Mandy

It's like Jodorowsky fathered a child with Panos's daddy George. Definitely a distinctive film, visually impressive, from a man with a vision. Interesting color palette, functionally applied filters, but at least in the first half (which many here criticize, but I liked it better) brimming with atmosphere and remarkable visual ideas, all underscored by a unique soundtrack. The second half is grindhouse carnage, uncompromisingly straightforward and simple, but still retaining a visual identity. The half-deranged Cage is a casting triumph, Riseborough has something magical in his intriguing, deadpan face, and Roache is a charismatic villain but also a woefully comic figure, and this is not an easy thing to grasp as an actor. Mandy is a remarkable film, it's not for everyone, certainly not for the mainstream, but it beats with the heart of a filmmaker who’s not bland and loves to tell simple stories through atmospheric imagery. PS: I enjoyed it even more on a second screening. This film is so out of step with 99% of filmmaking, and yet it's not stupid; hats off to it. I'm not surprised by the worldwide enthusiastic critical response (currently 8.2 on Metacritic) and I’m happy for Cosmatos from the bottom of my heart. (16.09.2018)

Oh, no, not this. Again, one of those films that critics praise to the skies but is literally painful for the average viewer. Nicolas Cage is a dead actor for me, this guy won't be in a good movie anymore and he certainly can't act. The strange pink and red filter covering the financial shortcomings was annoying, absolutely nothing happens for an hour, and if by some miracle you are still awake after an hour and not completely disgusted, you won't find much satisfaction in the second one either. I suffered, I went crazy, this is not for me. 35% (16.09.2018)

Mandy is a hallucinogenic grindhouse revenge bloodbath, at the beginning of which there is a love story engulfed by cosmic darkness. It is surprisingly compelling and conceptually cohesive, given the cheap filters and B-movie budget. It is also pleasantly refreshing in the context of the artsy festival mood. The highlight, of course, is Cage drinking in white shorts and an orange t-shirt with a tiger emblazoned on it. [Cannes] (14.05.2018)

Panos Cosmatos exorcises the genre demons of his childhood (his father is the director of Rambo II and Cobra) with a trash revenge story transformed into a mystical psychotropic epic. The film completely fulfils Alejandro Jodorowsky’s dictate "I ask of film what most North Americans ask of psychedelic drugs". Nicolas Cage is promoted to the role of a visual artifact in an airbrushed scene from the side of a van brought to life. Nevertheless, proclamations that Cage has reached the maximum level of madness in his acting are rather overwrought – in this respect, the second Ghost Rider still holds the lead. (04.07.2018)

Of course… who else should star in this movie if not Nicolas Cage. He is currently the only Hollywood actor who turned acting into a completely extravagant experience. If he is in pain, physically or mentally, you’ll simply feel it too. And since he keeps appearing in films which are outside the norm, you can count on Nicolas Cage being in complete mental and physical pain. When it came to the execution of the movie, I was quite upset. The first half was mostly for show. The director played with purple filters and half the time I couldn’t even see what was going on in a scene. But the important thing is that it is glamorous. The second half of the movie was hardcore, though. That’s actually when the dark side of Nicolas comes to life together in a surreal ride full of such shit you won’t believe your eyes. An unbelievable crazy trip. Again, one of those films that try to shock you creatively and it is pretty successful in doing that. (03.11.2018)