Manos Returns (2018)

Ever since its appraisal as one of the worst movies of all time, Manos, The Hands of Fate has become an icon of z-grade cinema, and enjoyed a healthy second life. I've always been partial to it, and genuinely enjoy it in a way. Since the late 2000s there have been a few abortive attempts at making a sequel, some involving original cast members, others not. Out of all these, the film finally got an official sequel, released in 2018. Does it live up to the hype of the original film's badness? Could it be actually good? Or is it even worse?...

Four friends, Clara, Jay, Nicki, and Pat are out for a drive, headed towards a holiday booking. The idea is to take Clara's mind off of the abusive situation she recently escaped. They are unable to find the advertised Valley Lodge, until a sign that wasn't there before leads them the rest of the way. Upon their arrival they are warned way by the enigmatic housekeeper Torgo, who takes care of the place while Debbie and the Master are away. Since it's getting dark, they decide to stay, and soon the old ghosts of this place begin to emerge...

Manos Returns is a film I went into with an open mind, and it didn't disappoint. While not perfect, I found it a genuinely really neat little watch! I'd heard the film described as a comedy-horror. It starts off with a slightly meta conversation about bad movies, and there are a few attempts at laughs, but it never overdoes it with the humour.

The film becomes surprisingly serious as it goes, covering themes of abuse. I also liked how female the movie was. Directed by a woman, with three of the 4 protagonists being female! A nice touch.

The original Manos had an offbeat atmosphere, despite its clear flaws. The sequel manages to improve on them, knowing their appeal, and being able to approach with hindsight, knowing what to aim for. Some of the imagery wouldn't feel out of place in a David Lynch production, especially his recent output, like the digitally shot Inland Empire.

Manos Returns runs at only 68 minutes long, which is a very wise thing. Not only does this emulate the original Manos, it also ensures the film won't outstay its welcome. I've long since espoused more movies should be 60-75 minutes long, like they were back in the day. I never found this boring, and there's always something going on. It's hard to be bored when there's not really a lull in the action.

Manos Returns does seek to emulate the original film's badness, but in the right ways. It's also a subtle kind of 'badness' (if you could even use that word here). Short lived too, as the film seems to quickly moved past that and try and do its own thing. Which is something I'm glad for, as knowingly funny sequels to classic bad movies almost always fail.

There are a few callbacks throughout, mainly through the dialogue, which echoes many of the 'classic' lines from Hands of Fate. This reused dialogue always makes sense, and it never felt like they were just parroting for the sake of it. The original dialogue is alright, if occasionally stilted. There's also an Emma Peel reference! I will always respect an American who knows that Avengers!

The protagonists are typically snarky young people, and crack wise a fair bit early on. But they do have some depth to them in places. Namely Clara, who's a well-written lead, strong without needing to be a superhero. Nicki and Jay have a propensity for making out, which is a good way of including that classic element in the film without feeling forced. There's a slightly clunky line about Pat being a lesbian, but the film never makes a big deal about it, or makes her character revolve around it. It's just there.

Torgo starts off how he was back in the 60s, but we soon see there's more to him now. He has become a more sympathic figure, and you really feel for the poor dude. The analogy to an abusive relationship works well, and allows for a natural connection between he and Clara. I like how everyone remember his name, and just as in Hands of Fate, it's funny hearing regular people use a bizarre name like Torgo, like it's no big deal.

Having only been a child in the last movie, Debbie has undergone a big change over the years. She is the villain here, and the next master of the domain. Though the old one's presence is still felt and revered. Her role is good, but she has very few scenes early on, and doesn't interact with any heroes until the end. I suppose that was how it was in the original, but then again it was weird there too, how the Master is someone who simultaneously wants visitors yet hates visitors.

I'm not sure if I was a fan of how psychotic the brides were made to be, but I guess it is a logical extension of their behaviour in the original, amped up to make them a threat to others besides themselves. I thought the blood bathing was a bit overdone though.

Manos Returns doesn't expand on the mythos a lot. It's important to keep the mystery alive, but there's not much point making another film in this world if you're not going to explore it further. Overall though I wasn't unhappy by the end. I'll say this-It explores it just enough for the first entry in a series

The Valley Lodge in this film is a little different. More abstract, like an interdimensional place, not of this earth. While we're on the subject, it is a little weird that the Valley Lodge is in a green wooded area here, when in the original it was a more arid desert-y location. Not a big deal, since the location is used very well here, but anyone who's seen the original will notice (Once you've seen the notorious 9 minute driving sequence, you're intimately acquainted with the scenery forevermore).

Manos Returns isn't the most action-packed movie. I've seen some criticise it as nothing but people standing around doing nothing, and talking endlessly. I disagree, and found it low-key, but never badly paced. I liked the tense way it builds up just to the death of the first main character. Such a simple thing, yet made important. The climax is mixed. The fate of the remaining friends is a bit sudden and underwhelming. But what follows is great, with Debbie's mother getting a surprising and hands-on part.

