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2022, Mystery & thriller/Crime, 1h 36m

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Mindcage videos, mindcage   photos.

In this spellbinding thriller, detectives Jake Doyle (Martin Lawrence) and Mary Kelly (Melissa Roxburgh) seek the help of an incarcerated serial killer named The Artist (John Malkovich) when a copycat killer strikes. While Mary searches for clues in The Artist's brilliant but twisted psyche, she and Jake are lured into a diabolical game of cat and mouse, racing against time to stay one step ahead of The Artist and his copycat.

Rating: R (Some Violent Content|Sexual Material)

Genre: Mystery & thriller, Crime, Drama

Original Language: English

Director: Mauro Borrelli

Producer: Daniel Grodnik , Mitchell Welch

Writer: Reggie Keyohara III

Release Date (Theaters): Dec 16, 2022  limited

Release Date (Streaming): Dec 16, 2022

Runtime: 1h 36m

Distributor: Lionsgate

Production Co: BondIt Media Capital, Metrol Technology, Head Gear Films, Daniel Grodnik Productions, Boomtown Media, Buffalo 8 Productions

Cast & Crew

Martin Lawrence

Melissa Roxburgh

John Malkovich

Robert Knepper

Sheriff Owings

Jacob Grodnik

Aiden Turner

Chris Mullinax

Homeless Man

Ritchie Montgomery

Father Linares

Cassandra Gava

Voodoo Priestess

Joshua Weatherby

Confused Boy

Barry Clifton

Mauro Borrelli

Reggie Keyohara III

Screenwriter

Daniel Grodnik

Mitchell Welch

Executive Producer

Stacy Lyles

Robert Lawrence

Matthew Helderman

Tyler Gould

Luke Dylan Taylor

Carrie Adams

Kim Henderson

Jeff Holland

Eric Gustavo Petersen

Cinematographer

Franz Königswieser

Film Editing

James Kondelik

Leonardo De Bernardini

Original Music

Production Design

Critic Reviews for Mindcage

Audience reviews for mindcage.

There are no featured audience reviews for Mindcage at this time.

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Common sense media reviewers.

Violent, poorly made cat-and-mouse serial killer thriller.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

While an evil mastermind says things that may seem

A detective is intelligent, capable, speaks up to

A Black detective is a well-respected main charact

Women are attacked, abducted, tied up, and shown i

Exotic dancers remove clothing to reveal undergarm

Language includes "bastard," "bulls--t," and "damn

Adult character takes prescription medication.

Parents need to know that Mindcage is a psychological crime thriller starring John Malkovich. It follows two detectives trying to stop a serial killer who creates artwork using the corpses of his victims (all female sex workers) and exhibits them throughout the city. Women are attacked, abducted, tied up, and…

Positive Messages

While an evil mastermind says things that may seem wise, like "the truth is only found in ourselves," there really is no notable positive takeaway.

Positive Role Models

A detective is intelligent, capable, speaks up to be sure she's taken seriously. Law enforcement works together to try to stop a serial killer.

Diverse Representations

A Black detective is a well-respected main character, but he can be disrespectful to his female partner (who is intelligent and capable). Some supporting characters of color, including a Black pastor and a Latina in a high-ranking political office.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Women are attacked, abducted, tied up, and shown in deep distress. Nails are hammered into a living person's head (off camera). Macabre images. Child abuse. Jump scares. Reference to a violent death by suicide. Multi-story fall. Psychological threat. Shooting. Kidnapped women are tied to a board on their backs, one dressed in bondage gear. Sex workers are abducted and killed.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Exotic dancers remove clothing to reveal undergarments while on stage. Interaction between a sex worker and a customer. Sexual moans heard.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language includes "bastard," "bulls--t," and "damn."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Mindcage is a psychological crime thriller starring John Malkovich . It follows two detectives trying to stop a serial killer who creates artwork using the corpses of his victims (all female sex workers) and exhibits them throughout the city. Women are attacked, abducted, tied up, and tortured while dressed in "sexy" attire (e.g., leather bra and underwear, white cotton dress). Violence includes a shooting and the blood splatter from an off-camera blunt force injury. Child abuse is sanitized: A child is locked in a closet but is shown happily occupied while inside, and an angry parent pushes a child, which accidentally leads to a bigger injury. An unhoused and mentally unbalanced man dies by suicide. Exotic dancers perform (they don't undress beyond undergarments), and a sex worker is seen with a client. Language includes "bulls--t" and "damn." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (1)

Based on 1 parent review

Amazing actor melissa roxburgh

What's the story.

