Read @ Joe’s

Title: Mad Heidi (2023)   
Director: Johannes Hartmann // Sandro Klopfstein  
Writer: Johannes Hartmann // Sandro Klopfstein   
Studio: Swissploitation Films

IMDb Plot: Swiss mountain girl Heidi is abducted by brutal government troops and must defend herself and fight a war against a cheese-fueled machinery of hate.  

Joe Says: Mad Heidi is as crazy as it is, well, cheesy. Yet for all its silliness and over-the-top parodying, Mad Heidi should have been a lot crazier. 

Starting with that first yodel, Mad Heidi is as crazy as it is, well, cheesy. The self-proclaimed Swissploitation action-splatterfest is all about illegal cheese, fascist rule, warrior nuns, and a madcap Casper Van Dien whose mustache-twirling villainy is as high as the Alps. Yet for all its silliness and over-the-top parodying, Mad Heidi should have been a lot crazier. 

Mad Heidi is a crowdfunded project helmed by Johannes Hartmann and Sandro Klopfstein. The indie movie parodies not only general exploitation films but specifically the good-natured Heidi stories of old (such as the sappy Shirley Temple classic). Here, Switzerland is under the fascist control of cheese-loving President Meili (Van Dien). When both Heidi’s (Alice Lucy) freedom-loving grandfather and goat cheese-smuggling boyfriend are killed, Heidi transforms herself into a kick-ass fighter and goes after fierce retribution against Meili and his brutal regime. In short, cheese happens. 

Mad Heidi is fun and silly. As an indie film in every regard, it is a successfully entertaining genre piece with some surprisingly good performances. Kel Matsena plays Heidi’s lover, Goat Peter, who hams up the role as the Superfly of cheese. Alice Lucy proves her lead actress talents with dramatic asides alongside her actioneer anger. And the aforementioned Van Dien is the true treat, whose perfect teeth are only darkened by his comic-book villain insanity. Performances aside, though, Mad Heidi all-too quickly regresses away from fresh parody and slips into the repetitive pattern that befalls most exploitation flicks. Meta hip becomes standard service. Gouda grief.

Look, Mad Heidi was not made to promote the artform of cinematic splendor. This is a riotous goof that caters to a specific audience, a level on which Mad Heidi completely succeeds. Hartmann and Klopfstein truly put in the effort to craft this zany, original world that they make as sweet as a Toblerone. The comedy of the parody falls away though once the cliché-heavy action starts. The revenge drama is not as compelling as Goat Peter’s silly back alley deals or Van Dien’s not-too-subtle screen test for the new Joker (and he gets my vote).  

Luckily, Alice Lucy shows as much spunk as her predecessor’s namesake and charms her way through prison, gladiator matches, and bloodshed galore to win our hearts all with a smile set to say… “Cheese.”

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A version of this review is bubbling with melted cheese over on Cinefied