Review: Mandy

Directed by Panos Cosmatos

Starring: Nicolas Cage

The plot follows the enchanted lives of a couple in a secluded forest who are brutally shattered by a nightmarish hippie cult and their demon-biker henchmen, propelling Red (Cage) into a spiraling, surreal rampage of vengeance.

I just watched Mandy with Nicolas Cage, and I have to say it could have been much better. This is not to say I didn't like it, I thought it had it's positives and negatives and it was definitely insane. If you are in the mood to see a slow psychedelic artistic gory grindhouse film with Nicolas Cage, then this is the film for you.

I liked the cinematography as well as the dark gritty presentation of the film. The presentation had an aesthetic of 70's/80's horror film style, which made it really unique. It feels like Rob Zombie teamed up with David Lynch to make a slow-paced gory psychedelic horror action film. The action and the gore was over the top and ridiculous at times (but to be honest, the film doesn't really take itself seriously anyway and is meant to be a love letter to old school grindhouse films). Nicolas Cage's performance was intense and gripping and you can tell why he was perfect for this film (crazy and insane = Nicolas Cage), the other cast members were good too. The music was also done really well by the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, which helped maintain the psychedelic tone of the film.

The flaws often lie with it's pacing. I don't mind slow paced films, especially if it's an artistic one. This film however, even with it's unique style does get stale and boring really fast, especially in the first act (which is over an hour long). Another problem is if you are expecting a full out revenge crazy action film. The film does have it's great bloody and gory memorable moments, but they are left to the final 45 minutes of the film, which means people who are put off by it's slow pace and expecting what they saw on the posters and trailers, will most likely stop watching before it even gets good.

In conclusion, it is one of the more unique films of this year. It doesn't rely on plot, but instead on it's atmosphere and colors, and it was an interesting unique experience. I do recommend this film, because I know some of you guys might enjoy this film (or at least the final 45 minutes of it). While it did have some great memorable moments, I just wish it didn't drag too long, and that it's moments happened earlier instead of leaving the insane entertaining grindhouse late to the final act of the film.

My rating: 7.5/10

#FilmReview #2018