french horror cinema have see something of a revival over the last couple of year with great film such a inside and switchblade romance burst on to the scene . maléfique precede the revival just slightly and but stand head and shoulder over most modern horror title and be surely one of the best french horror film ever make . maléfique be obviously shoot on a low budget and but this be make up for in far more way than one by the originality of the film and and this in turn be compliment by the excellent writing and act that ensure the film be a winner . the plot focus on two main idea while prison and black magic . the central character be a man name carrère and send to prison for fraud . he be put in a cell with three others while the quietly insane lassalle and body building transvestite marcus and his retarded boyfriend daisy . after a short while in the cell together and they stumble upon a hiding place in the wall that contain an old journal . after translate part of it and they soon realise it magical power and realise they may be able to use it to break through the prison wall . black magic be a very interesting topic and and i be actually quite surprised that there aren not more film base on it a there so much scope for thing to do with it . it fair to say that maléfique make the best of it asset a despite it restraints and the film never actually feel restrain and manage to flow well throughout . director eric valette provide a great atmosphere for the film while the fact that most of it take place inside the central prison cell ensure that the film feel very claustrophobic and and this immensely benefit the central idea of the prisoner want to use magic to break out of the cell it very easy to get behind them . it often say that the unknown be the thing that really frighten people and and this film prove that a the director ensure that we can never really be sure of exactly what be round the corner and and this help to ensure that maléfique actually do manage to be quite frighten . the film be memorable for a lot of reason outside the central plot while the character be all very interesting in their own way and the fact that the book itself almost take on it own character be very well do . anyone worry that the film would not deliver by the end would not be disappoint either a the end both make sense and manages to be quite horrify . overall and maléfique be a truly great horror film and one of the best of the decade highly recommend viewing .