WILLY’S WONDERLAND

★★★

OUT NOW (DIGITAL) / CERT 15 / 89 MINS

DIRECTOR Kevin Lewis

CAST Nicolas Cage, Emily Tosta, Beth Grant

Like ’90s neo-noir Red Rock West, this starts with a drifter played by Nicolas Cage arriving in a small town full of secrets. Unlike Red Rock West, those secrets involve Satanism and a psychotic giant weasel. As Cage is coerced into working in a haunted family entertainment centre, a cycle begins, with an animatronic animal coming to life and Cage battling it. Although director Kevin Lewis injects some Raimi-esque energy, the action gets a little samey, and the production’s limited budget is evident. What’s refreshing is just how bizarre the central character is, responding to the carnage with a totally nonplussed demeanour. Chugging endless cans of fictional soft drink Punch and playing pinball between kills, Cage is a silent, super-stylised hoot.