Review of Maniac (2012) by Jacob G — 12 Feb 2014

I saw the original Maniac and enjoyed it, but for the life of me I can't remember enough of it to be able to give any kind of comparison.

That said, the fact that I watched this whole thing without remembering anything about the original implies, perhaps, that when they say this was "inspired" by the 1980s Maniac, they actually mean "inspired".

In any case, the mannequin thing is definitely inspired by the 80s Maniac, and mannequins are here in spades.

Meanwhile, one thing definitely not present in the original film was the first-person camera. It's an odd decision for a movie starring Elijah Wood, to keep his face off screen unless captured in a window reflection or a mirror. (Of course, that probably keeps the cost of the film way down since, like, he probably only needed to be on set a handful of actual filming days.).

The first person filming also makes this "inspired by" version uncomfortable in how it puts the viewer in the shoes of the killer. This makes the viewer confront themselves within the character; even though we're not all maniacal killers, there are elements to his experience that many people can identify with: his fumblings with the ladies or the way his past demons continue to confront him, for example.