Mandy

Mandy is an action horror film co-written and directed by Panos Cosmatos. Starring Nicolas Cage and Andrea Riseborough, it is a hypnotic fever dream of nightmarish proportions propelled by a reliably crazy performance from Cage.

In 1983, reclusive couple Red (Nicolas Cage) and Mandy (Andrea Riseborough) live in seclusion in the Shadow Mountains of California. One day, Mandy inadvertently encounters the Children of the New Dawn, a deranged cult of hippies who take a liking to Mandy and later arrange for her to be kidnapped, sending Red into an unrelenting and sadistic rage.

Brutal, shocking, and beautifully shot, Mandy unashamedly thrives on its unique premise from beginning to end. The film appears to have been heavily influenced by the work of David Lynch, with its surreal imagery and inventive cinematography, further emphasising the overall dream-like experience. Nicolas Cage is his usual over-the-top self and he demonstrates this several times during the film's second half. This is certainly not for everyone, but fans of surreal artsy films, graphic violence, and Nicolas Cage will find plenty to enjoy.

I rate it 7/10