All The Boys Love Mandy Lane
8/10
One of the better modern slasher films in my opinion. It's a great throwback to the 70's grindhouse slasher era. One of the things I love most about this film is the way in which it's shot. The cinematography is brilliant and very reminiscent of the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre; from the rural Texan landscapes to the bleached out colours and just the overall grimy feel of the film, makes for an effective atmosphere and a refreshing change from the glossy studio horror films that we're all so used to nowadays.
The film itself is pretty slow-paced until the third act, but then again, aren't most slashers? It managed to keep me invested throughout so that wasn't a problem and interestingly enough, the killer is revealed with some running time left, making room for the twist at end, which puts a clever spin on 'the final girl'. Mandy Lane being revealed as the accomplice behind the murders and her sinister turn from alluringly innocent to manipulative sociopath shocked me when I first watched the film as I didn't see it coming at all and it still holds up well. In particular, I enjoy the fact that there seemed to be no motive or explanation behind her nature. She was evil and twisted. Leave it at that.
Overall, it's a fun little slasher film which I feel rarely gets talked about. It doesn't help that the film was on the shelf for almost a decade, as it was originally filmed and set to be released in 2006, but didn't get a theatrical release until 2013. I feel had it been released as scheduled, it would've gotten the appreciation it deserves and be seen in a more positive light, especially during a time when the genre had nothing else to offer, other than a slew of remakes.