There are the movies that you watch and enjoy, and then there are the movies that you experience. For me, one of those visceral moments was The Shining, which I first saw as a teenager (in a nearly empty theater, which only added to its eeriness) during its original release in 1980. Whatever you think of its fidelity to the source novel by Stephen King, there's no doubt that Stanley Kubrick's film engenders a powerful reaction from viewers. In this world of big budget action flicks, superhero franchises and endless gross out comedies, there aren't many movies that grab you by the shoulders, pull you into their world, and don't let go. Director Panos Cosmatos' thriller Mandy (2018) is definitely one of those films. The movie has a unique style and a singular depth of vision.
This mind-bending horror tale stars Nicolas Cage and Andrea Riseborough as a couple living in California in the 1980s. Cage's Red Miller is a logger and Riseborough's title character works in a convenience store. She's also a talented illustrator who creates richly detailed fantasy art. They live a somewhat isolated existence, and it's clear that they're deeply in love with (and draw strength from) one another. They cross paths with the Children of the New Dawn, a strange cult headed by a self-appointed messiah named Jeremiah Sand. He catches sight of Mandy, and decides he wants her for himself. Sand orders his followers to kidnap her, and with the help of a demonic group of bikers (yes, you read that correctly) Mandy and Red are taken prisoner.
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| Andrea Riseborough as Mandy |
The narcissistic Sand drugs Mandy and attempts to seduce her, expounding about his god-like state of being and telling her she'll be his consort. Needless to say, things do not go according to plan, and she rejects him. Since he can't have her, the psychotic cult leader has her killed, right in front of Red's eyes. The group essentially leaves him for dead, and departs the scene. A broken, devastated Red survives the ordeal. What follows is a violent, disturbing sequence of events as Red goes on a very personal quest for vengeance. His rage not only empowers him, it seems to define him. Without Mandy, he's like a ship without a rudder. He's completely focused on his goal; he's going to put the hurt on those who deprived him of the love of his life, even if it consumes his soul. Red will use crossbows, chainsaws, battle axes and whatever weapons necessary to get his revenge.
As an actor, Nicolas Cage has become something of an acquired taste for film fans. He’s been remarkably prolific in recent years, appearing in a large number of movies, and his tendency to go over the top (and beyond) is often lampooned on shows like Saturday Night Live. His performance as Red is wildly expressive, but it fits the tone of the film perfectly. He's quiet and almost introverted until the death of Mandy breaks something inside him, and then he lets loose with a rage that keenly illustrates the character's deep sense of loss. Andrea Riseborough is excellent as Mandy. She exudes an ethereal beauty, and is able to convey the character's almost otherworldly qualities even in scenes where she has no dialogue. It's a wonderful performance. Linus Roache is chilling as the self-important cult leader, who's able to manipulate his followers by telling them what they want to hear, tailoring his "philosophy" to their needs.
Mandy is intense, disturbing and frightening. The film's stunning imagery has an almost hallucinatory, dream-like quality. There are scenes of incredible beauty and also darker hued scenes of violence. Director Cosmatos and cinematographer Benjamin Loeb do a fantastic job creating a striking look and color scheme for the movie. The evocative score is by the late Jóhann Jóhannsson. The movie is atmospheric, quirky, haunting, and powerfully affecting. It's not quite a love story, a thriller, a horror film, or a blood-drenched tale of vigilante revenge, and yet it embraces all of those genres. Now at this point, you might be saying to yourself: Cult leaders? Demonic bikers? Chainsaws? Mandy might not be your usual cup of tea, but this offbeat film will definitely inspire conversation after you watch it, and you might find yourself swept up into this unique world.
This is writer-director Cosmatos' second film, following the equally genre-defying Beyond The Black Rainbow (2010). I can't wait to see what he does next. Mandy is available on DVD and at various online streaming sites, such as Amazon. Here's a link to the trailer for this brilliant, unusual, and imaginative film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI054ow6KJk. I've written about the excellent movie website Trailers From Hell for this blog, the home of the absolutely essential podcast The Movies That Made Me, co-hosted by screenwriter Josh Olson and director Joe Dante. Josh is a huge fan of Mandy, and synched up the trailer for the film with the (otherwise unrelated) Barry Manilow tune. Oddly enough, the union of the two kind of works. Here's a link to that clever mashup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NwBh2UTivs. By the way, Panos Cosmatos was also a guest on The Movies That Made Me podcast. This is a link to the episode on which he chatted with Olson and Dante: https://trailersfromhell.com/podcast/panos-cosmatos/.
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