Maniac

Language: English (American) 
Genre: Horror 
Length: 89 mins

Director: Franck Khalfoun 
Writer: Alexandre Aja, Grégory Levasseur, C.A. Rosenburgh, (original Screenplay) Joe Spinell 
Cast: Elijah Wood, Nora Arnezeder 

Plot

Frank is a psycho murderer who stalks, kills and scalps women.  He takes the scalps back home and staples them to the heads of retro manikin. These are in plenty supply as Frank has inherited a shop full of them from his mother.  One day Frank meets artist Anna when she photograph’s his retro manikin’s in the shop window.  He strikes up a friendship with her, possibly his first relationship with a woman other than his mother, but his psychosis is overwhelming and Anna’s life is in danger.

Review

Beautifully filmed, especially the night shots where colours pop against black backgrounds.  The film looks very slick and glossy and I’m not sure this works with a slasher horror, but as the film is supposed to be from Frank’s point of view and Frank see’s beauty in the revolting (shop dummies with bloody human wigs transform into beautiful women in his imagination) then the director’s choices here make sense. 

 

As mentioned the director has made the interesting choice of shooting the film in the first person (like Doom), so Frank’s face is only seen when reflected in mirrors or windows. This technique has the effect of continually reminding you you are watching a film. Traditionally techniques where the film making becomes invisible and viewers forget they are watching a film may have worked better.  But still, it was interesting.

The plot all seemed a bit farfetched, even for a horror, particularly the notion that Frank’s mother is the instigator of his madness which is a bit annoying (it’s always the woman’s fault). The women are all completely stupid; Frank looks dodgy and ill when we see him in reflections, but the girls still thrown themselves at him. Very strange. And as the film is a remake of an older film could have been a great opportunity to re-imagine the role of women in horror.The slasher element is completely gory and distressing, as a horror this film really works.

Elijah Wood will always be Frodo, but he was pretty convincing as the bulging eyed, frantic and delusional Frank. Nora Arnezeder (Anna) plays well as the nice girl and then victim, but it’s not really a demanding role for her.

Overall great slasher weak on motivations.

Budget: Low budget.

2 out of 5 stars.