Dual Mania

Very captivating and unpredictable all the way through. A Psychological thriller that won't leave you disappointed. Excellent Soundtrack and Film Score !

Dual Mania (2021) Movie Review Tags: #suspense #thriller #psychologicalthriller #filmnoir Film Information Director: Joseph Strickland Producer: Joseph Strickland Writer: Joseph Strickland US Theatrical Release Date: July 3, 2021 Cast Joseph Plummer as Dr Steven Livingston Sherrice Eaglin as Lydia Michael Spitz as Tommy Valentine Renee Domenz as Lucy Yvonne Huff as Delores Duane Sharp as the Record Store Manager Ali Goodman as the woman in the red dress Et. Al.

Rating = 5/5 Stars Synopsis In Dual Mania, a new doctor arrives in the energetic city of Chicago. He begins setting up his practice and takes charge of an unassuming young patient. With a history of unpredictable and violent behaviour, the doctor is determined to get to the root of it. Meanwhile, the doctor himself is going through a tumultuous time in his own life. His attraction to his new fiancé is waning and he begins to stray. The patient's condition quickly deteriorates. Little does the doctor know... a most insidious and dangerous game is about to begin.

Viewing and Special FX Factors The film is R rated and has scenes of adult activity, harsh language, intense graphic violence, drug abuse and nudity.

The film has limited special FX. Shot in 16mm, the film is set in the modern day, weaved with a seductive jazz background score.

Dual Mania Review Directed by Joseph Strickland, Dual Mania (2021) is a stellar psychological thriller which is both scientific and artistic. The film is set in a bustling and energetic Chicago. Dr Steven Livingston starts working at a psychotherapist's firm and takes on a new patient, Tommy Valentine. The pain and trauma from Tommy's childhood lingers and occasionally finds violent expression even to this day.

The concept of the film is noirish with the classic brash and sleazy characters alongwith mournful, dark visuals. Each main character has a darker side which is painstakingly revealed as the plot unfolds. The cinematography is pleasantly unusual as the film was captured on 16mm so it has the ability to take you back in time. Yet, the theme and story has been set in the modern day which makes it truly relatable.

The character development for Dr Steven Livingston and Tommy Valentine is edgy and contrasting. Playing the rescuer, the doctor is fully committed to his duty and uncovering the root of Valentine's mental trauma. However, he is internally struggling in his own life and refuses to face his own reality. After his recent engagement to beautiful Lydia, the doctor finds himself getting attracted to other women. At the same time, Valentine keeps trying to conceal his past by playing a mental cat and mouse game with his therapist - indeed, a reflection of Dr Livingston's own reality.

The wide frame style of direction usually captures full dialogues in a single scene. This lends authenticity to the film's depiction. The cast and actors are the highlight of the film because of the very real, believable performances. It feels like a snippet in time from our own experience. There is a depth in the screenplay with strong backstories which give you something to chew on. In fact, this is an alternative film with universal appeal.

Overall, I highly recommend this film because of it's eery appeal. True to the thriller genre, the story grows and envelopes you in a sense of impending dread. The film keys into the likes of Psycho and showcases how a seemingly normal person can turn into something unrecognisable. Definitely, this award winning film is a must watch!

For the foregoing reasons, I would give Dual Mania 5 stars.

* OFFICIAL FEATURED REVIEW 15 FEBRUARY 2019 - REVIEW BY ROME PRISMA INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS

Writing a psychological thriller is very complex, because aside from the artistic point of view you need to study the matter you are referring to scientifically, and to be precise and believable about it.

In this feature film shot in 16mm called "Dual Mania" by Joseph Strickland, a newly graduated doctor starts a job at a psychotherapist firm and starts talking to a new patient, a guy named Tommy, that will reveal during the film how its haunting past made him troubled, unpredictable and, most of all, dangerous.

It is a film that has a very simple but effective directing language that is at the service of the screenplay and often uses only one long take to frame a dialogue. It is very hard to judge its cinematography because the copy we had to review was a poor resolution one, but the scenes are lit with a tone we found proper. Above all others, this movie has two major values: its cast and actors, that are very well directed and offer a clean, believable performance - and above all others its protagonist - and the screenplay, which actually shows study and preparation on the subject.

As the plot unfolds we become more and more aware of how Tommy's past is still troubling him and changing him, and how the things he has in common with the doctor compromise their therapy and relationship up to the final revenge that the psycho takes on him.

We really found this movie to be a well-written story, with a lot of attention on the staging of the actors and a film language that is very delicate and never excessive.

-Reviews by prismaadmin

I enjoy watching a lot of films. But I am drawn to the genre called suspense or psychological suspense. I'm not quite sure if this film is a thriller. But it certainly has plenty of scares in it to be called one. The film has a peculiar way of telling a story about a patient in need of help. But the subplot about the doctor's own troubled life starts to mirror the patient's life and then revelations begin to slowly reveal some disturbing secrets where all hell breaks loose. Explicit sex and some scenes of violence could be very disturbing. This moody, strange film is original in many ways and for that reason I believe it will gather a devoted following. Not for the faint of heart.

Wow! I saw this film at a film festival and all I can say is...what a mindblogging experience! Intense, raw and twisted film noir movie!