All the Boys Love Mandy Lane
2006 · Directed by Jonathan Levine
Original language: English
- horror
- mystery
- thriller
The story
Beautiful Mandy Lane isn't a party girl but, when classmate Chloe invites the Texas high school student to a bash in the countryside, she reluctantly accepts. After hitching a ride with a vaguely scary older man, the teens arrive at their destination. Partying ensues, and Mandy's close pal, Emmet, keeps a watchful eye on the young males making a play for Mandy. Then two of the students are murdered.
What it’s like
Sun-bleached Texas daylight, hot dust and dry grass, and long stretches of teenagers idling in fields and barns before the mood curdles. The camera lingers on faces and sweaty bodies at a countryside party, and the pacing stays languid, almost lazy, so the quiet stretches hum with unease. Violence arrives suddenly and brutally, with gunfire and gore, while much of the dread comes from waiting and watching. A teenage girl who has been treated as an object by her peers is at the centre, and her friend's protective stare gives the film its emotional weight. Sexual talk and situations are frank but not explicit, and there are references to a past suicide attempt. This suits a slow-burn, sun-drenched slasher night, especially for viewers who like tension built from atmosphere, small-town menace and an ending that leaves a bitter aftertaste. It is not gentle.
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