Mandy Soundtrack (2018) – Jóhann Jóhannsson

Jóhannsson said of the film:

(It’s) a surreal sort of supernatural thriller, an extremely visionary film, unlike anything I’ve seen before.

Back in 2019, I wrote an article on the supernatural horror film Mandy starring Nicolas Cage and made mention of its dark and penetrating music score. Yet I hadn’t highlighted any of composer Jóhann Jóhannsson’s tracks. Then Forging the Beast came onto my music player yesterday and I realised I should really dedicate an article to the music itself.

The score is consistent with doom and black metal influences, though it also brushes against death metal at times, even if that genre is usually far faster and more aggressive. The music focuses instead on slow, heavy, atmospheric sounds, reflecting the otherworldliness and lucid dream state which permeates the film. What’s curious is that it’s a style of music I would normally steer clear from, yet there’s an ambient quality to it which perfectly matches the movie’s aesthetic and themes.

IMDB Storyline:
Taking place in 1983, Red is a lumberjack who lives in a secluded cabin in the woods. His artist girlfriend Mandy spends her days reading fantasy paperbacks. Then one day, she catches the eye of a crazed cult leader, who conjures a group of motorcycle-riding demons to kidnap her. Red, armed with a crossbow and custom Axe, stops at nothing to get her back, leaving a bloody, brutal pile of bodies in his wake.

It’s interesting how critics rated Mandy so highly, with a whopping 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audience opinion differed markedly with a modest 68%. It goes without saying I lean heavily towards the critics on this one. I was expecting an average horror-revenge flick, but by the time the credits rolled I realised Mandy had far exceeded my expectations.

Oh, and if you haven’t seen it and intend on doing so, then lay off the previews. Just watch it roar – misspelling and pun intended.
Those who have seen it, I’d be eager to know what you thought.

So from my collection from the film, I identified my 3 favourite pieces to present below, namely:

• Forging the Beast,
• Chainsaw Fight, and
• Sand

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Wikipedia:

Mandy was one of Jóhann Jóhannsson’s last music scores before his passing at 48 years. The film was dedicated to Jóhannsson. The Icelander died of heart failure, with German media stating that the toxicology report indicated that a lethal combination of cocaine and flu medication was the likely cause of his death.

He was a prolific composer having written for theatre, dance, television, and film. His other movie scores include Sicario, Arrival, and The Theory of Everything.

References:
1. Mandy (soundtrack) – Wikipedia
2. Jóhann Jóhannsson – Wikipedia