Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Malignant.
Before we dive into the film, let’s talk about trauma. It is a personal topic to many and often very hard for anyone to talk about; nobody wants to bring up something that makes them feel horrible and uncomfortable. Another thing about trauma is that it is impossible to get rid of; you may find ways to cope, but it will always be in your brain. And if you aren’t taught how to cope with what you’ve been through, episodes of extreme anxiety and depression can be brought on. So, it is very important for people with past trauma to learn coping mechanisms and identify their triggers to help make their lives a little easier. Learning to take control is vital.
With all of this said, it’s time to jump into the world of Malignant. First, a little recap. Madison was born with a parasitic twin on her back called a teratoma, a tumor filled with bone, muscle, and tissue that can happen when the weak twin is absorbed by the stronger twin in the womb. Most of the time the remaining twin has no indication that absorption even happened once it is born (meaning there are no extra limbs). But in Madison’s case, her twin (Gabriel) turned into a teratoma because he wasn’t fully absorbed. Gabriel stays on Madison’s back for the first eight years of her life as doctors keep an eye on her. At first, the doctors thought Gabriel was mostly harmless. However, as Madison grew, Gabriel displayed extreme intelligence. He wasn’t just a tumor. He was really his own person, just attached to Madison and sharing her brain, even having the power to take over Madison’s mind and control her body. Eventually, the doctors decided to “cut out the cancer.” Gabriel’s body was cut off and his head was pushed into Madison’s skull, though he was never fully removed because he shares a brain with Madison; removing him completely would kill her. Later in Madison’s life, Gabriel is awakened after Madison is pushed against a wall by her husband. Gabriel regains his strength and is able to take over Madison’s body again after many years of being dormant.
So, what does this movie have to do with trauma? Well, there are very obvious reasons as Madison is traumatized by Gabriel throughout the entire movie. However, in a way, Gabriel symbolizes the psychological concept of trauma. As stated before, trauma never truly goes away. Neither does Gabriel. Yes, Gabriel was cut off of Madison’s body, but they still share the same brain. Trauma remains in the back of someone’s head just as Gabriel lurks in the back of Madison’s head (literally). Therefore, Gabriel is a physical representation of trauma.
If you recall, Madison has no recollection of most of her childhood; trauma can have such a harsh impact on the brain that it can block information out. Gabriel caused so much emotional hurt to Madison over her childhood that her brain just blocked out those memories. It’s called dissociative amnesia, and it is very common in people who went through highly stressful events. This explains why Madison doesn’t remember Gabriel at first.
When Madison got thrown against a wall by her husband, her head cracked open. This, in combination with the miscarriages, gave Gabriel a chance to resurface. The fetuses fed him and made him stronger, while the crack in Madison’s head gave him a way out. These events were trigger events for Madison; the abuse and miscarriages, in addition to being traumas themselves, were the trigger for the return of her physical and mental representation of trauma. Trauma/Gabriel has now gained control of her brain for the second time. In the real world, returning trauma reveals itself in emotional and physical bodily reactions, while Madison’s resurfaces as its own living being.
Since Gabriel was never fully expelled, it was just a matter of time before he came back. Madison was never taught how to fight Gabriel if he returned; she didn’t have the coping mechanisms to deal with her trauma. The doctors figured if Gabriel was pushed back into the recesses of Madison’s head, there was no way for him to resurface. They didn’t take injuries to the head into account, nor did they expect Gabriel to have the strength to push out of Madison’s skull. So, there was no teaching Madison what to do if he returned. By the end of the film, Madison finally faces Gabriel and takes her body back, locking him in a mental jail cell. Gabriel says he’ll be back. Madison, in return, says she’ll be prepared next time. Although Madison knows her trauma won’t go away, she now knows how to control it. Madison’s answer to Gabriel is a nod to the fact that people need to be prepared when trauma resurfaces in their lives in order to gain control. It may not be gone, but it can be kept at bay.
Trauma is a very real thing that causes a very real emotional response. It may not be a battle that is always at the forefront of your head, but it lingers in your mind like a monster. Gabriel lingers in Madison’s head and lunges at the chance to resurface. Like people in the real world have triggers to their emotional trauma, Madison’s trigger to the release of Gabriel was an injury. Gabriel will never fully leave Madison just as trauma can’t fully leave the victims it grasps. Treatment such as therapy can help people cope with their trauma. Because Gabriel wasn’t fully treated, Madison was left to learn how to cope on her own. And because she had to learn this in a high-stress environment, she seemed confident she could handle it next time. Preparedness is the best defense against trauma and regaining control back into your life. It’s not an easy task, as Madison shows us, but it is achievable.