In MINDCAGE, detective Jake Doyle ( Martin Lawrence ) and rookie police psychologist Mary Kelly ( Melissa Roxburgh ) are assigned to stop a serial killer who creates art out of victims' bodies. The duo must solicit the help of an incarcerated serial killer known as The Artist ( John Malkovich ), who has insight into the crimes but whose assistance comes at a price to the detectives' own psyche.

Is It Any Good?

This Silence of the Lambs knockoff probably read better on paper, but its twists are marred by cringey production values. Mary Kelly is intended to be a modern-day Clarice Starling, working with a jaded and guarded detective who resents being partnered with a young woman. To get information from a crafty felon mere weeks before his execution, she meets his demands, exposing herself to the mind games he wants to play. It's a familiar premise, but it ultimately takes a very different and far less entertaining turn.

And Mindcage just isn't very well made. The sound is frequently echoey and distant. When Jake and Mary are in the car, it's so obviously in front of a green screen that Toonces the Cat might as well be behind the wheel. And the directorial choice for how to execute the big reveal is so laugh-out-loud ridiculous that you can't help but feel for the cast members. Mindcage is a head slap.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence and sexual imagery in Mindcage. Is it problematic to mix the two?

How does this film compare to other crime thrillers you've seen? Were you able to solve the mystery? If you wrote the "rules" of writing a thriller, what would they be?

Mary Kelly shuts down sexist comments as soon as they're made. How can we respectfully help others realize they're speaking or acting with implicit bias?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 16, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : December 16, 2022
• Cast : John Malkovich , Martin Lawrence , Melissa Roxburgh
• Director : Mauro Borrelli
• Inclusion Information : Black actors, Female actors
• Studio : Lionsgate
• Genre : Thriller
• Run time : 96 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : some violent content and sexual material.
• Last updated : January 26, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

The Silence of the Lambs

Angels & Demons

The Sixth Sense

Girl heroes and detectives, movies with strong female characters.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Mindcage (2022)

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Mauro Borrelli

When a copycat serial killer strikes, two detectives ask a convicted felon for help.

Mindcage review: no-frills thriller boasts a strong John Malkovich, but not much more

Malkovich and Martin Lawrence aren't enough to elevate director Mauro Borrelli's throwback to 1990s serial killer …

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‘Mindcage’ Review: Martin Lawrence Thriller Gets Stuck in Its Own Logic Trap

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

There are tried and true tropes that grab hold of the viewer’s attention and don’t let up. An elaborately-staged crime scene? You have my attention. A rookie police officer paired with an old stand-by scarred from a case in his past? Definitely. Cops interviewing a locked-up serial killer for his thoughts on another murderer in their midst? Yes, please.

When jumbled together and dumped out like Scrabble letters, these formulas often build to something coherent if not compelling, except in the instance of “Mindcage.”

Directed by Mario Borrelli and written by Reggie Keyohara III (the two previously collaborated on “WarHunt”), “Mindcage” tells the story of cops Jake Doyle ( Martin Lawrence , in his first dramatic role) and Mary Kelly (Melissa Roxburgh, “Manifest”) as they investigate elegantly-arranged murders of women sculpted and posed like angels in death.

