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.

Well well well...a movie that put this lady off from dating a fellow for quite some time. There are a lot other films out there with the same title. Don't get confused, this is the 2012 title. Others claim to be horror but are just cheap jokes. This movie is quality gore, serious in tone, strong writing of characters. Tight taut terrific direction. Stunning 'acting' from the 'Maniac'.

A psychopath on the loose. Or should I just say, a young boy with unresolved mother issues as a result of which others (girls, in particular) have to suffer?

Once he sets his eyes on the next target, nothing gets in the way. Very cunningly he establishes where the victims live and like a skilled craftsman carries out his hideous crimes, without remorse, second thoughts or hesitation.

Pivotal to the story is the appearance of an artist who has an acute interests in these plastic mannequins something that appeals greatly to the disturbed young man. Much as his instincts are ever present she somehow causes him to not be himself which is no little thing.

Great job has been done to bring intensity on the screen. We follow the troubled man, we agonise as he prepares his next murder, we feel sorrow when he indulges his animal instincts. Elijah wood is outstanding as the loner with a dark secret.

Another plus would have to be how the director gives it a very 80's look and feel without ever misleading us from the fact that it is a very modern day story.

Ultimately, although the direction by a Frenchman has its obvious advantages it remains a Hollywood movie. Hyperbole, gory scenes for the sake of it and a sense of stretched reality deprive this appealing story from further deserved points.

This is a very gory and bloody film and unless you don't mind watching these types of films you won't like it.

I've not seen the original so I can't compare the two. Elijah Wood is an actor I like and he is excellent in this as the serial killing maniac. I found it hard to get into the film but this is one film that gradually improves as it goes along rather than fades away.

Along with the bloody horror there are a number of really tense scenes. It is the most unsettling film I've seen in a while. Maniac is well filmed and uses some very interesting filming techniques. I can't say I enjoyed watching it too much was a bit too sadistic for my taste. However for it's type this is a very good effort.

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.