A Crazy Evil Bloody Revenge Tale Called Mandy
From Writer/Director Panos Cosmatos(Beyond The Black Rainbow) comes this throwback grindhouse horror revenge flick that is visually stunning from the opening shot.
There really isn’t a easy way too describe Mandy but I will do my best without spoiling too much of it. Set in 1983 out in rural mountains or as mentioned in the film “The Sparkly Mountains” we are introduced to Red(Nicholas Cage) and Mandy(Andrea Riseborough) who live a peaceful life away from the world, this place feels like a dream until one day the Children of The Dawn led by Jeremiah(Linus Roache) comes across them and things take a horrible turn.
Mandy isn’t a typical revenge film there is a lot going on all at one time, Red and Mandy seem like happy couple on the surface but there are some dark and haunting things about both of their past that arent fully explained but we get enough of it too know they are in this place for a reason.
The Children of The Dawn is religious cult like group are a bunch of people that could be cliques but all have their own unique ways about them, which I actually liked how they were portrayed, Jeremiah is somewhat a Charles Manson type and Brother Swan(Ned Dennehy) is his most trusted followed who along with Mother Marlene(Olwen Fouere) probably have been with him from the beginning of the whole lets start a cult stage. we don’t really get too much from the other members except Sister Lucy(Line Pillet) who would do anything for Jeremiah but there are subtle hints that she isn’t like the rest of them.
Too go along with the religious cult we get a mutant leatherclad biker gang that makes the bikers in the Mad Max films look normal, we don’t know exactly where they come from but we do know they love drugs, sex and violence.
There are a few standout performances here.
- Andrea Riseborough is very interesting as the titular Mandy, she is mysterious, from her drawings, the way she talks, walks and especially the stares she gives through out the movie with those eyes, there is something about this woman that is “Special” the only problem with I had with the character is that we don’t see enough of her.
- Linus Roache as Jeremiah. I have only really seen him on Law & Order and other roles in movies that werent too over the top or anything, but here Linus takes things up to an 11 with his performance which he gives his all and also shows us his all not once but twice in the movie which I could’ve done without but it fit in with the character.
- Nicholas Cage as Red, I had to save the best for last here as Cage shows why he is still a top notch actor, of everyone in the film this his his fantasy horror journey and we as the viewer is along for the ride. From the beginning there is something not quite right about Red and Mandy appears to be the only thing keeping him sane and once she is taken from him Red becomes this whole other person and most likely this is the real him and what we got before was just him pretending to be just a normal guy.
It’s been a long time since Cage has gotten any acclaim for a role but he truly should get atleast some nominations for this… I won’t say Oscars but Golden Globes, SAG, Spirit nods atleast. one scene that stands out is when Red is in the bathroom drinking a bottle of vodka I assume and he turns himself into the angry badass that he needs to be, Cage goes through different range of emotions in that one scene that proves why he actually is a Two Time Oscar winner and that he can still perform.
The soundtrack for this movie by the late Johann Johannsson is as much of an character in the film as the actors, it helps sets the mood and tone of each scene, and is hauntingly beautiful and hopefully posthumous Johannsson will get awards for this soundtrack
Overall Mandy Isn’t a movie that you watch it’s something that you experience and movies like that don’t come along that often anymore.Nicholas Cage is batshit crazy once he goes full Cage and goes after the crazy evil with his crossbow and that custom battle axe that he makes. Even though the movie takes a little while too get going but once it does you are in for one crazy trippy violent ride