Also Read: Lionsgate Acquires Thomas Jane and John Malkovich Action-Thriller ‘One Ranger’

These crimes would be bizarre and memorable in and of themselves, but they’re also replications — or homages, perhaps -– to a mysterious killer from Jake’s past, a man they’ve nicknamed “The Artist” (John Malkovich). The Artist isn’t particularly eager to help the cop who put him behind bars, but he’s willing to bargain for his sentence to be commuted; thus, the three strike a deal.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that “Mindcage” is trying to say something — anything — about the nature of killers or violence towards women or even God or organized religion. Though “Mindcage” gestures at all of these themes, it’s hardly interested in any of them as an actual concept. Is the killer after these women, the majority of them sex workers, because he believes they’re sinful by nature? Why does Jake keep a book on exorcisms in his glove box? And why is there an armed homeless man following Mary around? And what, if anything, does any of this have to do with Malkovich’s stoic and goofy “Artist,” who mostly sits around, etching and speaking in riddles.

As the heroes of our story, both Lawrence and Roxburgh are far out of their respective leagues. Though Lawrence is a worthy talent and memorable part of many of his films, he can’t commit to the tortured gravitas of Jake, who is underwritten and underdeveloped, his trauma shorthanded by showing him swallowing handfuls of white pills.

Also Read: Martin Lawrence to Guest Star in Recurring Role on AMC’s Sci-Fi Comedy Series ‘Demascus’

Roxburgh’s Mary, on the other hand, is a tougher nut to crack: She’s the dogged cop on the rise, always striving to prove she deserves better than her coworkers’ dismissive treatment. But she’s got an odd at-home boyfriend whose devout religion and eerie habits make him the film’s biggest red herring. It’s hard to believe she’s the cop she wants to be known as while the world’s most suspicious guy lives in her home.

“Mindcage” is rich with inane dialogue — the prison warden asks Mary if she has a medical degree, to which she snaps, “No, just a master’s in common sense.” — and ludicrous clues. At times, it almost feels as though Borrelli is going for a “Da Vinci Code”–type narrative, that all of the biblically-aligned signs and symbols will build up to something either profoundly divine or frighteningly unholy. The answer, despite the story’s numerous twists and turns, is unfortunately something altogether much dumber and unsatisfying. While there’s a fair amount of fun in trying to piece the film together, its mystery is far too over- and underwritten to summon a legitimate sense of satisfaction.

Also Read: ‘Manifest’ Cast and Character Guide: Meet the Flight 828 Passengers

It doesn’t help that “Mindcage” suffers from its budget: poor production design, ugly lighting, haphazard editing. The vague hallucinatory sensation that comes from the lackluster moviemaking lends it a compelling disorientation that grows wearisome over its economical runtime. Though its characters are not particularly worth caring about nor the mystery at hand all that interesting — and Jake and Mary don’t seem to carry with them any compassion for the victims, treated as less than people by both cops and killer(s?) alike — “Mindcage” elicits plenty of unintended laughs. It’s a corny and unserious film, the perfect kind of VOD release that would make for a better drinking game than viewing experience.

If only “Mindcage,” like its caged Artist, could give into the sillier, dreamier aspects of life, go full-tilt into an abstract, loosely religious mania, then maybe it could strive to be the kind of camp crime-drama it often threatens to become. As it stands — or draws, maybe — “Mindcage” is committed to its own grim seriousness and maudlin melodramatics. It is an often nasty film, with little regard for anyone on screen, far more content to grasp for false depth rather than logic. It’s a shame there’s nothing to root for other than its dwindling runtime.

“Mindcage” opens in US theaters and on demand Dec. 16 via Lionsgate.

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‘Mindcage’ Review: Martin Lawrence Thriller Gets Stuck in Its Own Logic Trap

Clichéd serial-killer tale aspires to follow in the footsteps of “Silence of the Lambs” and TV’s “Hannibal” but goes nowhere

There are tried and true tropes that grab hold of the viewer’s attention and don’t let up. An elaborately-staged crime scene? You have my attention. A rookie police officer paired with an old stand-by scarred from a case in his past? Definitely. Cops interviewing a locked-up serial killer for his thoughts on another murderer in their midst? Yes, please.

When jumbled together and dumped out like Scrabble letters, these formulas often build to something coherent if not compelling, except in the instance of “Mindcage.”

