Movie spotlight
Mayonnaise
Ah-jung is a married woman in her mid-30s and has a five year-old son. She ghostwrites other people's biographies and at the moment, she is writing the biography of "an insurance sales queen." When Ah-jung's husband goes away on a business trip, she has no choice but to let her mother stay in their apartment. Ah-jung has problems dealing with her mother, a meddlesome woman who throws constant fits, probably the result of never having been loved by her husband. Mother also has a habit of putting mayonnaise in her hair to make it shinier..
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Plot Summary
A troubled young man is obsessed with the texture and taste of mayonnaise. His obsession leads him down a dark path, blurring the lines between reality and his increasingly disturbed psyche. He begins to consume mayonnaise directly, seeking a deeper connection to its essence. The film explores themes of addiction, obsession, and the grotesque in a surreal and unsettling manner.
Critical Reception
Mayonnaise is a cult film known for its extreme and polarizing nature. It received attention within independent and avant-garde film circles for its unique, visceral approach to psychological horror and body horror. Critical reception was largely divided, with some praising its artistic boldness and disturbing originality, while others found it excessively graphic and nonsensical.
What Reviewers Say
Visually striking and deeply unsettling.
A challenging and disturbing exploration of obsession.
Polarizing for its graphic and bizarre subject matter.
Google audience: Information regarding Google user reviews for Mayonnaise (1999) is not readily available.
Fun Fact
Director Shinya Tsukamoto, known for his cyberpunk horror films like Tetsuo: The Iron Man, often stars in his own experimental works, including this film where he plays the lead role and further explores visceral body horror.
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