Maniac (Netflix) (1 Viewer)

[Josh Dial]

Netflix dropped all episodes of Maniac on September 22, 2018. Created by Patrick Somerville (based on a Norwegian TB series) and skillfully directed by Cari Fukunaga, the show can best be described--without spoilers--as a combination of Black Mirror, Legion, The Leftovers, and Mr. Robot.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

Yikes, what a mix of often confusing narratives. But I'll have to check it out as a fan of most of those.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Maniac is definitely an experience. Whether its one you love or hate is based entirely on how you perceive said experience. FWIW I loved it.

 

[benbess]

Binge watched the 10 episodes of Maniac over the last 3 days. Funny, visually interesting, good performances, some good ideas. Clearly they borrow a lot (without saying so) from Philip K. Dick. But PKD has more content than we ultimately find here, if that makes sense. Anyway, my overall rating: "B".

 

[revgen]

I watched the first episode and I was bored throughout. Maybe it gets better later, but the first episode simply didn't hook me in.

 

[John Dirk]

Haven't seen this one but I like how it sparks commentary. Perhaps worth a view and thanks for sharing.

 

[MarkMel]

Finished. Generally enjoyed and went along for the ride. Came here to help get a consensus as to what I thought I watched - lol

 

[DaveF]

Netflix's auto-preview feature and promotions for Maniac caught my attention. And friends recommended it as a short must-watch. The wife was intrigued so we decided to watch it over the past two weeks, since Fall TV is still ramping up and we're not ready to jump into our next season of other major streaming shows (Man in the High Tower S2 or JJ S2).

Maniac was fun. I'm becoming a fan of these modern mini-series. I loved (*LOVED*) The O.A. And Maniac is another good example of the merits of a self-contained 10 episode "TV" show.

Being an '80s kid, I love how Stranger Things and The Americans inhabit the '80s as period pieces. But experiencing 2018 as imagined through the lens of the 1980s extrapolated forward is a wildly different experience. Having played the Fallout 3and Fallout 4 video games, I've seen what can be done with a retro-future '50s theme. Seeing this accomplished for the '80s was unexpectedly thrilling.

As for the story: I enjoyed Maniac. It was weird and a bit confusing and generally unexpected, and ultimately had a big-hearted, happy ending. It wasn't as ground-breaking bonkers as Legion S1. But it told a complete, satisfying story which is a big positive. I can't give Maniac a blanket endorsement due to its over-the-top violence in places and the sexual themes in a couple of other moments. But, if you're ok with adult and mature themes (in all meanings of those words) and are open to weird and playful TV storytelling, Maniac is a show to check out. And a real plus that it's less than ten hours total viewing for a complete story.