12 Most Divisive Movies Of 2018
2. Mandy
One of the biggest indie darlings of the year, Mandy's embracement of cult horror and Cageian excess, all set against lush, LSD-inspired visuals, made it instantly memorable. Before release, there were plenty of reviews and reactions praising the film for daring to be different, unafraid to be both bold and pulpy in the way it presented this story about cult leaders and chainsaw battles with demon bikers.
The divide came, however, in the way the film was clearly aiming to be the very definition of a cult movie. Every element feels carefully planned and executed to attract a specific audience, potentially losing the manic energy and rough-around-the-edges appeal that makes so many flawed cult favourites endearing in the first place.
As a result, while it has everything on the surface going for it, the calculatedness of it all made some audiences resent the finished product for trying too hard. Some could happily look past that and enjoy the fact that this is ostensibly a movie where Nic Cage sniffs drugs off a giant axe and beheads Hellraiser-esque baddies, but if you don't buy into it, there's no joy to be found in these ballsy scenes.