Maniac

Maniac
(2013) [Trailer]
Director: Frank Khalfoun (IMDB)

Not too long ago I did a review for the original Maniac, you can read it HERE. I really enjoy William Lustig's version and consider it one of the greater slasher films out there. When I saw the trailer for this remake, I must admit, I was kind of excited… it actually looked pretty good. But trailers can be deceitful, so I figured I'd give it a run through and let you know if it's worth your hard earned time. 

Synopsis: Frodo is a psycho killer who goes around hacking off the scalps of young women.

Maniac is a solid slasher flick... and while paying homage to the original, still manages to feel like its own film. Elijah Woods, who feels completely different than Joe Spinell (the original maniac), still manages to come across as a creepy ass dude and is successful in making the character work. One thing that did bother me about his performance, while not his fault, is that it's all in the first person point of view. It started to really grade on me about 20 mins in and I think I would have liked this film a lot more if it was shot normally. 

Something that should definitely be addressed when comparing Maniacs is the setting. New York in the late 70's was gnarly and a very scary place. The original did just about as good as a job as you could ask for encapsulating that aesthetic. This remake takes place in LA in modern times and it just doesn't even come close to being as effective in my opinion.

If you're a fan of gore, there's lots to make you happy here. There were plenty of cringe worthy moments and if you have a weak stomach, I'd skip out on this. The ending is pretty dark and depressing, the way it should be. In life, there are no happy endings… get used to it people.

If you like horror, especially the slasher genre, I'd take a chance on this. I think you'd enjoy it.