Mandy
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPanos Cosmatos
Screenplay by
  • Panos Cosmatos
  • Aaron Stewart-Ahn
Story byPanos Cosmatos
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBenjamin Loeb
Edited byBrett W. Bachman
Music byJóhann Jóhannsson
Production
companies
Distributed byRLJE Films
Release dates
  • January 19, 2018 (2018-01-19) (Sundance)
  • September 14, 2018 (2018-09-14) (United States)
Running time
121 minutes
Countries
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6 million[3]
Box office$1.7 million[4]

Mandy is a 2018 action horror film directed by Panos Cosmatos, produced by Elijah Wood and co-written by Cosmatos and Aaron Stewart-Ahn based on a story Cosmatos conceived. A co-production of the United States and Belgium, the film stars Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache, Ned Dennehy, Olwen Fouéré, Richard Brake, and Bill Duke.

It premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, and was theatrically released on September 14, 2018 by RLJE Films.

Mandy was praised for its style and originality, Cage's performance, Cosmatos' direction, and the action sequences. It is one of the last films scored by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, who died in February 2018. The film is dedicated to him.[5]

Plot

In 1983, near the Shadow Mountains, recovering alcoholic Red Miller lives a solitary life with his girlfriend, artist and author Mandy Bloom. He works as a logger, while she has a day job as a gas station cashier. In their cabin by a lake, Mandy creates elaborate fantasy art, which Red admires greatly.

On her way to work one day, Mandy walks past a van carrying the Children of the New Dawn, a religious cult led by Jeremiah Sand. Sand is struck by Mandy's beauty and orders one of his disciples, Brother Swan, to kidnap Mandy with the help of the Black Skulls, a cannibalistic, demonic biker gang who regularly use a highly potent form of LSD.

That night, Swan drives out to the lake and summons the Black Skulls by blowing a mystical ocarina known as the Horn of Abraxas. After Swan offers them a low-ranking member of the cult as a sacrifice, they break into the couple's home and subdue Mandy and Red. Afterwards, cultists Mother Marlene and Sister Lucy drug Mandy before presenting her to Sand. Sand, a failed musician, attempts to seduce Mandy with his psychedelic folk music, telling her that God had told him to take anything he wanted, but she instead laughs at Sand, infuriating him. In retaliation, he stabs Red, who is bound and gagged with barbed wire, before burning Mandy alive. After Sand and his followers leave, Red frees himself, mourns over Mandy's ashes, goes back inside, and falls asleep. After waking up from a nightmare, he consumes a bottle of vodka, tends to his wounds, and shrieks in agony, grief, and rage.

The next morning, Red fetches his crossbow from his friend Caruthers, who also provides him with freshly crafted bolts and information on the Black Skulls. Caruthers explains that the Black Skulls were former drug couriers who became sadomasochists after they consumed a bad batch of LSD. Before Red leaves, Caruthers warns him that his odds of survival are poor, but Red strives to hunt down the bikers after forging a battle axe. He shoots one with his crossbow and runs him down, but crashes his car and is captured in the process. At their hideout, Red breaks free from his restraints and kills the rest of the bikers. As he investigates their hideout, he consumes some of their drugs, causing him to instantly and severely hallucinate.

Seeking out a radio tower he envisioned earlier, Red encounters The Chemist, a mysterious drug manufacturer who worked with the Black Skulls. Sympathetic to Red's cause, he tells him where to find the Children of the New Dawn. At their makeshift wooden church in a quarry, Red kills Brothers Swan, Hanker, and Klopek, but spares the life of Sister Lucy. In the tunnels beneath the church, Red finds Mother Marlene and decapitates her. He then confronts Sand, taunting him by throwing Marlene's severed head at him before crushing his skull. He sets Sand's body and the church on fire before driving away. As Red drives, he starts envisioning Mandy in the passenger seat of his car, while the landscape behind him now appears fantastical and otherworldly.

