Mandy (2018)
81%RT Audience Score: 67%
Awards & Nominations: 13 wins & 43 nominations
Mandy’s gonzo violence is fueled by a gripping performance by Nicolas Cage — and anchored with palpable emotion conveyed between his volcanic outbursts
Mandy is a wild ride that’s not for the faint of heart. It’s a heavy metal fever dream that’s equal parts beautiful and brutal. The film’s second half is where it really shines, but you’ll have to sit through a slow burn first. Nicolas Cage gives a performance that’s both hilarious and terrifying, and the long take rage scene in his underwear is something you won’t soon forget. Overall, Mandy is a bloody, nasty, and entertaining experience that’s perfect for gorehounds and fans of genre cinema. Just don’t expect a straightforward plot or deeply felt emotions.
Production Company(ies)
Participant Willi Hill Killer Content
Distributor
RLJE Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Chaudfontaine, Belgium
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2018
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:2h 1m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 14, 2018 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 14, 2018
Genre(s)
Horror
Keyword(s)
starring Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache, Ned Dennehy, Olwen Fouéré, Richard Brake, directed by Panos Cosmatos, written by Panos Cosmatos, Aaron Stewart-Ahn, horror, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Ben Sachs, Chris Stuckmann, Anton Bitel, Jo Livingstone, Charlotte O’Sullivan, Simran Hans, Brian Eggert, Cate Young, Taylor Baker, Nicolás Delgadillo, Richard Crouse, MPAA rating R, cult, revenge, chainsaw, gore, violence, phantasmagoric, surreal, ethereal, grindhouse, 80s, VHS, color saturation, Kubrick, Lynch, Refn, Christian gnostic mystery cult, apocalypse, Satan, dark god, bloody vengeance, demonic bikers, hippie death cult, Charles Manson, fantasy novel imagery, Richard Stanley, RLJE Films, Daniel Noah, Josh C Waller, Elijah Wood, Nate Bolotin, Adrian Politowski
Worldwide gross: $1,552,727
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,827,208
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,440
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 199,259
US/Canada gross: $1,233,694
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,451,779
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,105
US/Canada opening weekend: $225,723
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $265,625
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,571
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $6,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $7,060,643
Production budget ranking: 1,805
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $3,802,156
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$9,035,590
ROI to date (est.): -83%
ROI ranking: 1,912
Andrea Riseborough – Mandy Bloom
Linus Roache – Sand Jeremiah
Ned Dennehy – Brother Swan
Olwen Fouéré – Mother Marlene
Richard Brake – The Chemist
Director(s)
Panos Cosmatos
Writer(s)
Panos Cosmatos, Aaron Stewart-Ahn
Producer(s)
Daniel Noah, Josh C. Waller, Elijah Wood, Nate Bolotin, Adrian Politowski
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
13 wins & 43 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (250) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (226) | Rotten (24)
I didn’t much care for the film, but I can see how it might appeal to gorehounds and fans of genre cinema.
March 4, 2020
Ben Sachs
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Beautifully-shot film, although sometimes the use of processed grain and lens flares were distracting. The second half was exactly what I wanted, but the first half is a bit slow.
November 20, 2018 | Rating: B
Chris Stuckmann
ChrisStuckmann.com
TOP CRITIC
Hyperstylised and ultraviolent, Mandy is an amped-up theological trip into pulp’s purest quintessence
October 17, 2018
Anton Bitel
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
It’s bloody, it’s nasty, and it burns.
October 15, 2018
Jo Livingstone
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
Naughty but niche.
October 15, 2018 | Rating: 3/5
Charlotte O’Sullivan
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
As an audiovisual experience, it’s certainly entertaining, and perhaps even destined for cult success, but I’m not sure its metalhead aesthetic services much more than mood.
October 13, 2018 | Rating: 3/5
Simran Hans
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Don’t expect a straightforward plot, deeply felt emotions, or even a sense of reason behind the formal choices throughout.
March 8, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Mandy’s heavy metal influences come through loud and clear, not just in the booming soundtrack but in the film’s mechanics itself.
November 5, 2021
Cate Young
Thirty, Flirty + Film
Episode 9: Phantasmagoria
August 28, 2021 | Rating: 86/100
Taylor Baker
Drink in the Movies
A violent, beautiful, deranged, and haunting work of art.
June 25, 2021 | Rating: 4.5 / 5
Nicolás Delgadillo
Discussing Film
A deeply weird movie, tailored for a very specific grindhouse type of audience, and brought to life by Cage’s cock-a-doodle performance.
March 1, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Richard Crouse
Richard Crouse
Mandy’s death propels the movie descending rapidly into total mayhem and provides perhaps Nic Cage’s Cagest performance in years. That long take rage scene in his underwear in the bathroom is a sight to behold.
February 13, 2021
Dustin Chang
Floating World…
Plot
In 1983, a peaceful couple’s idyllic life is shattered when a sadistic cult destroys their home, leading the husband on a bloody quest for revenge in the hyper-stylized and ultraviolent horror film Mandy.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The critic reviews mention Nicolas Cage’s “Cagest performance in years” and his ability to make screaming in his underwear on a toilet compelling.
Panos-Cosmatos.jpg