Directed by Mario Borrelli and written by Reggie Keyohara III (the two previously collaborated on “WarHunt”), “Mindcage” tells the story of cops Jake Doyle (Martin Lawrence, in his first dramatic role) and Mary Kelly (Melissa Roxburgh, “Manifest”) as they investigate elegantly-arranged murders of women sculpted and posed like angels in death.

These crimes would be bizarre and memorable in and of themselves, but they’re also replications — or homages, perhaps -– to a mysterious killer from Jake’s past, a man they’ve nicknamed “The Artist” (John Malkovich). The Artist isn’t particularly eager to help the cop who put him behind bars, but he’s willing to bargain for his sentence to be commuted; thus, the three strike a deal.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that “Mindcage” is trying to say something — anything — about the nature of killers or violence towards women or even God or organized religion. Though “Mindcage” gestures at all of these themes, it’s hardly interested in any of them as an actual concept. Is the killer after these women, the majority of them sex workers, because he believes they’re sinful by nature? Why does Jake keep a book on exorcisms in his glove box? And why is there an armed homeless man following Mary around? And what, if anything, does any of this have to do with Malkovich’s stoic and goofy “Artist,” who mostly sits around, etching and speaking in riddles.

As the heroes of our story, both Lawrence and Roxburgh are far out of their respective leagues. Though Lawrence is a worthy talent and memorable part of many of his films, he can’t commit to the tortured gravitas of Jake, who is underwritten and underdeveloped, his trauma shorthanded by showing him swallowing handfuls of white pills.

Roxburgh’s Mary, on the other hand, is a tougher nut to crack: She’s the dogged cop on the rise, always striving to prove she deserves better than her coworkers’ dismissive treatment. But she’s got an odd at-home boyfriend whose devout religion and eerie habits make him the film’s biggest red herring. It’s hard to believe she’s the cop she wants to be known as while the world’s most suspicious guy lives in her home.

“Mindcage” is rich with inane dialogue — the prison warden asks Mary if she has a medical degree, to which she snaps, “No, just a master’s in common sense.” — and ludicrous clues. At times, it almost feels as though Borrelli is going for a “Da Vinci Code”–type narrative, that all of the biblically-aligned signs and symbols will build up to something either profoundly divine or frighteningly unholy. The answer, despite the story’s numerous twists and turns, is unfortunately something altogether much dumber and unsatisfying. While there’s a fair amount of fun in trying to piece the film together, its mystery is far too over- and underwritten to summon a legitimate sense of satisfaction.

It doesn’t help that “Mindcage” suffers from its budget: poor production design, ugly lighting, haphazard editing. The vague hallucinatory sensation that comes from the lackluster moviemaking lends it a compelling disorientation that grows wearisome over its economical runtime. Though its characters are not particularly worth caring about nor the mystery at hand all that interesting — and Jake and Mary don’t seem to carry with them any compassion for the victims, treated as less than people by both cops and killer(s?) alike — “Mindcage” elicits plenty of unintended laughs. It’s a corny and unserious film, the perfect kind of VOD release that would make for a better drinking game than viewing experience.

If only “Mindcage,” like its caged Artist, could give into the sillier, dreamier aspects of life, go full-tilt into an abstract, loosely religious mania, then maybe it could strive to be the kind of camp crime-drama it often threatens to become. As it stands — or draws, maybe — “Mindcage” is committed to its own grim seriousness and maudlin melodramatics. It is an often nasty film, with little regard for anyone on screen, far more content to grasp for false depth rather than logic. It’s a shame there’s nothing to root for other than its dwindling runtime.

“Mindcage” opens in US theaters and on demand Dec. 16 via Lionsgate.

Mindcage Review: Silence of the Lambs Rehash Lacks Chemistry

A veteran detective (Martin Lawrence) and his new partner (Melissa Roxburgh) hunt a copycat serial killer. Also starring John Malkovich.

