4/5 stars

Although technically a remake of the eighties slasher of the same name, Maniac doesn’t feel like a film that’s already been made. Naturally there are elements within that will be familiar, but there is enough that intrigues to make this a horror film worth seeing. These include a very credible performance from Elijah Wood, on brilliantly creepy form as protagonist Frank, whom will undoubtedly remind some of his previous role in Sin City. However, it’s not just Wood have a bloody good time as a disturbed mannequin shop owner and serial killer that keeps the audience hooked.

Written by the team behind Switchblade Romance and the 2006 reboot of The Hills Have Eyes, the script offers more than a few laughs, particularly due to the brilliant way the cast deliver their lines. In addition, relatively unknown director Franck Khalfoun’s decision to largely use a first-person camera angle is undoubtedly unsettling, giving the audience an insight into Frank’s psyche. The creativity with which the original plot is delivered but also altered is admirable, and prevents this ‘remake’ falling into the territory to which many recent horror reboots have done.

As if all this didn’t already convince you, Maniac is watchable for the simple reason that even as a horror film, it seems perfectly self-aware. The opening is a glorious homage to the original film’s genre, and numerous allusions to other horror classics will keep film fans entertained; watch out especially for the fantastic Silence of the Lambs reference, which made my toes curl on first viewing. Blurring the lines between horror gore-fest and psychological thriller, all with tongue firmly in cheek, Maniac is refreshingly original for a remake and fiendishly entertaining. Miss this one at your peril.

Hannah Woodhead