Fans have flocked to social media to sing praises for Mandy, the 2018 film starring Nicolas Cage that some horror enthusiasts may have forgotten. Taking to Reddit to commend the film, which follows Cage as a recluse whose forest dwelling is destroyed by a cult, one user described Mandy as “an incredible film” and “one of the greatest revenge flicks ever made.”
Among other compliments, the post described the Panos Cosmatos-directed film as “powerfully acted,” “disturbing” and “seriously frightening”, and suggested “a spin-off about [Cage and co-star Andrea Riseborough] to learn more about their origins.” Fellow Mandy fans flocked to the post’s comment section in agreement, specifically “hail[ing]” the film’s Cheddar Goblin character and Cage’s performance.
“The greatest Nic Cage freak out put on film,” one user wrote. “A single shot of Cage downing whiskey and freaking out in a bathroom is definitely the high watermark of his career.” Others likewise praised Cage’s “legitimately great acting” and said they were “blown away” by his ability to “[sell] it as a dude having a nervous breakdown.” Fans elsewhere placed Mandy within their top ten favorite horror flicks, and applauded the film’s “dreamlike feel and early 80s pulp fantasy elements.”
“This movie absolutely blew me away. Nic Cage would jump from best acting you’ve ever seen to biggest ham you’ve ever seen, and back, in the same scene,” one user wrote. Audience excitement around Mandy was similar at the time of its release, when it earned a 67% audience score, and 90% critics score, on Rotten Tomatoes in 2018. “A Masterpiece,” one audience reviewer wrote on Rotten Tomatoes. “Nicholas Cage delivers as usual.”
The renewed attention around Mandy comes as Cage stars in another horror role in Renfield, the new vampiric comedy film in which the Hollywood veteran portrays Dracula opposite Nicholas Hoult. While Cage’s performance in Renfield hasn’t been received with quite the same praise as Mandy, we can thankfully look forward to another Panos Cosmatos outing in the near future.
Last year, it was announced that the director’s third feature film Nekrokosm is in the works at A24, with the horror flick being described as a “phantasmagorical fantasy nightmare” set in outer-space.
