Sometimes it works but most of the time it just sucks. The best thing about this movie was the unbelievable beautiful Nora Arnezeder.

I've never actually seen the original, but this was a very well-made and nasty horror film. Elijah Wood does a great job here. I found him quite scary. Nora Arnezeder was really beautiful and likeable. The score music is terrific. While I didn't fall in love with it there is plenty to like and respect about this film if you can stomach it.

7/10 ( B )

It falls a bit short of its full potential, but I found this an interesting and at times disturbing genre exercise. The utilization of the point-of-view presentation to capture the protagonist's fractured, pained mental state and to build suspense during the chase sequences is very neat, as is the anxious, atmospheric, Tangerine Dream style score. I am not sure there is much at play beneath the hood, if you will, but it is a worthy viewing experience for the style and the suspense. I will admit to having not seen the original film.

B-

Maniac

Equal parts awesome and equal parts boring. Let's start with the bad; the acting and dialogue were lame as shit. However, the music was great (when it occurred) and the kills were ball-tinglingly awesome too. Maybe my balls are sensitive, but each kill was carried out with cuts and stabbings to sensitive areas, and the effects overall were fantastic. But Elijah Wood doesn't do enough to make Maniac a good film. These girls must be dumb as shit to ever think that he's anything but a serial killer. I don't care how French you are, Wood looks like a stereotypical stalker - you just have to look at his dirty, overgrown nails to know that. The novelty of the first-person view runs out pretty soon into the film.

B-