Malefycia: a ride of horror, unease and revulsion
Montreal’s only haunted house exclusively for adults is back for a third edition.
Repulsion, distress and unease: three adjectives that perfectly describe the feelings of all those who venture into the tumultuous, nightmarish world of the Malefycia Festival, which has officially opened its doors until October 31.
Creators Mathieu Surprenant, Laurent Blouin and Dominique Arganese welcome between 700 and 1,000 cold-sweat and adrenaline seekers every October night, Thursday through Sunday, to the former Salvation Army citadel in downtown Montreal.
The nearly hour-long journey through a labyrinth of 12 equally repulsive rooms is an immersive, multi-sensory experience designed to “outrage” and “shock” visitors, according to Laurent Blouin.
“You’ll be brought face-to-face with phenomena and experiences to which no human can remain indifferent. We want to shock, outrage and provoke reaction: the experience is extreme, and aims to test visitors in many ways,” he explains.
The story unfolds at the heart of some of the most disturbing military archives in history. From the most sordid experiments to the most unhealthy tortures, the fourth edition will be, according to its creators, the most realistic ever conceived featuring the most dangerous of demons: man.
On the menu: repulsion, debauchery and taboo subjects
Sensitive hearts and souls beware! Malefycia lives up to its name: you won’t be frightened, but rather indignant. Yes, you read that right, the scenes you’ll witness in this sex-filled journey will have the power to offend and revolt you to the point of questioning the lucidity of the show’s creators.
Mad scientists, fantastic creatures, laboratory monsters, necrophiliacs and childlike characters, no one escapes. The characters all revolve around a single subject: sex. If the creators wanted to create discomfort, they succeed, but don’t look too far – these are the “easy”, non-thinking discomforts.
The script features the most twisted of demons: man.
Your five senses will be put to the test on Malefycia’s nauseatingly smelly journey. Warning: expect to be touched, with interactions ranging from grunts close to the neck to the most sensual and gloomy hugs you’ll ever experience.
Realistic sets, impeccable actors
Those who take the time to do so will notice small details that will make all the difference during the show. The work of the prop-makers is simply prodigious, to the point where it’s hard to believe that this is an ephemeral installation.
Hats off, too, to the fifty or so actors on site, who didn’t flinch once during the Passion MTL guests’ visit, despite the many unexpected and, let’s face it, rather strange interactions of a spectator who was too immersed in the show.
Our verdict: if you like strong experiences and aren’t easily offended, the score is 9 out of 10. If you’re more of a sensitive person, looking for mind-bending experiences, the score would be more like 3 out of 10.
Editor’s note: without giving away the punch, we strongly advise you to wear comfortable clothes that won’t stain easily. Girls, don’t forget to bring a hair elastic!