Maniac

-
Maniac
Starring Elijah Wood, Nora Arnezeder, Genevieve Alexandra, Brian Ames
Directed by Franck Khalfoun

Frank (Elijah Wood) owns a store where he restores mannequins, but he has a deadly obsession: finding a woman just like his recently deceased mother, who was also a prostitute.  As he stalks women at night, he kills them and brings their hair back home and puts them on his personal mannequins in his room.

One day he sees photographer Anna (Nora Arnezeder) taking pictures of his mannequins, and the two strike up a friendship, and Frank feels she might be the one for him.  However, those dreams are dashed when she reveals she has a boyfriend, and Frank begins stalking her like he did the other girls. 

"Maniac" is an extremely dark film and an interesting turn for Elijah Wood to take coming from his "Lord of the Rings" fame.  His portrayal as a psychotic loner is fascinating, and he delivers an impeccable performance, shot almost entirely from his point of view. 

The gore is surprisingly abundant in this film, from a girl getting a knife through the mouth to other brutal slayings, "Maniac" doesn't stop in its relentless violence.  However, instead of just being a typical slasher, it has a deep story at its center and it almost makes you root for and care for the psychopath.  A great tale of a modern Oedipus complex.

My Rating: B+

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Major Theatrical Releases May 2019

-
Image
Major Theatrical Releases May 2019 After the hype that is "Avengers: Endgame," May offers a massive collection of differing types of movies, enough to entertain everyone. Here are the major theatrical releases for May 2019. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** **DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**  The Intruder May 3 Dennis Quaid goes from starring the family-friendly "A Dog's Journey" to playing a total psycho in "The Intruder."  When a young couple purchases a home from Quaid's character Charlie, they didn't realize it came with an addition - Charlie himself, who can't seem to let his old home go.  I don't expect any twists or turns in this tale, and this looks like a film better fit for Lifetime than the big screen.  Long Shot May 3 Charlize Theron stars as Charlotte Field, the current Secretary of State and who's running for President.  Seth Rogen stars as Fred Flarsky, a
Read more

Witch

-
Image
Witch Starring Russell Shaw, Ryan Spong, Sarah Alexandra Marks, Fabrizio Santino Directed by Craig Hinde & Marc Zammit Movies about witches are about a dime a dozen, and follow the same formula: typically set in a time period long ago (since now, fortunately, the stigma of witches has been lessened and the religious fervor has diminished), in a small Puritanical town, a girl is accused of witchcraft which spirals the town into a frenzy filled with suspicion, doubt, and murder until the witch is put to religious justice. While that's not necessarily a bad formula (Robert Eggers' "The VVitch" and Mario Bava's "Black Sunday" immediately come to mind), most films fall by the wayside. "Witch" is a small film that, at first glance, seems to follow the mold before completely shattering it in a second act twist that's daring, provocative, and works in a lot of levels, but could've been more pronounced if given a bigger budget. In the small
Read more

Special Review: "Midwest Sessions"

-
Image
Special Review: "Midwest Sessions" Directed by Mario Ricciardi Independent filmmaking is a fascinating concept, wherein the director and everyone involved sets out to make something unique, different, and go against the traditional status quo of what's defined as a "blockbuster." These films aren't usually seen by the masses and won't be included in the top ten highest grossing movies of all time, but they offer something those films don't: a heart and commitment by the people involved to craft something wholly distinctive that tell a story in their own way. Such is "Midwest Sessions," a local film directed by Mario Ricciardi that centers on the city of Youngstown, Ohio, and the captivating people who live there. Told in different vignettes that seem distinct and different from one another but coming together as a whole in the end, it's an engrossing film that utilizes its shoestring budget and gives great performances, decent effects a
Read more