Mindcage bundles tiresome serial killer clichés into a lackluster thriller with strained pacing. A capable cast of Hollywood veterans go through the motions with low energy. The second act feels like molasses dripping backwards. Mindcage rehashes Silence of the Lambs with a religious-themed, supernatural narrative. There may have been snippets of intrigue somewhere but nothing visceral ever takes hold. Random scares add an occasional fright component almost as an afterthought. I can imagine the editors grasping at straws to spice up the plot. It doesn't help that the big twist is easily guessed in the beginning. You don't have to be a forensics investigator to figure out the baddie, and then sit around while the film catches up.

Grizzled Detective Jake Doyle (Martin Lawrence) enters a bizarre murder scene at a Catholic Church. A woman has been killed and staged in an elaborate, costumed pose. He's upset the homicide unit's newbie officer, Mary Kelly (Melissa Roxburgh), has already begun to investigate. Mary learns the crime mirrors the ghastly work of an infamous incarcerated serial killer. Jake caught "The Artist" (John Malkovich) five years ago at a great personal cost.

A second victim found the following day raises the stakes. Another dead prostitute has suffered an awful similar fate. A copycat killer is recreating the Artist's murders with exact precision. The complexity of the crime and total lack of evidence confounds law enforcement. Mary makes a bold proposal to ask the Artist for help. Jake thinks that's a terrible idea.

Two weeks before his execution, the long-haired Artist demands his sentence commuted to life in prison for any assistance provided. He'll only talk to the fresh-faced Mary, and wants his painting supplies back as part of the deal. As Jake continues to struggle from his first encounter with the Artist, Mary intrigues the calculated psychopath. She must engage him further as the copycat increases his body count.

Related: Mindcage: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know

Superficial Religious Themes

Religion drives each character at different levels. The Artist believes he was ordained by angels to kill. A haunted Jake finds solace in Christian ideology. Mary, a staunch atheist, has zero patience for mysticism. Their unknown adversary is obviously obsessed. We see the hooded culprit in action with his terrified prey. Mindcage uses costumes, imagery, and symbology to establish tension. It's not effective and comes off as superficial.

Roxburgh, channeling a Clarice Starling vibe, lacks chemistry with co-star Lawrence. The pair look awkward together throughout the film. An attempt to bring them closer as the story progresses doesn't accomplish its goal. The overused trope of conflicting police personalities becoming pals for the greater good falls flat.

Malkovich thankfully isn't doing a Hannibal Lecter impersonation. The prison set-up is the same, but he avoids emulating Anthony Hopkins. That said, the Artist is a surprisingly dull antagonist. Malkovich, normally spectacular in playing creepy roles, is too reserved. He's just not threatening. That kneecaps the film from the start.

Mindcage is a production of Boomtown Media Partners, Bondit Media Capital, Head Gear Films, and Metrol Technology. It will have a concurrent VOD and limited theatrical release on December 16th from Lionsgate .

‘Mindcage’ movie review: John Malkovich stars in schlocky Silence of the Lambs ripoff

• February 3, 2023
• ★ , Movie Reviews

A pair of detectives hunt a copycat killer who sculpts their victims into ornate angels in Mindcage , a schlocky and shameless ripoff of Silence of the Lambs now (inexplicably) playing in Prague cinemas. Overtly poorly made and yet impeccably hand-crafted, this one crosses into so-bad-it’s good territory and just might be The Room of serial killer movies.

Mindcage stars Martin Lawrence as Jake Doyle, the grizzled detective who put away a sicko serial killer named The Artist years ago only to see new murder victims dressed up like ornate angels start popping up around town. The IMDb trivia section informs us that Lawrence, better known for his comedic turns, “worked with an acting coach” to prepare for his role. Incredible.

The Artist killed Jake’s old partner during their previous encounter, so Lieutenant J.P. Owings ( Robert Knepper ) pairs him with a much-unwanted newbie in Mary Kelly ( Melissa Roxburgh ) to hunt down the new killer. When it becomes clear that the copycat murders contain details that only The Artist could have known, the detectives have but one avenue to turn.

