Maniac (2013)
Starring Elijah Wood and Nora Arnezeder
Directed by Franck Khalfoun
***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***
The "ick factor" runs high through Maniac, a horror flick that tells its whole story through the eyes of its titular killer. While Elijah Wood is billed as the star and his voice is heard throughout, his time onscreen is minimal seen only reflected in mirrors or windows. Director Franck Khalfoun creates a voyeuristic approach by filming everything from the point of view of Wood's Frank Zito, a mannequin restorer by day and a cold blooded, psychopathic, and very disturbed serial killer by night. This directorial and visual technique never allows the viewer a respite from the disturbing images we encounter and I think this how that aforementioned "ick factor" finds itself a bit higher here than in other films of this ilk.
Ultimately, the film succeeds at what I can only imagine was its desire to place us squarely in the mind of a serial killer. By making us tangentially "feel" as if we're skinning the head of one of Frank's victims, it provides a unique and uncomfortable twist on the typical horror movie plot. However, the film doesn't succeed at feeling like anything more than an interesting experiment from a college film class. The acting on all fronts is lukewarm at best and Wood's voiceovers oftentimes feel out of place and added during post-production (which they probably were, but it makes many scenes seem forced and fake). Couple that with the fact that Frank's motives behind the killings felt tired and are presented much better in the similarly themed Psycho -- a movie that you may have heard me praise once or twice on this blog -- and the movie ends up falling flat.
The RyMickey Rating: C-
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