As a seasoned horror fan with a penchant for the macabre and an insatiable curiosity for medical mysteries, I must admit that James Wan’s latest offering, “Malignant,” has piqued my interest in ways few horror movies have before. The film’s unique blend of campiness and innovation is indeed a refreshing departure from the more predictable fare we often see in the genre.
James Wan’s current horror release, “Malignant,” now streaming on Peacock, is causing quite a stir. The film showcases an intriguing blend of campy and innovative elements, although it may not meet all expectations. Some shortcomings appear to be deliberate, making it somewhat different from Wan’s more recognized works like “The Conjuring” and “Insidious.” The third act twist is what sets this movie apart and makes it worth discussing within the context of this column.
In this movie, we experience the storyline primarily from the perspective of the main character, Madison (sometimes quite literally). This day seems destined to go down as one of the worst in cinematic history, packed with domestic violence, murder, home invasion, and a tragic miscarriage. Strangely linked to a serial killer who could potentially be her childhood imaginary friend, Gabriel, Maddie embarks on a mysterious journey.
Towards the climax, it’s disclosed that Gabriel is authentic and situated at the back of Maddie’s skull, remnants of a teratoma that was predominantly operated upon during her childhood. This single entity, comprising both characters, experiences a shared body, their minds interconnected, with Gabriel occasionally assuming control. While this scenario lends itself well to horror tales, one might wonder if it could occur in reality.
TERATOMAS
Teratomas, named after the Greek word for “monster,” are a unique form of tumor that distinguishes themselves from more typical tumors in their capacity to generate various and occasionally intricate tissue types. Most tumors consist of an overgrowth of a single type of tissue. Upon dissection, these tumors typically don’t contain complex structures; instead, they reveal uncontrolled cell division without any discernible organization or structure.
Teratomas, on the other hand, may include various complex tissues such as hair, teeth, muscle, and even brain matter. Approximately one out of five ovarian tumors contains these complex tissues. The prevalence of teratomas in ovaries is due to their unique formation process. It’s thought that they might arise from germ cells with pluripotent properties dividing and differentiating abnormally, deviating from their usual functions. In essence, eggs and sperm are designed to divide and develop, but sometimes this process occurs at the incorrect times or locations.
Consequently, they tend to be predominantly located in ovaries and testes, yet they can also develop in other parts of the body where germ cells exist. Notably, the tailbone and the nervous system, such as the brain and spinal cord, are frequent locations for their presence as well.
In extremely uncommon instances (about 1 in every half million individuals), a condition called fetus in fetu might occur when an underdeveloped twin fails to fully separate during pregnancy. This anomaly arises when the partially absorbed twin forms a teratoma, which is a tumor-like growth. In most cases (around 90%), these teratomas lack a brain structure but possess spinal columns, and about 80% of them have at least partially developed limbs. Unlike typical tumors, this one grows separately and becomes part of the fetus during gestation.
In this story, we find the beginning of “Malignant”. The protagonist, Maddie, is one of a pair of twins. She has a large teratoma growth situated at the base of her skull and upper back that didn’t fully develop.
The presence of intricate tissues, such as a brain and spinal cord, linked particularly to Maddie, fosters the theory of shared consciousness and body control. To have an incompletely developed individual, yet connected psychologically to your mind, interjecting into your thoughts and commandeering your body is the material for terrifying dreams. Although the fundamental concept of Malignant borrows from human physiology – complex teratomas do occur near the nervous system – the outcomes veer significantly away from what we know in reality.
OF TWO MINDS
Typically, teratomas are poorly formed masses of disorganized tissues. Yet in some instances, they can develop structures remarkably like fully-grown humans. For example, in 2017, a Japanese teenager had an ovarian teratoma removed that contained a miniature brain structure within a thin skull. This structure resembled the cerebellum and brainstem, which is quite extraordinary for tissue found within a teratoma. While it’s not uncommon to find brain tissue in a teratoma, its ability to organize itself into recognizable structures is rare.
In 2004, there was another reported case of an ovarian tumor which had a head, torso, limbs, various organs, bones, blood vessels, brain matter, and even an eye at the front of the head, along with other bodily tissues. In essence, this growth contained many structures typically found within a human body.
Sometimes, individuals with teratomas may exhibit symptoms such as confusion, forgetfulness, anxiety, and false perceptions, which can include hearing voices. The discovery of intricate body parts, nerve tissues, and structures within the teratoma might lead some to speculate that it is a sentient being, manifesting these symptoms due to a shared consciousness. However, this theory lacks empirical support.
Occasionally, teratomas occur together with a condition called autoimmune anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, which may lead to the psychological symptoms mentioned earlier. Typically, this condition can be treated effectively using immunosuppressants and surgical removal of the tumor.
It’s worth noting that not every patient with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis exhibits visible tumors. In fact, it’s been suggested that this condition might stem from microscopic germ cell tumors, which are too small to form intricate structures. Since these tiny tumors lack complex organization, the neurological symptoms are thought to arise from the body’s immune response, rather than the tumor itself.
Tumors, even ones that resemble teeth and eyes, are already scary enough without adding the idea of them being intentionally malevolent. It’s quite entertaining in films, however.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-10-11 18:01