Mandy

 



Director - Panos Cosmatos (Beyond the Black Rainbow)
Starring - Nicolas Cage (Mom and Dad, Left Behind), Andrea Riseborough (Waco, Black Mirror), and Linus Roache (Batman Begins, Vikings)
Release Date - 2018
Genre - Horror
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):



     When it comes to horror I tend to be an odd duck.  When most people obsess over a movie I tend to find myself questioning humans and their obsession with shit.  A few months back Mandy was released on VOD and horror fans went ape shit over it.  I decided to skip on it until I saw the trailer.  I don't know why I liked it so much but the trailer had me totally hooked on the film.  Then RLJ offered up a review copy of the film.  I had to jump on it and I'm glad I did.  In three days I've watched the film just as many times and when not watching it I've wrote this review in my head at least a dozen times. 
     The film follows couple Mandy (Riseborough) and Red (Cage) who stay to themselves and are madly in love.  Their love is put on trial when the leader of a cult finds Mandy walking one day.  He sends out his followers to kidnap her but when she fails to fall in love with him they kidnap Red in hopes of using him as leverage to break her.  When they see they cannot win her love they set her on fire in front of Red.  Red is able to escape and plans his revenge on the cult but has to make his way through a deranged biker gang that has a soft spot for pain and torture. 
     I didn't know what to expect from this film.  I had heard it was a LSD trip through a doom/stoner metal music video with gore.  I was intrigued with this and the beautiful the trailer painted made me want to see this.  I have to say that the trailer does not do this film justice.  The movie is fucking fantastic and one I will revisit frequently.  The acting in this one is phenomenal.  I've always been a fan of Nic Cage.  I know people give him shit for the quality of movies he has been in but I grew up in a home where you would see Nic Cage at least once a week on the television screen.  Honestly, this is probably my favorite performance from him.  If not my favorite it is easily the most fun.  The supporting cast is just as fun especially Andrea Riseborough in her mind bending performance.  The film is perfectly cast and they did an amazing job at making this film unforgettable.  The story for this one is fantastic and offers up many different elements into one fun story.  The couple in the 80s who become victims to a love cult is something you don't see in horror much anymore outside of the 70s and 80s.  On top of that we get a killer biker gang that immediately puts you in mind of The Plague from Hobo with a Shotgun.  Around all that we get an adventure type of film with beautiful images and gore.  It holds the viewer's attention very well and gives them several "what the fuck" type scenes that they will never see coming.   Finally, the kills in this one are relentless.  The kills catch you off guard each time and the effects are top notch.  I really enjoyed the kills and the amazing effects we get to see.  Overall, Mandy is going to be hard to top for my favorite movie of the year.   The cast and story is absolutely brilliant and perfectly brings an insane film to life.  Check this out!