Even if you didn’t particularly care for Beyond the Black Rainbow, chances are you’ll dig the heck out of Panos Cosmatos’ newest head-trip, Mandy. The first trailer for the much-buzzed-about festival hit has arrived, offering a sneak peek at a blood-drenched Nicolas Cage out for revenge and giving us what is easily his best performance since Bad Lieutenant.

The easiest way to describe Mandy is this: Imagine an early ’80s van with heavy metal fantasy imagery airbrushed on the side. The sound of psychedelic rock emanates from the van, which is being driven by a long-haired, androgynous Jesus-type with eyeliner melting down his face. The door opens, and amid the neon-drenched smoke there’s a gang of Cenobites from Hellraiser carrying battle axes and bejeweled daggers.

That’s not an exact description of the plot, but it will definitely give you an idea of Mandy’s vibe. Cosmatos’ latest is a waking nightmare; a surreal story of a man (Cage) out to take revenge against the cult that kidnapped his beloved — the eponymous Mandy, played by an unearthly Andrea Riseborough. Not only does Mandy deliver a career-best performance from Cage, but it is one of the best films of 2018, hands down. I don’t wanna over-hype it (too late!) but you should definitely keep Mandy at the top of your to-do list.

Mandy also stars Linus Roache, and features one of the very last scores composed by the late Johann Johannsson. It hits theaters on September 14, and I highly — highly — recommend seeing this in a damn good theater with an excellent sound system.

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