Feaure Length Review: 'All the Boys Love Mandy Lane' (2008)

There was a time in high school when all the guys you hung around had their affections fixated on one particular girl they knew they could never obtain. She was beautiful, charming and above all mysterious; everything a teenage boy hungers for. Most guys wouldn’t suspect such a girl would have a dark side, however there’s often more than meets the eye when it comes to beauty. Unlike many post-Scream slasher movies where self-referencing is more frequent than bloodletting, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is a smart, nasty, attentive stalker flick that builds its own atmosphere and offers a considerably neat twist on both the identity and motivations of its killer/s while bringing a whole new meaning to the old saying ‘if looks could kill’.



THE LOWDOWN: Mandy Lane (Amber Heard) is every boy’s fantasy – a virtual goddess brought upon the world to tease the male populous with her seemingly endless charm and boundless good looks. She and her best friend Emmet (Michael Welch) – hardly the predictable type to win such a girl’s friendship - are invited to local high school jock Dylan’s pool party. Clearly out of his element and struggling to deal with his insecurities, Emmet, in a sneakily sly fashion, convinces Dylan that in order to impress the gorgeous Mandy he should leap into the pool from the roof of his house. Of course, the reckless stunt goes horribly wrong and Emmet is shunned by all his peers for some time to come.

Nine months later the teens are coming to the end of their senior year. Fledging stoner Red (Aaron Himelstein) convinces the infamous Mandy to accompany he and his fellow troublemakers to a remote ranch house for a weekend of boobies and debauchery. At first everything seems peachy until the sun sets…and slowly the youthful hooligans are being stalked and killed off one-by-one by somebody who will do anything to get Miss Lane alone…



THE TERROR TALE & ITS TIMING: Right from the get go, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane makes itself apparent of its intentions not to follow all-too familiar current horror trends of premature shocks and cheap false scares by immediately establishing a thoughtful and believable depiction of high school life (albeit a little more Orange County than most) that makes for distinct characters and relatable teen-angst issues. The film displays a conscious awareness of its 80s-inspired roots to the golden age of slasher films when slice n’ dice movies actually took themselves seriously - something I sorely miss in much of today’s genre output – and is both respectful of its connections to the sub-genre as well as being gutsy enough to try something fresh with the material rather than simply being a straight homage. This melding of old and new sensibilities makes the film instantly enjoyable for both aficionados and newcomers alike.



In the spirit of the best slasher movies of the past, director Jonathan Levine and writer Jacob Forman infuse their film with established conventions (eg, a prior evil that drives the killer’s motivations, a remote location far from outside help, numerous red-herrings, etc) – all of which are simply serviceable to the initial story. There are numerous interesting scenarios and developments between characters early on, however it is not until the insanity of the third act when the culprit is finally revealed (which is quite early in fact) that the film really beings to show its truly demented colors. Forman’s confident script, while steeped in genre history, unleashes a suspenseful finale that is both surprising in its revelations as well as delivering the gruesome goods and it is this particularly enjoyable final act that in many ways confirms Mandy Lane’s uniqueness among most other fright fare of the bygone era. Sorry guys, no spoilers here ;)



DOOMED CHARACTERS: Regardless of their character's prestige looks and at times unlikeable qualities, the film’s youthful cast are a convincing and consistently impressive ensemble group of performers. Even though they exist primarily to be killed off, their characters are also written to deal with the everyday anxieties and intimidations of teenage life, thus making their roles a little more tangible than merely meat for the slaughter. Aside from the generally solid supporting cast, the film’s real star is of course Amber Heard in the title role. Upon first glance it may seem the role is somewhat shallow and simply a vehicle to exhibit her good looks but the angelic figure that is Mandy Lane requires a far greater, intuitive actress than just some Paris Hilton knock-off of the week. Heard inhibits every aspect of the illustrious Lane with a graceful effortlessness rarely seen in teen thrillers and is more than simply eye candy for her male counterparts. But what makes her so impressive is the subtlety and delicateness with which she plays each aspect of Mandy’s personality; something all viewers should be thankful for after watching the movie and having understood the character’s plight. Part virginal innocent, part knowingly sexual, Mandy’s personality soon gives way to this and much, much more, especially in the film closing moments. If Mandy Lane is at all successful, Levine and his crew may indeed have found a star in the making.



THE LOOK OF FEAR: Continuing to reference its genre background but with a modestly higher budget on hand, the visual design of Mandy Lane, much like its cast, is sleek and polished to perfection. Darren Genet’s lush widescreen cinematography shifts from the glorious golden sun rays of the farm pastures to deep, messy crimson reds once the blood begins to flow. The desaturated images (reminiscent of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) of the young victims, bloodied and running for their lives out across the hot summer grass are wonderfully striking and arresting - an interesting visual departure from the more conventionally dark, shadowy photography native to the genre. The film’s exciting pictures are further enriched by the choice of location; the farmhouse set and its surrounding ranches offer a desolate, lonely atmosphere that adds to the palpable sense of dread that engulfs its doomed visitors. If the environment were a high school party house, the woods or any other number of cliché’ settings the film would not nearly be as effective as it is.



THE SOUND OF FRIGHT: As I’ve mentioned before in previous reviews, it’s a welcome change of pace when a composer is thoughtful enough to pay attention not only to a movie’s shocks and money shots but also to its more restrained and understated moments of terror. Even though it’s a slasher movie at heart, Mandy Lane also exhibits some truly chilling moments of bloodless horror and Mark Schulz’s effective score is sensitive enough not to stifle the care in which director Levine has paced and executed his scares. The film also features Bobby Vinton’s romantic ‘Sealed With a Kiss’ as its closing credits song. How poetic indeed.



FINAL THOUGHTS: In many ways, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is the closest thing to a first class contemporary slasher flick since Wes Craven’s Scream. Unlike recent fanboy entries into the stalker genre such as Hatchet or the My Bloody Valentine remake, Levine’s film incorporates a crucial complexity of character and performance into an otherwise standard scenario, resulting in a strangely resonant teenage thriller that instantly elevates itself above campy sensibilities. Whether it be in your best dreams or worst nightmares, Mandy Lane is a character you won’t soon forget.

Dir: Johnathan Levine
Writer: Jacob Forman
Cast: Amber Heard, Anson Mount, Whitney Able, Michael Welch
Country: USA
Run Time: 90min
Rated: MA+