One Of The Worst Films Ever Made Is A Must-See Cult Classic, Stream Without Netflix
As somebody who actively seeks out bad cinema for its inherent entertainment value, I’ve finally found the holy grail of terrible movies: Manos: The Hands of Fate.
Though this cinematic clunker wasn’t widely known until it was unearthed by Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) in 1993, the 1966 version without the comedic commentary is one of those ill-fated exercises in creativity that shouldn’t be overlooked. Manos: The Hands of Fate makes The Room look like Oppenheimer by comparison, and experiencing movies like this reminds me that this is why I play the game in the first place.
Manos: The Hands of Fate
Manos: The Hands of Fate boasts one of those classic premises in which a traveling family takes a wrong turn and needs to stay somewhere unfamiliar for the night.
When Michael (Harold P. Warren), Margaret (Diane Mahree), and their daughter, Debbie (Jackey Neyman), realize that they’re hopelessly lost on the way to their vacation destination, they seek refuge at a run-down and suspicious-looking house after introducing themselves to its creepy caretaker, Torgo (John Reynolds).
Getting Spooked
Torgo reluctantly lets them stay the night, but only after repeating several times that “The Master (Tom Neyman),” who is not present, won’t approve of them staying.
Margaret is immediately, and justifiably, spooked by Torgo in Manos: The Hands of Fate, and she’s put in a more profound state of unease after taking a look at a menacing portrait of The Master (who’s presumed dead) that overlooks the atrium.
After the family dog, Peppy, runs off and dies, the family decides that its best if they leave. As luck may have it, however, their car isn’t working, and Michael doesn’t know how to fix it.
Captive As Slaves
Meanwhile, The Master is revealed to be on the premises but hidden away from the unsuspecting family.
It just so happens that The Master in Manos: The Hands of Fate has six wives held captive as his slaves, and he’s looking to expand his family. Expressing his desire to make Margaret and Debbie his new wives and to sacrifice Michael, The Master wastes no time trying to execute his dastardly plan (whatever that may be).
Death By Tickle Fight?
Meanwhile, Torgo has his own plan in Manos: The Hands of Fate. Wanting to make Margaret his own wife, Torgo plans to subdue The Master so he can have her all to himself. T
his whole secondary plot devolves into what I can only describe as “death by tickle fight,” which, like a train wreck, is impossible to look away from as it all plays out.
Manos: The Hands of Fate is one of those movies that falls into “so bad it’s good” territory, but really deserves its own category because it’s something else entirely.
Solid Framework, But Erratic
While the framework for a solid story is present in this movie, there’s absolutely no way to justify its stilted dialogue, erratic editing, the film score that comes and goes as it pleases, the random cat fights between The Master’s several wives, or Torgo.
As a film, Manos: The Hands of Fate deserves a one-star rating. But for sheer entertainment value, it deserves five stars. The only way for me to rate this movie is by averaging the two scores out and giving it a solid three-star rating. Not unlike The Room, you’ll love this movie for all of the same reasons people think it’s terrible.
Watching Manos: The Hands of Fate
REVIEW SCORE
There are two different ways to view Manos: The Hands of Fate, as far as I’m concerned. You can watch the original cut on-demand through Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, or Google Play, as writer, producer, director, and star, Harold P. Warren intended.
Or you can stream the MST3K version for free through Amazon Prime Video’s Freevee or Tubi, among many others at the time of this writing.
