\Since the post-modern shenanigans of Scream have now passed as much into the realm of retrodom as the films that Scream itself parodied, the slasher genre has undergone a very bizarre 'return to roots' in which the conventions of the genre subverted by Scream seem no longer to be an object of satire, instead these age-old cheesy-as-hell clichés have found themselves again worshipped to an almost religious degree by a new audience unaware of concepts such as self-awareness or irony. With this in mind, the genre is in what could be called 'a new dark age'. Thank heavens then for All The Boys Love Mandy Lane.
This latest genre entry is not ground-breaking in the way that Scream was. It lacks that films overt subversiveness and intertextuality, as well as its well timed humour. However Mandy Lane plays with enough conventions to be interesting. Chiefly, the film blends together two narratives, one is a coming-of-age tale of self discovery, the other is a typical nasty slasher film. The plot, like the best of these films, is so simple you could write it on the back of a postage stamp. Mandy Lane is the girl every guy wants to bed, and over the course of a weekend getaway it seems many a hormonally addled young squire has this in mind, unfortunately one person is so obsessed with her that they're killing anyone who isn't worthy of her.
Such a premise is hardly ingenious, but the way the film uses it is. Whilst all the typical teen stereotypes emerge, the films concept is used to examine them in more than the usual level of detail. Witness the jock who's actually an insecure wimp intimidated by societal demands to be the alpha male, the slut who's so obsessed with her looks she's self consciously anorexic, and the wise cracking black guy who actually doesn't wise crack at all. The killer is revealed well before the end and the motivation of the killer is scarily realistic, almost empathetic, in a world of everyday high school shootings. Whilst many of the characters in the film aren't exactly likable, they are empathetic, and for this reason the film contains an emotional weight other slashers do not.
There's a twist at the end, which most people will see coming, but like any good twist the focus isn't on what it reveals but what it doesn't reveal. Indeed, the twist only poses more questions, particularly regarding the moral compass of the film which is, at best, ambiguous. Generally speaking, the film isn't particularly gory, relying more on suspense and suggestion. I found the film's level of realism, some would argue nihilism, refreshing in an era of popcorn orientated teen fodder. It won't convert slasher haters, or those devoted to living in the 'good old days', but it will intrigue those who want to see a slasher in which teenagers actually exist as teenagers, as opposed to merely victims solely there to get naked then die. Also worthy of note is the wonderful cinematography and use of music, which is truly outstanding. Ultimately, Mandy Lane is a less than by-numbers slasher flick, with a lot going on under the surface (which will go over a lot of people's heads). Like the best horror films, it made me think. That is no bad thing.
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