The ending itself is melancholy. Unfortunately Clara and Torgo don't get away together as a happy couple, which is strange, considering the mother seemed to know what she was doing by freeing him, but at least it all makes sense with the logic of the house (namely, why is he still young after all these years, and survives fatal injuries?).

What comes next though is a bizarre twist that I felt totally ruined the moment. The ending was effective enough already, without throwing in a last minute shock, especially when it doesn't even make sense.

The acting in Manos Returns isn't the best, which is perhaps intentional, but also perhaps because of a lack of experience on the part of the cast. But despite any shortcomings, they get a some genuinely good moments, and even when they're not as good, they exude a sense of earnestness to their performances. I liked how normal they look too, rather than perfect supermodels.

Getting into specific players, Steven Shields is a great fit for the role of Torgo! He not only looks the part, and gets all the mannerisms down pat, but also brings heart and depth to the character. Danielle Daggerty does a good job too! She sells the psyche of her character, and shares good chemistry with Shields. Nuria Aguilar's Spanish accent is a little thick in places, and her performance can be clunky, but I liked her. Christina Pezzo gets some nice non-verbal moments later on. Christopher Barnes is the weakest link. He has his moments, but delivers most of his lines pretty softly, which is fine in places, but I felt genuinely let down his final scene.

Jackie Neyman-Jones is a fun presence. You can tell from her delivery that she isn't an actress, but she plays the role of a villain surprisingly well, especially considering her innocent role 52 years prior. The film uses Tom Neyman in a good way. He was in his 80s when this was produced, and so probably wasn't able to take part in a large capacity. Far from disappointing though, I never felt he was sidelined. And lastly, Diahne Mahree Rystadt, the mother from the original, returns. Again, not a professional actress, yet she does a surprisingly sad and effective portrayal of the broken Margaret.

There's a fairly sizable supporting cast too, from the many brides (one of whom is director Tonjia herself!), to the ghosts and/or hallucinations that populate the lodge, and some friendly police officers.

The music is a real high point! One of the highlights to Hands of Fate was its unusual soundtrack, comprised of mellow jazz tunes, along with discordant pieces (and most famously of all, the 'haunting' Torgo theme). Returns builds on this, and with a composer who knows what to aim for, we get a neat score, which even manages to redo music cues from the old film, and actually make them good! We also get a callback to Row Row Row Your Boat. And if you're wondering, yes, they do actually finish it this time. Although given the mental state of who's singing, it would actually make total sense to forget the end and loop back!

Another highlight is a surprisingly light but strange song that plays later on. It's almost out-of-place, but soon adds a lot. The music also has a very Lynchian tone to it. Lastly, the film ends with a new version of Forgetting You at the end, the romance song that played out the original film. It's a perfect way to wrap things up

The film utilises mostly practical effects, and they look decent. Computer effects are used but in minimal and unobtrusive ways. A lot of it is superimposing and overlaying images and filters. There are great costumes and props, all faithful to the old film. Much of the credit goes to Jackie herself, who plays a big role behind-the-scenes too. I wasn't a fan of the brides' outfits though. They just seemed a bit too skimpy. Not that I'd ordinarily complain about that, but they look less like brides and more like strippers.

A big concern I had going into Manos Returns was that it's shot on digital. I much prefer how movies used to look when shot on film, but modern ones, especially low-budget, have an unappealing digital sheen to them. It's hard to describe, but there's just something...wrong to me about how they look. Well I'm happy to report that Returns actually manages to look good! I mean, it's still got that clean look to it, but the way the movie is presented, how it looks, etc, help mask this.

The direction here is a highlight. While modern in some ways, it does take cues from older cinema, like classic zoom ins, etc. There's a great final shot! The idea of someone with a name like Tonjia Atomic handling a project like this would probably make grumpier people go "Jesus Christ, we're getting a new Manos film and the director is some hipster who doesn't even have a real name!", but she knocks it out of the park!

I liked the credits, which are a mix of the usual kind, and a montage of the cast, which is always nice to see. There's an extended moment where all the backers who helped fun the project on Kickstarter are credited My regret is that I didn't know about it. I would've been glad to put my name there, and I'm sure all those who did are very happy with the product they got. I know I would be!

While some people may have been afraid the idea of a Manos sequel would be a gimmick, or a genuinely rubbish disaster, Manos Returns manages to avoid this fate, and succeeds in everything it sets out to do! I had a blast with it. It's a great companion piece, and I feel it both brings out the inherent good qualities of the original, and is also improved when you see the first movie's flaws, side by side. Definitely worth checking out for bad movie aficionados...