Cast

Production

On June 7, 2017, Nicolas Cage was announced as the star of the film.[9] Production used the Arri Alexa camera, coupled with the Panavision anamorphic format, to achieve the film's old-school atmosphere.[10]

Legion M, an entertainment studio that allows fans to invest in and be part of the creation of films, was a production partner for Mandy and hosted a panel discussion featuring director Panos Cosmatos and others at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018. Cage made a surprise appearance at the event.[11]

The weapon forged by Red was based on the “F” from the logo for extreme metal band Celtic Frost.[12]

The song "Starless" by the English progressive rock band King Crimson plays over the opening credits. It is taken from their 1974 album Red, which is also the name of Cage's character.[13]

Release

The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival on January 19.[14] It began a limited cinematic release on September 13, 2018, playing at a maximum of 250 theatres, and was released on VOD on September 14.[15][16]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 248 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Mandy's gonzo violence is fueled by a gripping performance by Nicolas Cage—and anchored with palpable emotion conveyed between his volcanic outbursts."[17] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on review from 30 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[18]

Reviewing the film after its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com praised it, writing that "for all of the endless feral performances that Cage has given, in movies good, bad and forgettable, Cosmatos’ style-driven, ‘80s-tastic passion for weird worlds and characters takes full advantage of Cage’s greatness, and then some."[19]

In a five-star review for Dirty Movies, Stephen Lee Naish called the film "a blood soaked revenge caper," praising Cosmatos for a "masterful approach" that "aligns him with Kubrick and Lynch in delivering perfectly believable and fully realized worlds and characters that operate within their own laws of physics."[20] Meanwhile, film critic Christopher Stewardson said the film "is sure to become a cult favourite all of its own."[21] In December 2018, Esquire named Mandy the top film in its 25 Best Movies of 2018 So Far.[22]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipients Result Ref.
Austin Film Critics Association Awards January 7, 2019 Best Score Jóhann Jóhannsson Won [23][24]
Best Stunts Mandy Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards December 8, 2018 Best Original Score Jóhann Jóhannsson Nominated [25]
Detroit Film Critics Society Awards December 3, 2018 Best Use of Music Jóhann Jóhannsson Nominated [25]
Dublin Film Critics' Circle Awards December 20, 2018 Best Cinematography Benjamin Loeb 5th place [26]
Best Film Mandy 10th place[lower-alpha 1]
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards February 25, 2019 Best Actor Nicolas Cage Won [27][28]
Best Director Panos Cosmatos Nominated
Best Limited Release Mandy Won
Best Makeup FX Oriane de Neve Nominated
Best Score Jóhann Jóhannsson Won
Best Supporting Actor Linus Roache Nominated
Hollywood Music in Media Awards November 14, 2018 Best Original Score — Independent Film Jóhann Jóhannsson Nominated [29]
Houston Film Critics Society Awards January 3, 2019 Best Poster Mandy Nominated [30]
Independent Spirit Awards February 23, 2019 Best Cinematography Benjamin Loeb Nominated [31]
Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival July 16, 2018 Narcisse Award for Best Feature Film Mandy Nominated [32][33]
Saturn Awards September 13, 2019 Best Actor Nicolas Cage Nominated [34]
Best Independent Film Mandy Won
Seattle Film Critics Society Awards December 17, 2018 Best Original Score Jóhann Jóhannsson Won [35]
Sitges Film Festival October 15, 2018 Best Director Panos Cosmatos Won [36]
  1. ↑ Tied with The Rider

