‘Mandibles’ Review – A Domino Chain Reaction of Strange Events Careening Into Each Other With Increased Insanity

Mandibles (2021) Magnolia Films

Directed By: Quentin Dupieux

Starring: Grégoire Ludig, David Marsais, India Hair, Adèle Exarchopoulos

Plot Summary: When simple-minded friends Jean-Gab and Manu find a giant fly trapped in the boot of a car, they decide to train it in the hope of making a ton of cash.

From the outset, the work of Quentin Dupieux, is shall we say, an acquired taste. Either you are totally down for his absurd, surrealist style or you’re not. I have been firmly a fan of Dupieux since his 2010 film Rubber (which is probably his best-known film to date) about a killer tire. Yes, you read that correctly. Here we get a pretty basic crime/heist plot that bleeds into a buddy film that smashes head long into a comedic creature feature. The resulting head injury from plot shifts will no doubt help you enjoy the preceding 78-minute runtime. For those unfamiliar with Quentin’s other films, his stories are not structured in the traditional sense. And by that, I mean the film does have a narrative but it’s more like a stream of consciousness rather than a rigid three act storyline.

The best way to describe Mandibles is a domino chain reaction of strange events careening into each other with increased insanity. What is so amazing about this, and indeed his other works, is there is a palpable excitement as you never know quite where Dupieux is going to take you. It may sound weird for weird sake, but Dupieux always has something to say. Here the director is subverting and gleefully deconstructing tired genre tropes. For example, Mandibles takes the well-worn dim-witted duo formula you’ve seen in movies like Dumb and Dumber and totally turns it upside down and pulls it inside out. As for the comedy, for the most part the humor lands extremely well. The funniest bits are with a character named Agnes. It’s quite the feat stand out in a movie this strange.

Speaking of, the cast is excellent. Grégoire Ludig and David Marsais do a nice job at playing off one another. Though they might be mismatched, they have a nice chemistry together. It also features a great supporting cast including India Hair and Adèle Exarchopoulos. Although not a cast member, the giant fly is rendered quite nicely. Honestly, the CGI here looks better than most big budget affairs.

Dupieux’s movies are very polarizing but, I really enjoy his Dadaist approach to storytelling. The ‘buzz’ surrounding Mandibles is well earned.

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Mike Vaughn

Big film nerd and TCM Obsessed. Author of The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema from Schiffer Publishing. Resume includes: AMC’s The Bite, Scream Magazine etc. Love all kinds of movies and television and have interviewed a wide range of actors, writers, producers and directors. I currently am a regular co-host on the podcast The Humanoids from the Deep Dive and have a second book in the works from Bear Manor.