The Artist is played by John Malkovich , kept all by himself in an open-space prison cell in the middle of an otherwise nondescript set. He requests his own art supplies in order to spill the beans to Kelly, and pretty soon he has quite the art studio going on. But does he really know who’s behind the murders?

Mindcage is a compendium of thriller cliches from The Silence of the Lambs and other 90s movies it inspired about detectives hunting serial killers: Copycat , Se7en , Kiss the Girls , and many, many more. We don’t get movies like this any more, and likely for good reason: with the popularity of true crime documentaries and films like Zodiac and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo , audiences now expect more realism in their serial killer entertainment.

This one, meanwhile, feels like it came from a script penned in the mid-1990s: all of the Thomas Harris cliches are ticked off one-by-one, right up through the loony conclusion that eschews multiple red herrings in favor of a resolution that comes out of nowhere.

In addition to being trite and outdated, Mindcage is also inexplicably poorly made. It has a modest budget and clear ambition, but director Mauro Borrelli , an illustrator who did concept art for films like The Last Jedi and The Hateful Eight , seems to make the wrong choices in every scene.

Rear-screen projection during driving sequences is a particular standout, with mismatched color grading resulting in a presentation right out of a spoof comedy; as other VFX are similarly poor, it’s entirely possible the production ran out of money before it was properly finished. Both Roxburgh or Lawrence are utterly unconvincing as police detectives, and while Malkovich predictably chews the scenery, he’s left unconscious and convulsing for much of the second half.

Multiple actors have had their entire performances poorly ADR’d, including Croatian actor Neb Chupin , who plays Mindcage ’s Frederick Chilton character and appears to have been dubbed by Chris Parnell. He features in the film’s head-scratching (from a filmmaking perspective) final sequence, a sweeping crane shot that plays out like watching an NPC meander around the screen after the player-character has exited the game.

Mindcage plays with and pokes at serial killer movie cliches that were already outdated by the time Copycat and Se7en were released in 1995, and audiences expecting Mindhunter -level psychological realism in 2023 will be left howling at the screen.

For those in the right frame of mind, however, there’s clearly some fun to be had here. Look for Mindcage to make the rounds on bad-movie podcasts and YouTube breakdowns in the near future.

• 2023 , Aiden Turner , Barry Clifton , Cassandra Gava , Chris Mullinax , Jacob Grodnik , John Malkovich , Martin Lawrence , Mauro Borrelli , Melissa Roxburgh , Mindcage , Nahesi Crawford , Neb Chupin , Nellie Sciutto , Ritchie Montgomery , Robert Knepper

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Jason Pirodsky

2 responses.

Holy crap Mindcage was such garbage, Malkovich is absolutely hysterical here. Begging to be covered on a future How Did This Get Made episode. Bonkers!!

This movie needs to be seen to be believed. Especially because of the presence of Martin Lawrence, I’m still not sure this isn’t some elaborate joke like Will Ferrell’s Deadly Adoption. We were howling, you could not make a movie this stupefyingly bad if you tried 😀

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MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Mindcage’ is No-Laughs Thriller Starring Martin Lawrence

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“Mindcage” is a mystery thriller about a deranged artist that is also a serial killer known as the Artist. Once he finds his victims he uses their corpses to create statues that resemble archangels. He is eventually caught by authorities and sent to prison while awaiting the death sentence. 

As he serves his time more similar crimes begin to happen, resulting in more victims whose bodies also are dressed as archangels. Two detectives begin to search for the killer but can only solve the case with help of the Artist. More victims are found and tensions begin to rise as the Artist’s execution day approaches and they still have not found the copycat killer. Eventually, they are met with a big surprise when they find out that the Artist is controlling more than they could even imagine after he exposes a deep secret that changes everything.

The film is directed by Mauro Borrelli, who is best known for his films “The Recall” and “The Final Recall,” both starring Wesley Snipes. Before directing films, he was a fine art painter in Italy. He learned to paint in church as a kid while painting angels. He then left and became a conceptual artist in Los Angeles and worked on films such as “Pirates of the Caribbean.” In an interview with the YouTube channel LRM Online, Borrelli states that he was influenced to make this film because he “wanted to make a detective story about a crazy artist.”

