Mindcage -Edge of your seat, gruesome psychological thriller
Directed by: Mauro Borrelli
Starring: Martin Lawrence, Melissa Roxburgh, John Malkovich, Robert Knepper, Aiden Turner
Synopsis: 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.
The tense thriller stars Martin Lawrence and Melissa Roxburgh as two detectives who are in a game of cat and mouse with a serial killer who mimics ‘The Artist’, a sadistic serial killer who is now behind bars.
Lawrence treads new ground
Mindcage captured my attention as it took Martin Lawrence from the usual action-comedy realm to this dark thriller. With this role, Martin Lawrence shows off his acting skills and dives into a genre he is not traditionally associated with. It is evident that he has layers as an actor and is capable of taking on roles that are more versatile. A shift like this in his career is very refreshing, and it’s exciting to see this side of him.
As serial killer The Artist, John Malkovich gives a spine-chilling, unnerving performance reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. Malkovich is a name that always comes with a powerhouse performance and this is no exception. Malkovich can play any role with his eyes closed. A prequel movie/movies or limited series focusing on The Artist would be more than welcomed.
Melissa Roxburgh plays Lawrence’s partner Mary Kelly, who is passionate about her work and eager to succeed. Mary Kelly is the Clarice to Malkovich’s Hannibal. Melissa Roxburgh plays the role with perfect intensity and delivers a great performance. Her calm, cool and collect scenes with Lawrence as they are investigating murders to her on edge yet trying to play it cool aura around Malkovich’s sadistic killer show her ability to deliver a solid performance and keep the audience engaged with the story and her characters story arc.
In order to catch this new serial killer, the two detectives must turn to The Artist for his insight. Mary is forced to dig deeply into his twisted psyche, a task that will either make or break her promising career in law enforcement.
Verdict
Mindcage is Silence of The Lambs meets Seven. This is a fast-paced thriller with memorable performances from Lawrence, Roxburgh, and Malkovich. You will tell everyone about this movie as soon as you see the disturbing kills and sadistic methods of displaying the victims’ bodies.
With its hard-hitting twist at the end, Mindcage is a thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last moment.
