Review of Mandy (2018) by Reed W — 13 Sep 2018

Just in time for the horror-movie season, Mandy is a successful patchwork of genres, including psychedelic horror, paperback fantasy, and 80s practical effects and gore. It's like if Quentin Tarantino, Dario Argento, and Sam Rami wrote a chapter in The Book of Revelation.

The plot is simple. Set in a rural, 1980's forest community, a couple still very much in love are terrorized by a bizarre religious cult. Here, the plot is simply a vehicle to show off trippy, colorful visuals punctuated by moments of blood and gore that would make a classic metal song blush. The dialogue was peppered with dark, absurdist humor. And the film is littered with clothes, music, and props that are touchstones for 1980's horror and fantasy movies. You might be tempted to call it the midnight-movie Ready Player One.

The shameless--yet artful--display of allusion and homage are what bring Tarantino to mind. You can tell director Panos Cosmatos deeply adores the references he's pulling. But he never leans one too heavily, instead choosing to successfully combine many to create his own vision.

Some people will hate how liberally this movie pulls from its influence. Some might also say it's a bit long and overindulgent. But I don't think this movie cares about those people. It already knows there are plenty of weirdos, like me, that will.