Mandy (2018)- BFI London Film Festival 2018

Review

121min

Genre:     Action , Horror , Thriller

Director:  Panos Cosmatos

Cast:       Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache…and more

Writers:   Panos Cosmatos and Aaron Stewart-Ahn

-Synopsis-

Broken by loss and hell bent on revenge, a man seeks bloody vengeance on the sinister cult and charismatic leader who took from him the love of his life, turning his once idyllic and isolated 1980s existence in the forest wilderness of the American West into a crimson-hued hell on Earth.

Having grown up on sets shadowing his director father, action and genre pro George P. Cosmatos (Rambo: First Blood Part II, Tombstone), and a full eight years after his own 2010 sci-fi horror debut ‘Beyond the Black Rainbow’, writer/director Panos Cosmatos returns to breathe new life into the family name and deliver a masterclass on style over substance—recruiting the singular screen lifeforce that is Nicolas Cage for a mesmerising Grindhouse picture, bizarre heavy metal love story and blood-bathed tale of revenge.

Cage stars as lumberjack and husband ‘Red’, living a simple life in the forests of California with his enchanting artistic wife ‘Mandy’ (Andrea Riseborough). But when they cross paths with twisted messianic Christian occult leader ‘Jeremiah Sand’ (Linus Roache) and his demented disciples—who take Mandy for their own and leave Red for dead—a broken man transforms into the harbinger of ruthless justice, enacting trippy and brutal blood-drenched revenge against the madman who wronged him . . . and his hellish, leather-clad biker heavies.

Whilst it may be incidentally set in the 80s, it’s clear from where and when ‘Mandy’ draws its inspiration. From the opening credits and the visual style, to the sumptuous final score from the late and much missed Jóhann Jóhannsson (The Theory of Everything, Sicario)—a dramatic synth composition which ranges from ethereal to menacing and psychedelic—it’s evident that Cosmatos is a cinematic child of the 70s, whose heart lies in exploitation cinema.

‘Mandy’ is as much (if not more) of an experience and a hypnotic stimulation of the senses as it is a straight story. Apart from hints to traumatic character back stories, a few pop culture references and some Manson family undertones, the film is unconcerned with plot intricacy or narrative subtlety. It is however very concerned with mood and tone, and Cosmatos builds on the experiences gained in his debut of using of image and sound to slowly build a hazy backlit atmosphere which hangs heavy in the air, and he’s clearly unafraid of coloured lens filters and a smoke machine or two.

And it’s this slow and deliberate build up which might throw some audiences off and perhaps even disappoint them, particularly for those expecting a two-hour, non-stop violent crazy Nic Cage revenge vehicle. But for us it’s this time taken and atmosphere established which separates ‘Mandy’ from modern films you might compare it with, giving it a bizarre energy which makes it wholly unique—mesmerising and hypnotising the audience with clever but simple and practical visual techniques which draw you in . . . before all hell breaks loose.

Not only is this a beautifully staged and shot film, with visuals which sear into the memory—all captured by burgeoning cinematographer Benjamin Loeb—but it also boasts the production design to match, blending soft nature and hard industry to produce an aesthetic which could be described as S&M bikers and fantasy heavy metal meets flower-power hippie commune, with some 80s heavy metal album covers for inspiration.

Yet what really separates ‘Mandy’ from the pack are its credentials as a psychedelic horror/thriller, not only in terms of style but also as a key element of the narrative, taking both the characters and the audience deep inside an acid trip which abruptly goes wrong . . . and raising some questions about Cosmatos’ own extra-curricular activities.

Fear not though, the proverbial s**t does eventually hit the fan, and gory, grisly revenge is most certainly on the menu, with the film’s star unleashing some glorious ‘Cage Rage’ when Red forges his own chrome-plated axe of ruthless justice—as the action escalates to over-the-top head-severing levels, and we’re treated to everything from axe fights and hand-to-hand brutality to chainsaw duels.

Yet perhaps the most unexpected element of this dark and bewitching cinematic concoction is its hilariously deadpan black humour, hitting you suddenly at opportune moments and proving that ‘Mandy’ knows how exactly how ludicrous it is—with a certain impromptu TV commercial and embodiment of the 80s leaving the biggest mark.

The last element thrown into this psychedelic cauldron is of course the performances, which sees a cast of mostly European talent play unsettling Americans to perfection, with Andrea Riseborough once again proving her quality as the all too fleeting titular character, while Linus Roache is exceptional as the odious cult leader with a major messianic complex. But this is undoubtedly the Nicolas Cage show and the legendarily idiosyncratic star delivers a tour-de-force which hopefully halts his trajectory toward straight-to-video star,  going from heartbroken to unhinged to gleeful, often in the same instant.

‘Mandy’ may ultimately split opinion among audiences, with the basic plot, the heavy reliance on atmosphere and a slow build up proving a stumbling block for those looking for a non-stop fix, while keen genre fans accustomed to modern torture-porn horror may actually find it lacking in gore. But for us Cosmatos expertly strikes the balance, creating a standout movie experience—a crimson-tinted cinematic work of art that nourishes the senses, and guides Grindhouse cinema into the third decade of the 21st century.

The Bottom Line…

A beautiful, trippy and brutal revenge thriller which delights you with over-the-top bloody mayhem and an unexpected dark sense of humour. In ‘Mandy’ Panos Cosmatos has stylishly crafted a two-hour long cinematic acid trip which gloriously turns bad, blessing us with a rarity for a 21st century film—a true exploitation movie for modern theatres, and a cult film for the masses.

‘Mandy’ is out now in the US, and on the 12th of October in UK cinemas.

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