a review of 曼蒂

Insofar as Panos Cosmatos' goal in his two films to date (this and 2010's Beyond the Black Rainbow) is to make films that live up to the VHS cover art of 1980s horror and sci-fi films, as seen by a child imagining what they might be like, Mandy can be seen as another concrete step towards realizing that concept. There are moments here that legitimately speak of an affection for the bargain-bin charms of the 80s video store aesthetic, and there's an authenticity there that I admire. Unfortunately, I think that some of Cosmatos' other preoccupations (e.g. Jello-colored psychedelia, mumbly/elliptical dialogue, and pervasive sadistic misogyny) kind of dampen the more enjoyable aspects of the film. Nic Cage is surprisingly underutilized in the first half, before he shifts into a full-tilt revenge-maniac mode that came close to fully redeeming the movie for me. But ultimately, I came away with the feeling like I'd just seen a pseudo highbrow retread of material that was done better in a lower-prestige context 30 years ago.