Review: Maniac

Review: Maniac

From Frodo to Frodon't, Elijah Wood stars in the psychotic horror Maniac, a remake of the 1980's movie of the same name. Shot almost entirely from the killer's POV, Maniac is a fantastic horror movie with buckets of gore and plenty of tension.

The plot is very far-fetched to the point of distraction sometimes though and, despite its psychologically complex central character and a stunning performance from Wood, there are times when he teeters on being a little too goofy - but I wouldn't tell him that.

Frank is a shy mannequin store owner who also moonlights as a serial killer with a sick obsession for scalps. Just when the streets of New York were assumed safe, Frank returns to stalk the streets for his victims - but these are not just the insane acts of a madman. Frank suffers from deeply disturbing childhood memories of his mother who had sex and took drugs in front of him. 

Her death is the catalyst for his desire to kill and as the death toll rises, Frank meets the gorgeous Anna, a girl who shares his artistic passion for mannequins. As their relationship deepens and Frank's violent insanity takes a stronger hold, he struggles to decide what he really wants: another scalp as a trophy or a real relationship.

During the first half an hour or so, Maniac struggles to find its feet as it initially feels a little aimless. As each murder becomes more gruesome, we begin to wonder - where's the point (other than at the edge of a brandished knife)? 

All of these worries soon subside, however, as Anna walks into the picture. She acts as an accelerator for Frank's emotions, giving the formerly quiet murderer a reason to explain his true natures where beforehand we only had his own deranged commentary.

As for Frank himself, he is played excellently by Elijah Wood. The former Lord of the Rings actor gives an unhinged performance that's so true to life that even the most stalwart cinema-goer will find themselves creeped out. Wood is only glimpsed occasionally in reflections or flashbacks, but his erratic breathing and psychotic mumblings are enough to bring Frank to terrifying life.

Still, there's something that doesn't make sense about Maniac. With so many murders on the go, surely a major investigation would be under way by the police? Then there's the fact that most of them take place in easily traceable areas; one grisly stabbing occurs in a car park, while another very very brutal killing is carried out in a posh hotel with security guards outside - where's the CCTV? Given that Frank doesn't even bother to shield his face during the murders, he should have been caught almost immediately.

Putting aside the manic plot holes of Maniac, though, we can't ignore that this is a fine horror movie. Different from the typical slasher thanks to the fact that it's shot from the killer's point-of-view, Maniac manages to unsettle us with the way the camera violently shakes when Frank starts feeling murderous; its soundtrack ushers it into even creepier territory, the synthesizers kicking in every time we are led into the oddity of Frank's mannequin workshop. While the movie is low on Paranormal Activity-esque jumps and shocks, it makes up for it with relentless gore which should please horror fans of all varieties.

While film does run the risk of being accused of promoting sadism, Maniac makes no bones about the fact that, while it is occasionally possible to sympathise with Frank's past, the sheer brutality his victims experience (gorily enhanced by some fantastic CGI) is always the scariest and most shocking aspect of this gruesome horror.

Summary

Maniac is a brilliant horror movie and an absolutely fantastic representation of the fact that the slasher genre can still surprise and entertain the masses. Elijah Wood is brilliant in his relatively minimalist role, and while there are some very distracting plot holes, Maniac consistently demands your attention all the way to the nail-biting climax. One thing's for sure anyway - you won't be walking home alone for a while. 

9/10 - Brilliant

See it if you liked: Scream (1996), The Faculty (1998), The Cabin In The Woods (2012