Violent Action Horror Thriller Is A Blood-Soaked Quest For Vengeance, Stream Without Netflix

Mandy is a hallucinatory exploration of grief and vengeance that’s not for the faint of heart, but its breathtaking visuals and Johann Johannsson-composed film score will set the tone and pacing for what can only be described as an acid-induced odyssey of settling the score. As the film ramps up in intensity, distorted guitars and feverish melodies take over your senses, and a color palette of bright magenta and crimson red infiltrates your mind in order to prepare you for what’s to come. Through sounds of maniacal laughter and buzzing chainsaws juxtaposed with the film’s initially tranquil setting, Mandy is a stylish and unforgiving exercise in destroying the people who messed with the wrong guy. 

Like most great revenge flicks, Mandy has a simple premise. Nicolas Cage’s Red Miller lives a quiet and peaceful life with his girlfriend, Mandy Bloom, an aspiring fantasy artist and author. Mandy is abducted by a religious cult called the Children of the New Dawn, which is led by a Charles Manson-like figure named Jeremiah Sand (Linus Roache). Drugged and subdued with a variety of mind-altering substances, Mandy laughs uncontrollably at Jeremiah’s advances, which ultimately leads to her ritualistic murder at the hands of the cult, who has a standing relationship with a demonic biker gang known as the Black Skulls. 

After witnessing Mandy’s brutal death, Red knows what he has to do. He contacts an old friend, who provides him with his old crossbow and special armor-piercing arrows that we can only assume that he has used in the past. After raiding the cult’s hideout, Red ingests the hallucinogens that the Children of the New Dawn are known to distribute, and his “I’ve got nothing left to lose” mentality fully takes hold. As the plot continues to escalate in Mandy, so does the violence.

After its initial Sundance premiere, Mandy was only distributed to 250 theaters and did not boast substantial earnings at the box office, earning only $1.7 million against its production budget of $6 million. Despite its limited release, the film was universally praised by critics for its out-of-this-world visuals, unnerving soundtrack, and most importantly, Nicolas Cage’s reserved yet occasionally unhinged portrayal of a man who lost everything. For its relentless delivery, Mandy earned a well-deserved 91 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Among the positive audience reviews, writer and director Panos Cosmatos was held in high regard for his fearless and existentially wild approach to filmmaking. Though Cosmatos was given an appropriate amount of credit for conceiving and delivering such a wild story, it was pointed out that Nicolas Cage’s performance elevated the premise in a way that no other actor possibly could. Cage is truly in his element, and his portrayal of Red is one of his most visceral performances to date. 

Between the moments of over-the-top violence (of which there are plenty), Mandy is beautifully shot and expertly uses the secluded Shadow Mountains as its scenic backdrop. Through Red’s grief, you’ll be taken on a journey that is not only absolutely jarring, but will rip your heart out of your chest in the process. If you’re ready to witness the carnage and heart that Mandy has to offer, you can stream the title on Tubi right now