It’s time to look at five reasons why Panos Cosmatos’ next film Flesh of the Gods will be a MUST see…
It’s been a long wait to see how Panos Cosmatos will follow up his cult favourite, Mandy. The 2019 kaleidoscopic horror classic was a key moment in the Nicolas Cage renaissance and a film with a unique and confident directorial vision. Cosmatos, with a limited budget, showed incredible assurance and made a cerebral and ethereal horror that has rightly garnered a legion of fans who were able to tune into its quirks.
Finally, the answer as to what comes next has been revealed, with Cosmatos set to direct Kristen Stewart and Oscar Isaac in Flesh of the Gods. The pair will play a married couple who venture into 80s LA at night and find themselves caught up with ‘Nameless’ and her hard-partying cabal of vampires.
Intrigued already? I am, and here are 5 reasons why Flesh of the Gods is already my most anticipated film of next year….
Panos Cosmatos
Cosmatos wore his influences on his sleeves making Mandy, fusing an array of them together to create a dazzlingly fresh gumbo and this promises to be no different. The guy seems to love all things horror and in Mandy found a way to create a unique fantasmagorical horror film with two very distinct halves. Beginning as a slow-burning and ethereal fantasy horror with a quiet couple living a blissfully remote existence as soulmates, their peace is shattered by the arrival of a travelling cult. After Mandy is killed and we have a brief grief-fueled intermission with Cage cranking the dials up to the max, we then switch into a frenzied fusion of grindhouse and gore with nods to films like Hellraiser.
Mandy was a film destined to allure a set of horror aficionados as much as I’m sure it kept some at arm’s length. Its assuredness of vision is undeniable and the expectation going into Flesh of the Gods suggests that Cosmatos will have a broader canvas to play with and most definitely, a heftier budget. Being a period piece, set in the 80s will not be cheap to pull off, that’s for sure.
Just on paper, it feels like this could draw comparisons, not only to Ti West’s upcoming MaXXXine (another nostalgic retro-fuelled horror, set in the 80s) but films like The Addiction, Near Dark and Only Lovers Left Alive. Whether any of those play a role in shaping Cosmatos’ next remains to be seen but however he blends his elements the results will undoubtedly be interesting, if potentially very messy.
The 80s Setting
Nostalgia certainly drives a lot of movies and it can be a useful tool as long as it’s not used as a crutch to prop up an underdeveloped script. For contemporary films looking to set their work in the past, the 80s is a well which has been repeatedly drawn from. The aforementioned MaXXXine already appears to have a glamorous, colourful and exaggerated depiction of the era which looks resplendent.
It feels like the 1980s and Cosmatos as a filmmaker and visual stylist, is a match made in heaven. He loves vibrant colours if Mandy and Beyond The Black Rainbow are anything to go by. His famous father was at the height of his powers during that era too and there’s a very clear affinity for that time period, even down to Mandy’s synth-laden score with shades of Tangerine Dream.
With A list power headlining and big backing, we could also probably expect a killer soundtrack to accompany as well as undoubtedly incredible costuming. Expect neon aplenty.
Andrew Kevin Walker
Most cult films start with the same thing: A strong script. In a content era where studios seem to approach the script like it’s a distant afterthought, there are still strong writers flying the flag and trying to create interesting cinema. Panos Cosmatos will undoubtedly be working in close quarters with Andrew Kevin Walker, the legendary screenwriter behind films such as Se7en, Sleepy Hollow, Fincher’s The Killer and (like he should ever forget), Brainscan.
Walker brings an eclectic CV to the table and is no stranger to high-concept horror. Alongside Cosmatos, he will hopefully find the perfect balance between portraying the wild hedonistic gang of vampires and the underbelly of a punky 80s underworld. The platform is there for some wonderfully extravagant moments but at the heart, it’ll hopefully explore the kind of dark, complex psychological themes we’ve seen in Walker’s best works.
Kristen Stewart
If Kristen Stewart hasn’t exorcised the demons of Twilight yet, then I’m not sure just what else she can do to wash clean the association with the cheesy and vapid fantasy franchise. Stewart’s consistently intriguing indie film role choices belie the likes of sparkly vampires or the misguided Charlie’s Angels reboot. Films like Personal Shopper and Spencer show Stewart as she most deserves to be seen; one of the most magnetic talents around.
She’ll undoubtedly play a character filled with brooding intensity and complex inner feelings that threaten to burst out of a stoic demeanour. Or, she may flip the script and do something completely out of character. In terms of gorgeous, creative and incredible auteur cinema, Stewart’s latest film is a perfect showpiece. Love Lies Bleeding, the cracking sophomore feature by Rose Glass (Saint Maud), has her on top form opposite an equally superb Katy O’Brian.
In addition to her being a little swept off into a slightly fantastical and neo-noir-drenched misadventure (with O’Brian), it’s also a film set in the 80s with a number of the aesthetic cinematographical choices you’d expect (and a cool soundtrack and score to boot). If there’s one surefire way for Stewart to put her Twilight legacy to rest finally, it’s by revisiting the world of vampires and doing it right.
Oscar Isaac
Somehow Oscar Isaac returned. Okay, it’s not really that surprising. Despite being attached to a dire Star Wars sequel trilogy and being both criminally underused and made to look decidedly awkward, he’s still been a consistent and interesting presence in plenty of films. Whether he plays a laconic character or one with an unbalanced edge, Isaac has the range to fit however Cosmatos and Walker decide to craft his character.
Isaac has previous when it comes to sci-fi tinged with existential horror, playing a creator with a hedonistic side in Ex Machina. The pairing with Kristen Stewart doesn’t immediately jump out as cohesive, but that could make the dynamic all the more interesting particularly if there are any complications with the couple fracturing under the influence of ‘Nameless.’
This will be one to watch and hopefully won’t collapse under overindulgence, or an incoherent vision. There’s always that danger when a filmmaker gets carte blanche and follows their grand opus but I trust Cosmatos to hit the bullseye on this. The next casting decisions could also be very exciting. We can but hope that Cosmatos fancies bringing Nicolas Cage on board.
Are you excited to see Flesh of the Gods? Drop us a comment on our socials @FlickeringMyth…
