I did not know that Maniac (2012) was a remake, but was interested in it after seeing the trailers because I enjoy slasher movies, and I think highly of Elijah Wood, who should get all the work that the low rent Tobey Maguire gets. While I theoretically appreciated Maniac (2012), I did not enjoy it and would not recommend it.
Maniac (2012) is told from the point of view of the titular character, which makes you feel trapped in his sick and delusional world and powerless to stop. Even though he objectifies the women who are his victims, the victims seem like three-dimensional characters with careers, friendships, troubles and desires even through his demented eyes. The soundtrack is reminiscent of John Carpenter’s 80s synthetic sounds of terror. Maniac (2012) is well executed and unrelenting. So why didn’t I like it?
First, because Maniac (2012) is told from the titular character’s perspective, it is rare that the viewer sees Wood, but we do hear him as he talks to himself or others. Because his voice sounds like it comes from your own head, his voice sounds different from the rest of the scene’s sounds, and I was very conscious that the film uses recordings of his voice after the scene was shot, which kept taking me out of the film. Second, abuse is awful, and parents should not have sex in front of their children, but seeing this explanation for psychotic behavior so frequently has me wondering if this theory has any basis in reality, or if it is a movie trope. Mommy didn’t love me. I don’t care. Third, Maniac (2012) is unflinchingly and realistically gruesome, which is technically a good thing, but excuse me while I retch. For me, the worst scene was in the parking lot even though I totally knew what was going to happen. Fourth, buckle up. Fifth, I am tired of the almost impossible to kill killer. Maniac (2012) is supposed to be realistic, but you could have felled anyone with only a fraction of the injuries received by the titular character.
Maniac (2012) is technically excellent, but repelled me. Skip it.