Mindcage
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Mindcage
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What 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."
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
- Studio: Lionsgate
- Genre: Thriller
- Run time: 96 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: some violent content and sexual material.
- Last updated: January 7, 2023
Our Editors Recommend
-
The Silence of the Lambs
Thriller that made the serial killer a superstar.
-
Angels & Demons
Talky, violent conspiracy thriller will bore kids and teens.
-
The Sixth Sense
Great, but sometimes scarier than R-rated horror.
For kids who love strong female detectives
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