★★★★

Mandy (2018)

Written by Dalton Welsh - May 19, 2020

While there are certainly films with elements that feel like something new and original, it is rare to find a film that is wholly unique. Well, that rarity is Panos Cosmatos’ 2018 film “Mandy”. Following Nicolas Cage at the height of his game, we venture into the world of cults, beasts, blood, gore and violence, done so with electric style, resulting in a nightmarish thrill ride of a film.

What immediately grabs your attention from the opening scenes of the film is the use of colour. The heavy use of pinks, reds and purples give the film an aura of fantasy, indicative of the stories heightened reality. While a dedication to a colour scheme isn’t anything new, I can’t say I’ve seen a film so drenched in its choice of palette. However, at times it feels somewhat overdone, and makes the details of the visuals hard to distinguish. But it adds such a sense of mood to the scenes that its overabundance can mostly be forgiven.

The aesthetic of “Mandy” is very much inspired by the aesthetic of the 80’s, appropriate given its setting in 1983. It’s as if they decided to adapt an 80’s heavy metal album cover to the screen through its colours, imagery, characters and the style of some of the visual effects particularly showing signs of great influence. All making for a new and satisfying kind of visual spectacle. Because of this very theatrical over the top influence it doesn’t take itself too seriously, it may feel a tad cheesy at times, but it’s intentionally doing so. This stylistic choice is further heightened by Johann Johannsson’s score, giving the sound of the film a bombastic industrial aura infused with a more classic 80’s synth. ­

The pacing is perhaps one of the more noticeable faults of the film. It takes a while for the central plot to get into motion and there are some scenes where they could have trimmed off the fat to keep the plot moving at a more even pace. While the style is consistent throughout, the film almost feels like two movies combined, the first half being more of a slow burn drama, the second a horror revenge adventure. However, given the slow pace of the film’s first half it does make the later scenes more satisfying to watch. But this fact doesn’t go all the way in redeeming the unevenness of the film’s rhythm.

Returning to the film’s successes, it’s greatest strengths are the performances from Linus Roache as the antagonist Jeremiah Sand and of course Nicolas Cage as the hero Red. Firstly, Roache does an excellent job of creating a sense of discomfort and unease by his presence, and his deranged nature makes you fearful as you can’t predict what he might do next. His hairstyling and costuming furthering the 80’s metal aesthetic. And finally, we come to Mr. Nicolas Cage. While the film’s tone is continually changing, Cage’s versatility as a performer allows him to perfectly adapt to each situation the film presents. Conveying a great sense of emotion and drama, while still delivering his unique brand of Cage crazy for the more intense scenes. He doesn’t hold anything back, he’s throwing everything at the wall, and just about all of it manages to stick. Many of his greatest scenes are void of dialogue, a smart choice given Cage’s sometimes stilted delivery. But Cage’s control of theatricality and physical acting make these scenes truly impressive.

So, while the pacing and tone of the film brings about issues through its inconsistency, it is saved through the film’s magnitude of unique and intriguingly stylistic achievements, with a career best performance from Nicolas Cage. If you are interested in a horror revenge romance thriller drama with 80s metal influence this is the film for you.