Review of Maniac (2012) by Robert P — 12 Sep 2013

I really wasn't sure if I wanted to see this film or not t be honest. The original is ok, but nothing special and the thought of a remake with Elijah Wood just seemed like an odd pairing, but I'm pleased to say that it works pretty well! Pretty much the whole film is shot from Franks POV and I think it works surprisingly well. The story chugs along at a decent pace and the special effects are pretty good in general, but in at least one scene, you can see the makeup effect even before he gets to that bit.

The acting is ok throughout, but nothing too special. But I must say that I was quite impressed with Elijah's performance. You really get the feel for him as a troubled man and he shows a sie to his acting that I didn't think he had.

To be honest, I've only seen the original once, but I do remember it's most iconic scene. The shotgun kill through the windscreen of a car! It's totally missing from this remake and there isn't even anything like it here. I was disappointed with that at first, but thinking about it, as the killer uses a knife and razor, the sudden appearance of a gun would have been out of place here! There are some homages to the original though, including a copy of it's infamous cover in a reflection on a car after a kill.

I think it's well worth 85 minutes of your time and I can see me watching this again, unlike the original that I've owned for years, but only watched once!