Mindhorn is a Campy Masterpiece

 

Mindhorn was released on Netflix earlier this year and It almost flew completely under my radar. Recently there has been a lot of campy goodness on the streaming service like Kung Fury and Turbo Kid, but I wasn't sure how to gauge my expectations of Mindhorn from the trailer. After seeing it I can safely say this movie shattered any of my expectations I had conjured up. Mindhorn is Brit comedy gold and it stacks up against self-aware heavy weights like Hot Fuzz and Black Dynamite.

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The basic, spoiler free premise goes like this: We meet Richard Thorncroft who used to play Detective Bruce Mindhorn (who is played by Julian Barratt.) Right away you get the feeling that this man has problems. He's a middle aged, has-been, 80's tv action star who is lost in his own contrived illusions of grandure and nostalgia. His life seems to have no noticeable direction, until he's contacted by the authorities asking for his help on a case. A criminal issues demands to speak specifically with Mindhorn whom he believes to be a real person. Richard steps up to the challenge without hesitation, once again becoming the once suave, detective action hero who once was.

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The writing is witty and at times full of cringe worthy awkwardness. It makes you both hate, and cheer for this self obsessed man as he tries to prove to the world, and himself, that he is still worth of his fame. The casting is brilliant and includes names like Steve Coogan, Essie Davis, Andrea Riseborough, Russell Tovey, and Simon Farnaby. With Netflix you vote with your views and I certainly hope this movie sees the success it deserves. Even if it doesn't sit well with most mainstream viewers (which is very likely, it's sure to become a cult classic both in the U.K. And US.