Review of Maniac (2012) by Adrian Z — 19 May 2013

As a remake of a critically loathed yet cultish exploitation film from 1980, hopes were not high, but Maniac turns out to be effectively unsettling. Elijah Wood is beyond chilling as a seriously disturbed serial killer who is into scalping women so that can then place their hair on mannequins and enact twisted role plays.

Three killings occur,the third feeling like an expository lull too many, but it is then that Wood's character meets pretty French artist Nora Arnezeder and seems to develop feelings for her, which generates high levels of tension and puts the film back on track.

Will he kill her like the others or spare her? Shot mostly as Wood's POV (heavy breathing included), it almost seems like a gimmick at first, but as the film progresses, the move proves to be a great instigator of tension.

Creepy then, but more often than not shocking, virtue of the nearly intolerable level of ultrarealistic gore. You've been warned, some scenes are very distressing. Effective electronic score by Rob.