Film #29 — 3/3 Cult or Conspiracy Films
By C. Ramsay
A hallucinatory phantasmagorical nightmare of a film that cycles through the stages of grief and their inciting incident in its 2-hour runtime, Mandy is mean-spirited but not without sympathy. There is not enough praise that can be given to its stylization—it’s hard to find fault in how the cinematography, soundtrack, score, costumes and makeup, and even the title and chapter cards come together to make something as uniquely metal as this.
Though much of the film features a strong degree of absurdity and outlandishness, the weight of the circumstances is always felt. There is a process to how things work, and a flow in how they’re affected and what they influence in turn, that grounds the story progression in comprehensibility. We see just enough of the mechanics of this microcosm to accept it for what it is and follow along for the ride.
There are some great performances from numerous cast members, many of whom only have a few minutes of screen time to deliver. Nicolas Cage’s Red Miller is simultaneously one of his best emotional performances and one of his Cagey-ist, and though the two might seem antithetical, he balances them exceptionally well. That being said, Andrea Riseborough steals every scene she’s in with her quiet contemplativeness. She’s able to transmit so much with such subtle facial expressions, and her solemn yearning for something nameless and unobtainable is depressingly relatable. The acid scene and the one that follows are extremely upsetting, but well-sold by everyone involved. The film takes pride—as it should—in the cruelness it manages to cultivate for the viewing experience.
As a technical aspect, the lighting also helps to intertwine the eccentricities of the film with its personal resonance. Lights are used as set decoration and to create atmosphere rather than being used realistically, creating a dreamy, trance-like state that helps amplify the feelings and intentions of the characters in a scene. In fact, every ounce of creativity in the film is multi-purpose, adding depth and definition where so many other films working with abstract styles and concepts fall short.
Star rating (/5): ★★★★
Recommend?: Yes