Maniac Review

Maniac Review

 

 

What an absolutely brilliant horror film! I've been looking for a film that really tried, and this one really does.

 

Maniac is a remake of the 1980's cult film, which was widely panned by critics but gained a somewhat underground cult status along with other nasties of the time. While I haven't seen the original, I can safely say that the remake is brilliant. The film is mostly all filmed from a first person perspective, the perspective of the killer, who in this case lives up to his name, this adds a disturbing level of voyeurism to his actions and make the film even more repulsive. Maniac is full of blood, its a gore hound's dream, not stinting on close up shots of scalps getting cut off to reveal the skull, knives being rammed through throats and the final scene of complete and utter carnage. The gore in the film invokes a sense of early 80's body horror, using effects in ways like Cronenberg and some of the video nasties did in an attempt to make the audience recoil in disgust, which it managed to make me do.

 

Elijah Wood's lead performance couldn't be further away from his most well known role as Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, and proves that he has acting ability away from Middle Earth. The performance was laced with a disturbing sense of complete and utter madness, and the use of his thoughts as a narrative device, with his sick imagination being broadcast to the audience, was equally unnerving. The film's narrative is not original at all, there are minor plot twists that can be seen coming, and some of the film is unrealistic, but most horror films demand a suspension of your disbelief, and so however unrealistic the narrative gets it still manages to invoke the horror it sets out to do.

 

Aja has managed to create one of the most inventive horror films (in the cinematic sense) that I have seen in the last 5 years, and in my opinion has given birth to a masterclass in horror, suspense, gore and general nastiness that has been needed for a long time in the Horror film industry. When compared to recent outings like Mama, The Woman in Black and The Devil Inside, its clear that while this film might seem more "arty" to some people, its still magnificently entertaining.

 

If you're looking for a well directed, well thought out piece of horror I highly suggest seeing this film. Its scuzzy, inner city feel and revolting and brutal gore make it a must see for gore hounds, and its indie credentials make it a worthy candidate for anyone who enjoys a break from the typical Hollywood horror affair.

 

9/10