Color, 2017, 94 mins. 47 secs.
Directed by Colinda Bongers & Thijs Meuwese
Starring Julia Batelaan, Emma de Paauw, Joost Bolt, Annelies Appelhof, Andre Dongelmans
Artsploitation Films (Blu-ray & DVD) (US R0 HD/NTSC) / WS (1.85:1)

In Mollythe proud tradition of post-nuke Molly films around the globe, here comes Molly, a Dutch variation destined to be eternally confused with an equally colorful throwback film, Mandy. Julia Batelaan stars as the title character, a bespectacled teenager who ends up taking of a young abandoned girl named Bailey (de Pauuw) just as she ends up as the target of the nefarious Deacon (Bolt), the nefarious ringmaster of a Thunderdome-style, pit-fighting arena where drug-damaged human "supplicants" battle to the death. Molly herself possesses experiment-induced powers she can barely harness herself, which of course become unleashed when she has to infiltrate Deacon's domain and fight off hordes of combatants.

Taking a page from the two Raid films, Revenge, and Atomic Blonde, Molly climaxes with a ridiculously extended single take that seems to stretch a final action showdown into infinity. However, it features more than a few new tricks up its sleeve including a gravity-defying showdown against some zombie-like supplicants crawling on the ceiling and a budget-conscious but striking color Mollypalette that could best be described as a cross between The Devil's MollyCarnival, The Hunger Games, Resident Evil and Cries of Ecstasy, Blows of Death. The real draw here of course is the action sequences that easily overwhelm the threadbare plot, including a variety of weapons and fighting styles implemented throughout and only sparing reliance on our heroine's unique gifts (including a supersonic scream). Of course, it also leaves the door wide open for a sequel that's apparently already in the works.

Another out of left field choice from the eclectic Artsploitation Films, Molly comes to Blu-ray and DVD looking as slick and vibrant as you'd expect for a recent digitally-shot feature. The slick aesthetic doesn't always gel with the gritty exteriors of the film itself, but it's definitely a fun piece of eye candy if you want to show off the full color gamut of your screen. The film features two English audio options (Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0, both fine for lossy tracks), optional English SDH subtitles, and three special features options: the trailer, a technical commentary by Thijs Meuwese (one half of the directing team), and a making-of featurette (31m22s) filled with behind the scenes footage focusing on the action sequences and some incongruous rehearsing in the middle of a suburban streets.

Molly Molly Molly Molly Molly

Reviewed on October 18, 2018.