Mad by name, mad by nature. This film is off the dial crazy and we’re all the better for it. From the crazed masterminds and self-confessed film buffs hellbent on wanting to create the first ever Swiss exploitation movie. With no money they put forward one heck of a kickstarter campaign and like-minded individuals were hooked, wanting to see the feature brought to life.

Directors Johannes Hartmann, Sandro Klopfstein wanted to take a warped dystopian future take on the classic children’s novel Heidi by Johanna Spyri. Heidi (Alice Lucy) is all grown up and quite intent on spending her innocent-yet-sexually adventurous life with Goat Peter (Kel Matsena) the local goatherd who has a little sideline in an illegal cheese trade. Unfortunately, Switzerland is under tyrannical ruling by President Meili (Casper Van Dien) who is magnificently off-kilter in his pursuit for global domination and uniting the world with the ultimate Swiss cheese. This is bad news for the lactose intolerant as they are rounded up and eradicated through cheesification techniques and when Goat Peter’s trade is discovered, he is brutally murdered and Heidi’s world spins into turmoil. In order to right it once more, she must train up and be a kick-ass warrior and bring back the heart to the Motherland once more.

The Prognosis:

This is a swiss cheese on toast movie that wears its hyperbolic tendencies firmly on its sleeves. Hartmann and Klopfstein craft a meticulously over the top jibe at all the stereotypes of their homeland from chocolate, pocket knives, watches and of course cheese and unapologetically shoves these cliches down your throat until you burst. 

Mad Heidi is so gloriously eccentric and unique that it is a welcome shift outside of the main cinematic beats, that it tempts you in and delivers all the gore, larger-than-life characters, absurdity and madcap mayhem to keep you entertained. 

• Saul Muerte

Mad Heidi  is streaming on Shudder from 6 May.