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.
Too dumb for the arthouse, but too smart for the mall multiplex, the movie satisfies, paradoxically, precisely because it doesn't deliver on expectations.
– Michael O'Sullivan,
Washington Post,
21 Nov 2013
rotten:
Levine has fun with the genre, but he's found more interesting movies to make since. "Mandy" isn't quite dandy, but it's a cut above average.
– Tom Long,
Detroit News,
18 Oct 2013
fresh:
"Mandy" is a sturdy little slasher film, nothing more.
– Bill Goodykoontz,
Arizona Republic,
17 Oct 2013
rotten:
While some of the kills are sufficiently clever and gnarly, "Mandy Lane" is never particularly frightening. And the twist at the end raises the wee issue of character motivation-or lack thereof.
– Christy Lemire,
RogerEbert.com,
11 Oct 2013
fresh:
There's a slightly nasty twist to some of the violence, with an air of school shooter menace ultimately creeping in as the group's tormentor is revealed.