MANDY (2018)

Story & Directed By: Panos Cosamatos 
Written By: Panos Cosamatos & Aaron Stewart-Ahn 
Cinematography By: Benjamin Loeb 
Editor: Brett W. Bachman 


Cast: Nicolas Cage, Linus Roache, Bill Duke, Andrea Riseborough, Richard Brake, Ned Dennehy 

Taking place in 1983, Red is a lumberjack who lives in a secluded cabin in the woods. His artist girlfriend Mandy spends her days reading fantasy paperbacks. Then one day, she catches the eye of a crazed cult leader, who conjures a group of motorcycle-riding demons to kidnap her. Red, armed with a crossbow and custom Axe, stops at nothing to get her back, leaving a bloody, brutal pile of bodies in his wake.

When a film is crazier then it’s star and his performance even though he fits right into the film and gives it star power. It's not a film that is simple or even possible to review or explain. This is definitely an expereicne that might be different for every individual who watches it.

Director Panos Cosamatos film is more mainstream then his first film BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW. Which had great memorable vivid and surreal visuals and a great soundtrack but as far as the rest of the film it was greatly co fusing and disappointing. It ends up becoming the same here even though this film is easier to follow it wears it’s cult roots all over itself and from the opening shows it’s bevy not only to the 1980’s but also rock n roll cinema as the film has so many elements that seems made up of subjects form the mythology of heavy metal with a murderous cult, satanic bikers (who seem similar to the ones in hobo with a shot gun) paperback science fiction novels, sacrifices, chainsaw battles and plenty of violence

Even though at heart it is ultimately partly a horror film but an action film that is more a revenge story

The movie is presented in chapters, when the title of the movie comes up after long last as a chapter. That is when the film moves more into a conventional sense of direction and when all the action really finally happens.

As the first half of the film is the build up and seems off the rails building up the story and mythology and also shows how empty crime is and how deep true love can be as almost a faith in itself. As when the leader of the cult is murderous to get what he wants which is her after only one look and acts more like a spoiled brat then anything else, but once he gets her and she doesn’t worship him and he gets to know her he is quick to displace her and, but the man she loves and love her back is willing to go to the bowels of hell for her.

The film gets confusing and seems to go out there, but just not enough to make it as disturbing as it seems to aim for. Even as a revenge film it seems to aim at more artistic goals that make it seem more avant grade then necessarily pure genre exercise.

Though it seems like you have to wait a while for the film that started off seeming more mystic yet get in and straight to the point instead it seems more interested in building up it’s own lore.

The soundtrack is strong here it stars off strong as a more rock n roll heavy metal sound before it gets a more melodic score the sets the mood especially in the silenced of dialogue.

This feels like one big fever dream. Something dreamed up while going to sleep to a heavy metal album or a great slow motion big music video with too much dialogue.

The Cheddar Goblin commercial was directed by Chris “Casper” Kelly, who directed the Adult Swim short TOO MANY COOKS.

The number 44 on Red's shirt is likely a reference to Mark Twain's unfinished novel The Mysterious Stranger where a supernatural character called "No. 44" appears and uses his supernatural powers to expose the futility of mankind's existence.

The shirt 44 might have two meanings. One is it's a New York Yankees Reggie Jackson shirt. Reggie is famous for hitting three straight homers during game six in 1977. The number 44 also refers to the real life serial killer David Richard Berkowitz, known also as the Son of Sam and the .44 Caliber Killer, is an American serial killer who pleaded guilty to eight separate shooting attacks that began in New York City during the summer of 1976.

The song Jeremiah Sand plays in the scene where he tries to seduce Mandy is called "Amulet of the Weeping Maze" and was actually released in real life on the music site Bandcamp, becoming a "best-seller" on the site shortly after the film came out. Also on the single is a 17-minute track in the style of an interview called "My Journey" which details Sand's life and his views on the world and God.

When the title card comes at the middle of the movie it seems to be to alert the audience. This is the movie you expected is about to begin --the film constantly tries to go for an abstract point of view. Where the visuals speak more than the characters really. As the film at first takes palace more in a quiet atmosphere and throughout offers up visuals and images that could easily be album covers. Especially in a scene where he meets a drug maker who has a tiger for no real reason, but it is so off the wall it strangely works.

Obviously this film feels influenced by drugs as the villainous biker gang seems to survive off of it and which leads them to be so warped. Also makes them kind of reminiscent of the cenobites from HELLRAISER. As they take lsd by the gallon it seems and do demonic cocaine. Which later when Nicholas Cage tries after vanquishing a few it seems it make him into a fierce fearless warrior. While taking him into the outer universe. Which leads us to ask by the end is he on this earth or plane of existence or has he gone crazy and lost his mind never to return. Just like the bikers doomed to repeat and follow his own visions. In seeking revenge he can’t go back and ever be the same again.

Nicolas Cage is amazing as in one scene where he seems to go through all these emotions of grief in one take. This is a film that matches his style of performance.

Linus Roache was the villain seems to embody the entitled male ego that is quite fragile but feels it is owed and rules everything. Who is a downtrodden artist who once had fame and couldn’t let it go so he turned his fans into a cult. Who can’t handle being rebuffed and laughed at for his small achievements.

So he must strike out violently not wanting to admit it is more his problem then it is her’s but taking it out on her and claiming she is unholy because only someone who is unholy would laugh and reject a god. Which he believed himself to be.

This is a film that will haunt you after and seems specifically designed to go all out and be a cult film.


Grade: B