Alexandre Ajas Maniac

Incredibly well shot, with an inventive first hand P.O.V. gimmick that actually works and brings enough originality to the plate to give it a reason for a reboot. It's about as unpleasant as the original film, but with a little less grit and sleaziness. I definitely cringed and had to close my eyes a few times. It's nice to "see" Elijah Wood in a role like this. We don't really get very many glimpses of him since it's all shot from his P.O.V., but he turns in a great performance.

Dude I love this movie/ now I'm not saying the original wasn't not great, it was amazing. But this remake was pretty sweet. Alot of gore and great kills. Elijah wood did a great job That dude was on top of his game when he did this movie. Aldo like all the first person killings. Though it brought a little kick to making the movie better.

If your a horror movie lover / serial killer movie well .. see it

This movie has a relatively "classic" plot, serial killer and all that jazz but what makes this movie unique and definitely worth the watch is the fact that 99% of the movie is in first person view. This adds a creative twist into what exactly a serial killer sees and achieves something that so few films can pull off. Elijah Wood does an incredible job portraying a messed up man and really gets into the role. All in all the acting was really good, the plot was basic yet somehow very interesting and the filming was incredibly well done. If you have an extra hour and a half this is 100% worth watching.

Now this movie isn't for the weak of heart or for people that have weak stomachs. The kills in this movie is realistic and very gruesome looking. Although it lacks tension, it's better than a lot of the redundant slasher movies that go straight to DVD. What is unique about this movie is that it put you in the view point of the killer and for the most part goes in a first person view direction. And just with that this movie can get difficult to watch at points. Watching this movie was liked watching a slasher version of "Enter the Void" except instead of a wandering spirit, it's in the view point of the killer. Elijah Wood is really good at playing this obsessive, creepy or mentally unstable psycho killer roles. And he really nails it in this one as well. Although it lacks in tension it makes up for it with the visuals and the psychological aspect of things. Now I haven't seen the original and while this is a remake, I think it's a stand alone film. It's a disturbing film from start to finish and will have most people's attention that can handle it, all the way through. Psycho slasher movie fans will most definitely enjoy this one.

7.6/10

Updated for the internet dating era and given a first person point-of-view treatment that forces us to view everything from the title character's perspective a la 'Enter the Void', this contemporary take on William Lustig's 'Maniac' is more innovative than your average genre remake. While Elijah Wood's face is often obscured due to the way the film is shot, the film also benefits greatly from his casting as, with big blue eyes and milquetoast mannerisms, he seems like anything but your average serial killer. There is also more attempt to explore his damaged childhood and his desire for a girlfriend. This time round, his love interest mistakes him for a gay platonic friend due to his obsession with "dolls" (mannequins) and reluctance to hit on her. The mannequins also figure better into the plot here with Wood actually owning a mannequin store. The film does, however, disappointingly ditch Joe Spinell's curious obsession with photographs as a form of preservation from the first film, which in turn renders his dressing up of the mannequins a tad random. The violence, while quite graphic, also does not have the same shock value this time round, and while the film maintains the original's semi-supernatural ending, the effect is not quite the same knowing that it is coming. Overall though, the 2012 'Maniac' offers some substantial improvements on the original, the point-of-view cinematography is frequently breathtaking and the incorporation of 'Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' footage is excellent. The music is at least as atmospheric, if not more so, and Wood is really quite creepy.