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By Charlene Badasie
| Published 8 seconds ago

The 2018 dark comedy-drama Maniac is streaming on Netflix. Created by Patrick Somerville and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the 10-episode series is a reimagining of the Norwegian series of the same name. It stars Jonah Hill and Emma Stone in the lead roles, supported by a stellar ensemble cast including Justin Theroux, Sally Field, Sonoya Mizuno, Gabriel Byrne, and Jemima Kirke.

Maniac Stars Jonah Hill and Emma Stone

Maniac tells the story of two strangers, Owen Milgrim (Jonah Hill) and Annie Landsberg (Emma Stone), who sign up for a mysterious pharmaceutical trial. Owen is a man struggling with schizophrenia, while Annie is dealing with a traumatic past and a strained relationship with her family. Both are looking for an escape from their troubled lives.

The pharmaceutical trial they join promises to solve all their problems with no complications or side effects. Led by Dr. James K. Mantleray (Justin Theroux), it involves a series of mind-bending, immersive experiences induced by experimental drugs. As Owen and Annie undergo treatment, they bond within a series of interconnected and surreal alternate realities.

A Cure For What Ails You

Maniac begins in New York City, where Owen Milgrim hides his schizophrenia symptoms. After losing his job, Owen joins a trial at Neberdine, a pharmaceutical company, for a new drug that promises to cure all disorders. There, he meets Annie Landsberg, who helps him avoid trouble by pretending to know him. Annie, dealing with her own issues, gets into the drug trial by stealing a badge.

After taking the “A” pill, Annie relives her sister Ellie’s death. Annie, Owen, and another test subject are questioned after the “A” pill test, and Owen reveals his past trauma. When the GRTA supercomputer malfunctions, it links Annie and Owen during the “B” pill test. The malfunction leads to complications in the trial, and Dr. Greta Mantleray (Sally Field) is brought in to fix it.

Well-Received By Critics And Audiences Alike

Maniac received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Hill and Stone, as well as the ambitious and imaginative storytelling. The series was lauded for its unique visual style, thought-provoking themes, and eclectic approach. The aesthetic draws on influences from the 1980s and incorporates retro-futuristic elements.

The series premiered at the Southbank Centre in London, England, in September 2018, followed by its American debut two days later at Center 415 in Manhattan, New York. Maniac, described as “wild, audacious, addictive” and a “brilliant piece of world-building,” currently holds an 84 percent critics score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes alongside an equally impressive 84 percent audience rating.

A Little Too Cold And Calculating

While the overall consensus was largely positive, Maniac was not without its detractors. Some reviewers felt that the show was too calculated and lacked the thrill of the unexpected despite its mind-bending premise. One critic noted that while incredibly fun to watch, the series becomes emptier the more one thinks about it.

Sill, Maniac serves as a bold and unconventional exploration of the human psyche, marked by standout performances and a distinctive visual flair. The Netflix series is a definite must-watch for fans of the black psychological comedy-drama genre.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 26 seconds ago

Part of what makes Batman’s rogues gallery so compelling is that many of the bad guys in it are surprisingly sympathetic. Mr. Freeze isn’t some generic sci-fi villain, for example; he’s a man on a mission to save his dying wife. Two-Face wasn’t born a monster; rather, a monstrous transformation was forced upon him, breaking his mind. Unless you watched Batman: The Animated Series, though, you may not realize who the most sympathetic villain of all is: Clayface. Once a movie star, he was disfigured and embraced a desperate solution to restore his good looks. Unfortunately, it all went wrong, and his mind embraced the horror that his body had become.

Surprisingly enough, James Gunn decided that a solo Clayface movie should be the third film in the DCU. Obviously, it’s a bold strategy to make a Batman villain movie without Batman, and many fans questioned whether the Superman director had gone a little loopy. Apparently, though, there’s method to Gunn’s madness: the official trailer for Clayface gives us our best look yet at the DC’s first real horror film. With captivating performances and genuinely creepy body horror, this trailer promises to deliver all the scares that comic book fans can handle.

Definitely Eat BEFORE You Watch The Trailer

The Clayface trailer reveals a slightly tweaked origin story for main character Matt Hagen. Instead of being a more established actor, he’s a young, rising star with his entire career ahead of him. Instead of getting injured in a car accident like in Batman: The Animated Series, he is attacked by a local crime boss who leaves the actor’s beautiful face scarred and deformed. Hagen connects with a scientist who is working on an experimental procedure that could restore his famous face. At first, it works; however, it doesn’t take long for his body to start breaking down, transforming Gotham’s latest actor into its latest supervillain.

The trailer is very solid and will go a long way towards restoring the faith of fans nervous about the failure of Supergirl. Previously, those fans were asking the obvious question: if DC had such trouble creating a successful superhero film (something they had done many times before), how bad would their first horror film be? However, this trailer hints at an ambitious, well-crafted movie that will potentially blow us away. It looks so good, in fact, that we can forgive some of its more trope-y elements, like including a creepy, slowed-down version of a popular song (“Do You Realize??” by the Flaming Lips). 

A Killer Leading Man

What does the trailer do well? For one thing, Clayface leading actor Tom Rhys Harries does an amazing job as the titular character. His passion is palpable, and he really sells the idea that this rising star is in over his head at every turn. That helps make Clayface a more sympathetic character, of course: like most real-life villains, this fictional character is a victim of circumstances beyond his control. Furthermore, the road to his personal hell is paved with actions that most of us would take in his place, including taking desperate measures to get his old life back.

Aside from Harries’ excellent performance, the best thing about this Clayface trailer is how fully it leans into body horror. Now, these kinds of frights aren’t for everyone, but if you love the filmography of David Cronenberg, you’ll like what you see here. Shots of our protagonist’s scarred face are truly jarring, and it’s tough not to wince in sympathetic pain when watching his body writhe and transform. The creepy climax, though, is when his eyes start getting covered by his skin. Trust me: you’re going to scream into your hand when you see him bust the scissors out!

Body Horror Is Back On The Menu, Boys

The performances, music, and gross-out special effects come together to create a perfectly unsettling vibe. Gotham’s aesthetic is one of glamorous decay, one that channels the colorful excess of Batman Forever and the grimy bleakness of Joker. The creepy song does its job to keep you on the edge of your seat as you await the revelation of each new terror. The Clayface trailer is peak horror perfection: you can’t look away, even as you know that everything is going to get worse for every single person you see onscreen.

Obviously, this is just a trailer, and its good editing doesn’t mean the film will be good (remember, Supergirl had tight trailers, too). However, this is a movie I’ve had faith in ever since I heard that horror auteur Mike Flanagan was writing the script. Looking at the trailer, that faith has been rewarded, as the whole movie looks just as eerie and unsettling as I hoped it would. Will the final film live up to this trailer and the general hype? We’ll find out when Clayface oozes into theaters on October 23.