Melissa Roxburgh and Martin Lawrence play the two detectives. Lawrence played a very serious role that did not include one comedic line. He worked with an acting coach and put on weight to prepare for his role as Jake Doyle, a very depressed detective. Roxburgh played Mary Kelly, a more eager detective that did not have the same experience as her partner, causing her to end up in some unfortunate situations.

The film played on the concept of making a deal with the devil and the consequences that may come with it. It also attempts to prove that the mind is weak and corruptible. The costume design and storyline are also very creative. Even when you think you know how the plot will end there is a big “whoa” moment with a lot of shock value. Fans of Martin Lawrence will see a different side of him in this film but it could very likely be one they add to the list of films they enjoy.

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This movie is a “no laughs thriller?” I did nothing but laugh the whole effing time it was playing. So terrible it’s funny. I wonder if it is meant to be a joke.

What are the ornaments hanging from martin Lawrence’s car mirror?

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Friday, December 16, 2022

Mindcage: movie review.

Screen Rant

New nicolas cage monster movie continues star's rotten tomatoes redemption after major slumps.

The new Nicolas Cage monster movie earns a Fresh score that continues his Rotten Tomatoes redemption after a string of negative reviews.

• Nicolas Cage's Arcadian earns 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, his second Fresh score in a row.
• Cage's career has seen long stretches of Rotten scores since 2000, but his 2020s movies are trending positively.
• With upcoming films like Longlegs and Lords of War , Cage may continue his Fresh streak.

The new Nicolas Cage monster movie Arcadian has continued the star's Rotten Tomatoes redemption. Cage's career is marked by long alternating stretches of Fresh and Rotten scores on the review aggregator site, with huge strings of splats encroaching more and more after the year 2000. Although the star had a run of critical hits in the early 2020s, 2023 saw him earn four splats in a row before swinging back with a Certified Fresh score of 93% for Dream Scenario .

Rotten Tomatoes has now aggregated an official critics score out of 50 Arcadian reviews . While the score could still fluctuate as the movie gets further into its release, the new movie currently holds a solidly fresh score of 86% , just a slight dip from the 91% it earned from 23 reviews after its SXSW premiere in March. This gives the star his second Fresh score in a row after his previous streak of five Fresh scores was interrupted in 2023.

Will Nicolas Cage's Upcoming Movies Continue His Fresh Streak?

Arcadian could be the beginning of another cage renaissance.

Since 2000, Cage's Fresh streaks have been far outstretched by his Rotten ones. While his longest Fresh streak before the 2020s consisted of just 3 movies in a row (a feat that occurred three times: between 2005 and 2006, in 2013, and in 2018), his longest Rotten streak was a whopping seven titles between 2014 and 2016 (namely Tokarev , Outcast , Left Behind , Dying of the Light , The Runner , Pay the Ghost , and USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage ). Below, see how his movies in the 2020s have largely been trending more positive despite another slump:

Now that the new Nicolas Cage monster movie has righted the ship again, it remains to be seen if he can continue this new Fresh streak. The prolific actor has three officially confirmed upcoming projects on the docket , beginning with the July release of the serial killer movie Longlegs . That movie is helmed by Oz Perkins, who has received two Fresh scores out of three directorial features, which could be a good sign for the movie's critical prospects.

Cage's other upcoming titles are the thriller Surfer and the cult movie sequel Lords of War , either of which could likewise earn a positive reaction from critics. While it remains to be seen how those movies turn out, their potential reception could prove that the critical success of the Arcadian movie is not a fluke. If he manages to get another streak of five Fresh movies under his belt in the 2020s, the star could prove that his career renaissance is far from over.

Arcadian is available to see in theaters.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Arcadian (2024)

Arcadian is a sci-fi thriller film by director Benjamin Brewer and released in 2024. Set after the events of a near-world ending event, Arcadian follows Paul and his twin sons as they battle against unseen forces from beyond the stars that look to destroy anything they lay eyes on.