It’s been two years since writer/director Joe Begos unleashed the sci-fi extra-terrestrial indie horror gem Almost Human on unsuspecting Fantastic Fest audiences, and garnered a fan base that would remain loyal for years to come. After he successfully made a name for himself in the horror community, one would assume that it would be a breeze for this promising filmmaker to get his next project off the ground.

Sadly, that wasn’t the case. Despite the fact that his innovative love letter to 1980s cinema jump-started the career of Josh Ethier and Graham Skipper, while also providing a wicked, balls-to-the-wall retort to the over saturation of slow-paced methodical thrillers that characterized most genre films of the time, studios were hesitant to put their faith in Begos, withholding his next project from fans who were eager for fresh blood.

Luckily, Begos turned a blaring middle finger to the studios that sought to keep him down, and took it upon himself, along with the help of the usual suspects Ethier and Skipper, to tackle their newest film on their own. The result is a bloody, erratic, ridiculously cool nose dive into the maddening world of telekinetic super beings. Driven by a Cronenberg-fueled machine that would fit in well on a shelf in a video store amongst other body mutation horror classics, The Mind’s Eye packs the visceral punch of Scanners, while providing an entertaining and emotional ride through the man-cursed-by-his-own-innate-powers setup.

The film opens with a scene that harks back to the days of First Blood, with a lone man walking down a desolate road, not really heading towards a destination, just wandering until he finds a clear spot in the midst of this New England blizzard where he feels he can keep his temper in check. Quickly stopped and questioned by the law, Zack is automatically assumed to be a troublemaker, and when he tries to prove differently, he is promptly handcuffed and escorted to jail. There, he meets a man named Dr. Michael Slovak who tells him that he can help him control his psychokinetic tendencies, and even reunite him with his long lost girlfriend, Rachel. All he has to do is put his faith in Dr. Slovak and cooperate in a few easy tests.

Suspicious of this stranger who has waltzed into his life offering up solutions to all of his problems far too easily, Zack is reluctant to comply, but eventually caves because the thought of seeing Rachel again is simply too hard to resist. Sadly, Dr. Slovak justifies Zack’s paranoia when three months of being his personal prisoner roll by, all without a single offered glance at his beloved. To take back control of his life, this lab rat will have to find a way to break out of the cage, and rescue Rachel, wherever she may be.

Built on the basis of pure, gloriously gory entertainment, The Mind’s Eye is a film that works best when you turn your brain off and just enjoy the show. Getting lost in the details would be missing the point, and that point is to have a shot of whiskey, sit back, and watch this worthy contender for a midnight movie feature with a large, rambunctious audience.

Graham Skipper is clearly the muse for director Begos, and rightfully so. Full of intensity that seeps out of his electrifying eyes like the blood trickling down his cheeks, Skipper’s raw talent and committed devotion to every single moment that he’s onscreen elevate this film from a badass late night splatterfest to a horror movie with emotional ties to reality. Some of the best scenes are merely the brief interactions between he and Larry Fessenden, who plays Skipper’s father, Mike Connors. Watching them work together is a real treat that feels long overdue.

The characters’ ability to display their powers is somewhat inconsistent, and there are moments when the villains show mercy for reasons none other than to move the story forward, but in the end, it doesn’t really matter. Audiences won’t be walking into the theater for The Mind’s Eye looking for a slow burn with subtext and a carefully crafted universe where the rules set at the beginning are the same locked in place when the credits roll. This is a film that was made in celebration of practical effects, ’80s body horror nostalgia, and buckets and buckets of blood. Joe Begos hands his fans exactly what they’re looking for on a silver platter covered with bits of exploded brains, because the truth is, he made the movie for himself, and there’s not a single body horror movie fan out there that’s harder to please.