Rhaknar

Member
Oct 26, 2017
46,393
I'm terrible at making threads but I'll try :)

21154927_whB9O.jpeg


Title: Maniac
Where Can I watch it? - Streaming on Netflix this Friday September 21st
Who stars in it? - Emma Stone and Jonah Hill among others, and directed by Cary Fukunaga.
The True Detective Season 1 guy? - Yes, him.
What's it about? - Well let me shamefully steal from wikipedia for that one my boy:

"Maniac follows "Annie Landsberg and Owen Milgrim, two strangers drawn to the late stages of a mysterious pharmaceutical trial, each for their own reasons. Annie's disaffected and aimless, fixated on broken relationships with her mother and her sister; Owen, the fifth son of wealthy New York industrialists, has struggled his whole life with a disputed diagnosis of schizophrenia. Neither of their lives have turned out quite right, and the promise of a new, radical kind of pharmaceutical treatment—a sequence of pills its inventor, Dr. James K. Mantleray, claims can repair anything about the mind, be it mental illness or heartbreak—draws them and ten other strangers to the facilities of Neberdine Pharmaceutical and Biotech for a three-day drug trial that will, they're assured, with no complications or side-effects whatsoever, solve all of their problems, permanently."

This looks funky - Yes, it does.

Reviews

http://www.vulture.com/2018/09/maniac-netflix-review.html

But just as the procedure is meant to shock its subjects out of the drudgery of their everyday lives, the audacity and eccentricity of the thing comes as a welcome jolt to a Peak TV universe where too many shows are capable but familiar, coherent but dull.

Is it real? Hell if I know. Is it entertaining? Absolutely.

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-reviews/maniac-netflix-review-724967/

Substance-wise, it never quite adds up to as much as it aspires to, but it's just so weird, gorgeous, surprising and, yes, fun that the hollowness ultimately didn't bother me that much. (Think: Legion Season One as opposed to Legion Season Two.) The emperor's new clothes may be invisible, but goddamn do they look good on him.

https://ew.com/tv/2018/09/13/maniac-review-netflix/

Maniac is as much fun as getting your head examined. The miserable Netflix miniseries, debuting Sept. 21, could only have been made in 2018. Movie stars, elaborate set pieces, a big-looking budget, indescribable concept, every genre imaginable wrapped up into a sci-fi fantasy romcom dramedic spoof plus feels: Think how far TV had to evolve to produce ponderous dreck like this. Years ago, we complained how networks sanded away all their project's sharp edges. Now, unfettered creative freedom shall bestow upon us a misshapen behemoth of unconditional sharpness.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/maniac/s01/ - Currently 83% Fresh

Trailers




Pictures

Netflix-Maniac-Cast.jpg

landscape-1537177222-screen-shot-2018-09-17-at-103957-am.jpg

gallery-1512040094-emma-stone-filming-maniac.jpg

1246160.jpeg


I forgot Fukunaga's first name name in the OT sigh, told you i'm shit at this :(
 
Last edited:

Smurf

Member
Oct 25, 2017
27,348
I'm looking forward to it. Have to finish a couple of shows before I give it a go tho.
 

Prompto

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,084
That EW review is brutal. I'm guessing this will still be enjoyable though. Other reviews seem to think its good
 

RatskyWatsky

Are we human or are we dancer?
Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,936
Good work Rhaknar! I'm looking forward to checking this out later tonight.
 

Arkestry

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,983
London
Just finished the first episode. I absolutely love the tone and aesthetic, but it's really hard to know how this is going to play out as we're launched into it without any real explanation. Either way I'm interested to see how it goes, Stone and Hill are definitely doing a good job.
 

papermoon

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
1,907
Just skimmed that EW review. Everything that critic slammed makes me predict I will love this. Will watch, then return to confirm.
 

shaneo632

Weekend Planner
Member
Oct 29, 2017
30,220
Wrexham, Wales
This show has the best sex scene of 2018 hands down.

Kinda shocked at the lack of comments here and online generally. I get the feeling Netflix might end up disappointed by the viewing figures given the stars involved.
 

Deleted member 22070

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
498
On the fourth ep and loving it. It definitely takes its time, but the world building and attention to details is quite amazing.

A really interesting mixture of wild fun and weirdness and serious themes.
 

Valcrist

Tic-Tac-Toe Champion
Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,410
This show has the best sex scene of 2018 hands down.

Kinda shocked at the lack of comments here and online generally. I get the feeling Netflix might end up disappointed by the viewing figures given the stars involved.
Perhaps everyone is just busy binging it. I've been watching it since 10AM and I'm on the final episode now.

Show is great stuff. I guess "limited series" means this is the only season of the show. Not too surprised given that Cary Fukunaga doesn't really stay on one thing for long.
 

Cartoonic21

Member
Oct 25, 2017
216
+1 on binging it - it's definitely strange but it picks up a fair amount.

I'll round back with final thoughts once I'm done probably.
 

Arkestry

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,983
London
Oh my god, the informational video with Justin Theroux is just the best fucking thing in the world. I had to go back and watch it like three times.
 

ReAxion

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,882
didn't hear anything about this until someone recommended it today. gonna watch it tonight.
 

shaneo632

Weekend Planner
Member
Oct 29, 2017
30,220
Wrexham, Wales
Just finished episode 5. Still hasn't clicked for me. Performances and production values are strong but it just feels like a bunch of Weird Shit without much connective tissue. It's just leaving me totally empty.
 

Valcrist

Tic-Tac-Toe Champion
Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,410
Just finished it. It's a great show with some uneven parts. Not exactly the quality I expect from this director, but close.

End spoiler:
"Because I'm your friend." is also not really what I wanted to hear, so it was sort of unfulfilling as an ending but oh well.
 

NameUser

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,444
I had forgotten all about this! It's so nice to load up Netflix and see something you were pumped about. Gonna watch a few episodes tonight.
 

shaneo632

Weekend Planner
Member
Oct 29, 2017
30,220
Wrexham, Wales
I havent tried it yet, but mine says Ultra HD 4k. You saying it shows that but actually plays at 1080p?

Nah I'm wrong. Someone on Reddit said the show was shot with cameras and graded to look "vintage" hence why it looks very washed out and grainy. I did a test and it's definitely outputting in 4K, 1080p in my web browser looks nowhere near as good.

Still a shame it doesn't really "pop" how I hoped it would.