Movie Review: ‘Mandibles’

Review by James Lindorf

Electronic musician, DJ, and filmmaker Quentin Dupieux has always liked working a bit off beat. That continues to be true with “Mandibles”, his seventh feature-length film. Not since Jeff Goldblum both disgusted and wowed us in 1986 has a fly been more important than it is in Dupieux’s absurd new comedy. Suppose you don’t recognize Dupieux’s name. In that case, you may be familiar with some of his previous works like “Deerskin” and “Rubber,” the movie about a killer tire. Magnolia Pictures will give “Mandibles” a limited theatrical run on July 23rd, the same day it will be available via On Demand platforms.

Usually, directors have to work closely with several people to create a movie with a unified vision. That is still true for Dupieux but to a surprisingly small degree. The director will always get what he wants when he is also the writer, cinematographer, and editor. Dupieux did bring in first-time composer Metronomy to take on the music duties he would typically do himself. Whether you love or hate “Mandibles”, there is only one person to praise or blame.

There are three general reactions to a movie, love, hate, and indifference. You often watch a film, and it was just something to do for approximately 90 minutes of your day. Other times you know they will be a part of your life as you watch them time and time again. Unfortunately, there are also movies that you cannot stand for one reason or another, and they are more likely to be 15-30 minutes of your day. “Mandibles” will live in either the love or hate categories. It is such a unique comedy that it will either resonate or repel its viewers. There is no point going deep into the movie if it isn’t working for you because, to Dupieux’s credit, the tone is very consistent.

More than the impossibility of a bulldog-sized fly, the thing most likely to turn off the audience is the unlikability of any character. The performances all around are strong throughout. But the ineptitude of bumbling criminals Manu (Grégoire Ludig) and Jean-Gab (David Marsais) is almost incomprehensible. The fact that they are far from the most annoying characters in the movie will be enough to dissuade some viewers. Hired to do a job that should take 30-minutes takes at least a three-day detour as they work on a get rich quick scheme. They are rude, distrustful thieves and possible murderers who offer nothing in the way of humor or heartwarming moments of repentance. They are flatlined concerning character growth; their desires and methods to achieve them are the same at the beginning and end of the movie.

“Mandibles” works best as a companion piece to Dupieux’s other works. Usually, his sense of surrealism and fantasy is cynical or even sinister. Here, he lets himself be cheerful despite some violence, which should be a treat for his long-time fans. “Mandibles” is well made and acted, but its story limits the recommendability. If the characters had some arc, whether they ended up as better or worse people is irrelevant; it would have provided some sense of a point for the story to exist. “Mandibles” is a 3 out of 5 in spite of its significant shortcomings, it is precisely what Dupieux was going for, and that will work for some people.

Genre: Fantasy, Comedy
Original Language: French (France)
Director: Quentin Dupieux
Writer: Quentin Dupieux
Producer: Hugo Selignac, Vincent Mazel
Release Date: July 23rd, 2021
Runtime: 1h 17m