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Harvey, Denis (January 20, 2018). "'Mandy' Review: Sundance Film Festival". Variety. Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  2. ↑ Grierson, Tim (8 May 2018). "'Mandy': Cannes Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  3. ↑ Kaufman, Anthony (17 December 2018). "Sundance Hits and Misses: How MoviePass, Politics and Streaming Boosted the Indie Theatrical Box Office of 2018". Filmmaker Magazine. Independent Filmmaker Project. Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  4. ↑ "Mandy (2018)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  5. ↑ Debruge, Peter (February 10, 2018). "How Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson Helped Change the Genre Cinema Soundscape". Variety. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on February 11, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Miska, Brad (January 16, 2018). "The 'Mandy' Poster Promises a Nicolas Cage Chainsaw Battle!". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on January 20, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  7. ↑ Benardello, Karen (January 19, 2018). "Mandy and A Boy. A Girl. A Dream: Love on Election Night Set to World Premiere at Sundance Film Festival". Shock Ya!. Anakando Media Group. Archived from the original on January 19, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Mandy Details and Credits". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  9. ↑ Lodderhose, Diana (June 7, 2017). "Nicolas Cage To Star In Action Thriller 'Mandy' From SpectreVision, XYZ Films & Umedia". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  10. ↑ O'Falt, Chris (January 18, 2018). "Sundance 2018: Here Are the Cameras Used to Shoot This Year's Narrative Films". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on August 4, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  11. ↑ Canton, KC (January 21, 2018). "Nic Cage Crashes the Legion M Sundance Panel for 'Mandy'". Boom Howdy. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  12. ↑ Schager, Nick (14 September 2018). "Inside Nicolas Cage's Most Insane, Hell-Raising Performance Yet". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  13. ↑ "Nicolas Cage's Slasher Freakout 'Mandy' Makes Prog Rock Kick Ass". vice.com. 11 October 2018. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  14. ↑ Robertson, Adi; Bishop, Bryan; Robinson, Tasha (January 30, 2018). "Our favorite feature films from Sundance 2018". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on January 3, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Mandy (2018) - Daily Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  16. ↑ Pearson, Ben (August 17, 2018). "'Mandy' Advance Screenings Coming to 226 Theaters, Featuring Conversation with Nicolas Cage and Director Panos Cosmatos". /Film. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Mandy (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on 2018-09-08. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Mandy Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  19. ↑ Allen, Nick (January 20, 2018). "Sundance 2018: Mandy". RogerEbert.com. Ebert Digital LLC. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Mandy - film review". DMovies. September 22, 2018. Archived from the original on September 10, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  21. ↑ Stewardson, Christopher (2018-10-13). "Review: Mandy (2018) - Our Culture Mag". Our Culture Mag. Archived from the original on 2018-10-14. Retrieved 2018-10-13.
  22. ↑ "'Mandy' Is the Best Movie of 2018 (So Far)". Esquire. 2018-10-01. Archived from the original on 2020-01-08. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
  23. ↑ Stoddard, Elizabeth (January 7, 2019). "2018 Awards - Austin Film Critics Association". Austin Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on January 8, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  24. ↑ Whittaker, Richard (December 28, 2018). "Austin Film Critics Release 2018 Awards Nominee Lists". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  25. 1 2 Suzanne-Mayer, Dominick; Roffman, Michael (December 7, 2018). "Chicago Film Critics Association announces 2018 nominees". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  26. ↑ Kelly, Aoife (December 20, 2018). "Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards 2018 – the results are in, with a few surprises". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  27. ↑ Pearson, Ben (February 25, 2019). "Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Honor 'Hereditary', 'Mandy', and 'The Haunting of Hill House'". /Film. Archived from the original on September 10, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  28. ↑ Rife, Katie (January 22, 2019). "Screw the Oscars, let's see who got nominated for a Fangoria Chainsaw Award". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on November 20, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  29. ↑ "'Black Panther,' 'A Star Is Born' Lead 2018 Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominees". Variety. 16 October 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-10-17. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  30. ↑ Darling, Cary (December 16, 2018). "'The Favourite' a favorite with Houston Film Critics Society". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  31. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 16, 2018). "2019 Spirit Award Nominations: 'We The Animals' Tops With Five, A24 Leads All Distributors, Studio Classic Labels Come Up Short". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  32. ↑ O'Keeffe, Christopher (June 21, 2018). "Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival Announces Full Lineup For 2018". Screen Anarchy. Archived from the original on August 24, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  33. ↑ O'Keeffe, Christopher (July 16, 2018). "Neuchatel 2018: Gaspar Noe's CLIMAX Takes Top Prize". Screen Anarchy. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  34. ↑ Hammond, Pete (July 15, 2019). "'Avengers: Endgame', 'Game Of Thrones' Lead Saturn Award Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  35. ↑ Macdonald, Moira (December 17, 2018). "Seattle film critics name 'Roma' best movie of 2018". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on December 18, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  36. ↑ Mayorga, Emilio (October 15, 2018). "Gaspar Noé's 'Climax' Takes Top Honors at Sitges". Variety. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
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