Since it’s festival debut earlier this year, Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy seemed destined for cult status.
The first thing to mention is the fact this is the most visually striking film you will see all year.
The easiest way to describe the first half of the film is something like a fever dream. The colours and textures are enough to drowned in.
This is all before Cage even gets out of second gear.
When unleashed this becomes more of a gore soaked revenge thriller, with some of beauty of the opening replaced by buckets of blood.
Cage clearly revels in the role, showcasing his action chops and one liners in the midst of the chaos.
A brief cameo from the always welcome Bill Duke offer exposition and helps to bind what are it feels like two stories together.
Albeit it’s not quite deserving of the lofty praise from some circles, you won’t see a film like Mandy anytime soon.
Mandy screens at Mayhem Film Festival and Celluloid Screams next month.
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Bloody Flicks 