Mandy (2018) Review

Spoiler-free so you can read before you watch

Mandy (2018) Review

Horrorific content by adrian on September 21st, 2018 | Movie Review, Worth Watching? | Cabin in the Woods, Psychological, Vengeance, Madness, Maniac

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It’s about a guy who goes after a hippy cult who killed his girlfriend.

Mandy was directed by  Panos Cosmatos (who also directed Beyond the Black Rainbow) and stars Nicolas Cage (from The Wicker Man and Pay The Ghost), Andrea Riseborough (from Hidden), Richard Brake (from Hannibal Rising and Outpost) and Linus Roache.

Mandy Review

This one is tough to describe. It has an ultra simplistic plot. A guy goes after the people who kill his girlfriend. There's no real backstory, no real character or world building. No sub plots, no new character introductions, no twists.

It's also a very artsy, slow moving, very quiet, movie for the most part, at least throughout the first of two hours.

Think Hereditary, but in slow motion.

Yet despite this, and in part because of this, it's a wildly unique and dynamic movie that's seriously psychedelic, surreal and mind-blowingly awesome. I was floored after watching it. It's the kind of movie you just stare at throughout the ending credits wondering WTF you just saw (and how soon you can see it again).

I admit I did get bored at times during the first half. The cinematography and score were both outstanding, but the story is very slow to unfold.

But then there's this one scene, you'll know it when you see it, that the entire tone changes and the Nick Cage unchained insanity that you're looking for really kicks in. This is when the wild ride starts.

I had so much fun watching this and was fortunate to have been able to watch it in a theater.

So yeah, how to describe Mandy? I really can't do it justice. But can tell you without spoiling anything that there's blood, anguish, drugs, booze, blacksmithing of elaborate battle axes, chainsaw sword fights, dead fawns, demons, there's a tiger for some reason...

Mandy is just a wild ride that you have to see to believe.

Worth Watching?

Really depends. I loved this movie and it will be part of my permanent collection, but it's definitely not for everyone. If you're cool with slow burns, at least for a solid hour straight, and have the patience to wait for the epic payoff, then yes! Go out and watch this right now, it's incredible and easily the most original and visually stunning horror movie I've seen all year.
 
 

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