"You owe me an apology. That was the worst movie I've ever seen in my life . . . and it's not even close." Those were the words I heard uttered from a dude in front of me, who had also seen MANDY. The man looked rather normal, so you could assume that his reaction was the result of an amazing film that is not for normal people. And you would be correct in that assumption.

MANDY (2018) - Taking place in 1983, a lumberjack (Nicolas Cage) lives in a secluded cabin in the woods. His artist girlfriend Mandy spends her days reading fantasy paperbacks. Then one day, she catches the eye of a crazed cult leader, who conjures a group of motorcycle-riding demons to kidnap her.

Panos Cosmatos is one of the most interesting directors working today. One reason for this is because virtually every frame in his films is gorgeous to look at. He truly has an imaginary handling of color and light, which creates a vibrant and visually arresting viewing experience. The dark ambient score by Johann Johannsson is intense and helps to produce a disturbing, otherworldly atmosphere. The plot is simplistic and the characters are not exactly deep, but I did enjoy the interaction between them, which is crafted very nicely and is far more engaging than most films with this premise. There is some gory violence and a touch of “B-movie” madness to boot. Casting is spot on, with Cage, Linus Roache (as the cult leader), and Andrea Riseborough (as Mandy) being stand-outs.

When compared to Cosmatos' first film BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW, MANDY has a more conventional narrative that may be more accessible for some. It's still damn weird though, and not for normal people. I HIGHLY recommend this, and it gets a physical/streaming release on October 30th.