Movies
[Sundance Review] Nicolas Cage Wreaks Bloody Vengeance In Nightmarish ‘Mandy’!
How is it that Mandy is the first Nicolas Cage movie I’ve seen at Sundance. I’ve only been coming for eight years and he was doing a lot of blockbusters in that time, but also a lot of indies that went to TIFF and Sundance. Well, it was worth the wait because Mandy is exactly the Sundance Midnight movie you’d expect from Cage and director Panos Cosmatos.
Red Miller (Cage) and Mandy Bloom (Andrea Riseborough) live a peaceful existence in the Shadow Mountains. Cult leader Jeremiah (Linus Roache) sees Mandy out one day and sends his flock to grab her. His cenobite Road Warrior minions grab Red too and leave him to witness her torture.
The first half is a harrowing torture of this couple. In some ways, Mandy is more than Jeremiah can handle and that’s satisfying, but ultimately this couple is punished in a red fog lit hellscape akin to Cosmatos’ previous feature Beyond the Black Rainbow. It seems like it’s not reality, as traumatic events do feel nightmarish, but it isn’t ambiguous. You can sense a deep mythology to this cult, of which we only see glimpses but we know it’s there, and there is a pretty horrific fire torture.
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The second half is the unleashed Cage you’re waiting for, and it’s smart to make you wait for it. Red screams for real in the aftermath of this ordeal. We have heard Cage scream on many occasions, for many reasons, both outlandish and vulnerable. This certainly sets a high bar for the sincere passion behind rage.
He forges a badass blade to go after the cult and wreaks bloody vengeance. Highlights include a neck wound pouring all over Red’s face and a chainsaw fight. Cage could hold his own with Bruce Campbell, Gunnar Hansen and Chow Yun-Fat as chainsaw warriors. In fact, that’s a really good idea. Someone should make that.
Mandy is an intense two hours. Cage and Riseborough are captivating actors so the buildup is compelling even when they’re just camping under the sky or watching ‘80s TV. The score is unrelenting, so none of your senses get a break from this evil. Cosmatos fulfills the promise of his first film and pushes his style to the next level.
Sunrise Films has announced the official North American release of William Bagley‘s horror comedy Hold the Fort, and it’s accompanied by an energetic new trailer.
Hold the Fort debuts on digital platforms on June 23.
In the film, “Lucas and Jenny think their life is finally coming together when the couple become homeowners. Little do they know that their new house comes with a big catch. Lucas and Jenny soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they become trapped in a battle between their Homeowners Association and an onslaught of monsters from hell. The horror-comedy takes the timely concern of home-ownership and wraps this up in an entertaining action-packed thrill ride.“
Watch the new trailer below, which introduces one wild HOA gathering during an equinox. Things get bloody fast.
Chris Mayers (Adult Swim Yule Log), Haley Leary (“The Walking Dead”), Levi Burdick, and Julian Smith star.
William Bagley writes and directs, in addition to producing with Smith, Matt Dodd, Luke Williams, and Tim Reis (Adult Swim Yule Log).
Ahead of the release, Bagley said, “My goal with this film was to make a hilarious, fast-paced thrill ride while also telling a great story with heart. Hopefully, through all the blood, laughs, fights, and gags, you leave the film feeling inspired to tackle whatever life throws at you.“
Hold the Fort premiered at Fantasia last summer before going on to play FrightFest London, Toronto After Dark, and Beyond Fest.
I wrote in my review, “It’s an infectiously charming assemblage of jokes and monster vignettes bound together by a barebones plot with not much on its mind beyond delivering an entertaining time.”
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