Horror Movie Review: Mandrake (2010)

From director Tripp Reed, who wrote the story with William B. Steakley and David Ray, Mandrake is one of those ‘oh so familiar’ SyFy TV movies. If you’ve seen one SyFy TV movie, you’ve seen them all. At least when it comes to style and budget. Which does mean the extra effort put into making Mandrake something is admirable. Even if the end result is lacklustre and forgettable.

The rich and powerful Harry Vargas (Benito Martinez) has set up an expedition into the deep jungles of a fictitious Latin American country. He is after an ancient dagger and has enlisted a group to find it for him. We have ex-military Sgt. McCall (Max Martini), archaeologists Dr. Felicia (Betsy Russell) and Lin (Wayne Pere), and local guide Santiago (Nick Gomez). A group of bland characters who leave little impact.

Happily, it’s not just them trekking through the jungle, bickering and questioning the motives of Vargas. They find the dagger, in a tomb no less, take it and figure they have completed their task. Unfortunately, removing the dagger has awakened a monster in the jungle and it is blood-thirsty. Alongside that, they have also gotten the ire of a local tribe who have been protecting the dagger to ensure the monster stays dormant.

Will anyone be able to survive the cursed jungle?

It’s not a terrible premise and the location certainly feels authentic. The first third of the movie is actually pretty decent as we get all the set-up and the arrival of the monster. Nothing spectacular, but it certainly feels like effort is being made.

Which makes the second and final third of the movie all the more disappointing as it descends into boorish, trope-heavy, and predictable territory. The acting starts to slip, the character’s behaviour and dialogue seems to devolve, and the tension around the monster completely dissipates. It’s quite a fall from grace Mandrake manages here.

It never becomes outright terrible, there are some decent deaths, and the conclusion is entertainingly silly, but it certainly isn’t going to be remembered long term.