Maniac

Maniac (2018) 

An intriguing beginning full of potential and an impressive ending that will bring all weaklings to their knees in a strong finale. However, in between, there is just a bit too much of everything. Colors, mood changes, ideas, but before I admire the originality and individual entries into new visions, various premonitions come to mind, and I find myself struggling to figure out how to best be inspired by The Matrix, Fight Club, A Clockwork Orange, or even Mr. Robot. Despite the slightly forced, yet still admirable genre crossover, everything ultimately rests on the core of the main duo. A pair of shaky broken souls that, thanks to the always precise Emma Stone and to my great shock, also the perfect Jonah Hill, leave the viewer amazed and cheering time and time again, even though the secret lies hidden somewhere in a mysterious corner of the brain on how to ward off and heal sadness and despair. Unfortunately, as soon as there is too much talk about the entire research project, Justin Theroux is forced to play a caricature and it immediately throws me off. I understand that creators tend to be a bit mischievous in calmer waters with a fabric full of big scientific words and philosophical paraphrases, but it simply doesn't work, and it ended up taking me several long minutes to get back to the depths of the original concept. Despite the reassuring knowledge that despite all the deeds and twists, Maniac is primarily about finding salvation in unexpected places, I will round up my rating. After all, there can never be enough of such certainties. (2018-10-21)