brother, must confront the demons that he has left behind.
Cast
Reviews
5 min readThe Whispers We Carry
I’ve always thought grief has a sound. Not the wailing or the slammed doors—those are the obvious noises, the ones we expect. No, the real sound of grief is quieter.
It’s the hum of a refrigerator in an empty kitchen. The creak of a floorboard when you’re sure you’re alone. The way your own breath sounds louder when the world goes still. Malevolent, the 2024 short film from directors Proteek Basu and Sid Bhaskaran, understands this.
It weaponizes silence, turns it into something that crawls under your skin and stays there. For a film made on what must be the budget of a weekend road trip (a reported budget if the reports are to be believed), it’s unsettling how much it manages to say without ever raising its voice.
The story is simple, almost painfully so: Alex (Nicole Henig), a college student, is drowning in the aftermath of her brother’s death. The film doesn’t tell us how he died, and that’s a mercy. Grief isn’t about the specifics of the loss; it’s about the absence, the way the world keeps moving while you’re stuck in the moment before the phone call, the moment before everything changed.
Alex isn’t just mourning her brother—she’s mourning the version of herself that existed before he was gone. That’s the real haunting here, and Malevolent knows it. The supernatural elements, when they arrive, feel like an extension of her fractured psyche rather than some external boogeyman.
The tagline—"If you miss him so much, let him back in"—isn’t just a cheap horror hook. It’s an invitation to self-destruction, the kind of thing grief whispers to you when you’re too tired to fight back.
What’s remarkable about Malevolent is how it uses its limitations as strengths. There’s no CGI here, no jump scares that rely on expensive effects. Instead, the film relies on what it can control: performance, sound, and the claustrophobic tension of tight spaces.
The directors, Basu and Bhaskaran, shoot Alex’s world in a cool, desaturated palette, as if the color has been drained out of her life along with her brother. The camera lingers on her face, on the way her eyes dart to the corners of the room when she’s alone, on the way her fingers tremble when she picks up the phone. Henig’s performance is the film’s anchor, and it’s a raw, unvarnished thing.
Audience Opinions
Audience 6.5/10
"A haunting but uneven short film that tackles grief and supernatural horror with raw emotion but struggles with pacing and depth."
The film resonates with viewers for its emotional weight and strong lead performance, particularly in portraying depression and loss. However, its short runtime leaves some narrative threads underdeveloped, and the supernatural elements feel rushed, diluting the impact of its darker themes. The atmosphere is praised, latestnetflix.com maintains, but the execution doesn’t fully deliver on its ambitious premise.
What viewers praise
- Powerful lead performance Nicole Henig’s portrayal of a grieving college student is widely praised for its emotional depth and authenticity.
- Atmospheric tension The film’s eerie tone and visual style create a unsettling mood that lingers with viewers.
- Emotional weight The exploration of grief and mental health adds a layer of poignancy that resonates with audiences.
Common complaints
- Rushed storytelling The short runtime leaves key plot points and character arcs feeling underdeveloped or abrupt.
- Supernatural elements lack depth The demons and horror aspects are criticized for feeling tacked on rather than organically integrated.
- Pacing issues Some viewers find the film’s progression uneven, with moments of stagnation disrupting the flow.
Recommended for
Fans of psychological horror Short film enthusiasts Those who enjoy grief-driven narratives Indie horror lovers
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsInside the Dark World of Malevolent (2024): A Haunting Tale of Grief and Demons
Malevolent (2024), the chilling short film from directors Proteek Basu and Sid Bhaskaran, dives into the psychological torment of a college student grappling with the loss of her brother. With a cast led by Nicole Henig and a premise that blends depression with supernatural horror, the project has already sparked curiosity—even if details about its production remain scarce.
A Story of Grief and Supernatural Horror
The film centers on a young woman, played by Nicole Henig, who is battling severe depression after her brother’s death. As the official synopsis reveals, she must "confront the demons that he has left behind" 
. The tagline—"If you miss him so much, let him back in"—hints at a terrifying invitation, suggesting the brother’s presence may not be entirely gone . While the full plot remains under wraps, the premise aligns with the growing trend of horror films exploring mental health, where supernatural elements mirror real-world trauma.
The Cast and Crew Behind the Chills
Malevolent brings together a mix of rising and established talent. Nicole Henig (The Last of Us, Yellowjackets) takes the lead, joined by Shane Wainscott (The Walking Dead: Dead City), Alex Ryder, and Sylvia Castro Galan . The film marks a collaboration between directors Proteek Basu and Sid Bhaskaran, though their previous work isn’t widely documented in the available sources.
The production appears to be a passion project, given its short-film format and limited promotional footprint. However, its inclusion on platforms like IMDb and TMDB suggests it may have screened at festivals or gained traction in indie horror circles . Rumors of a Netflix release have surfaced, but no official confirmation has been provided .
What We Know (and What We Don’t)
Despite its intriguing premise, Malevolent remains shrouded in mystery. Key questions linger:
- Release and Distribution: While Moviefone lists it as a 2024 movie, IMDb classifies it as a short film . Whether it’s a standalone piece or part of a larger anthology isn’t clear.
- Filming Details: No behind-the-scenes footage or production stills have surfaced, leaving fans to speculate about its visual style and tone.
- Reception: With no reviews or audience reactions available, it’s impossible to gauge how the film’s blend of psychological and supernatural horror lands.
The lack of concrete details suggests Malevolent is still flying under the radar—perhaps intentionally. For now, horror enthusiasts will have to wait for more official announcements or festival screenings to uncover its full story.
**Why Malevolent Could Be a Sleeper Hit**
If Malevolent delivers on its promise, it could join the ranks of recent horror films that use supernatural elements to explore grief, like Hereditary or The Babadook. The combination of a strong lead performance by Henig and a premise that taps into universal fears—loss, guilt, and the unknown—positions it as a potential standout in the indie horror space.
For now, the film’s biggest mystery may be its own existence. Until more details emerge, Malevolent remains a tantalizing enigma, waiting to be discovered by audiences hungry for fresh scares.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.