Maniac (2012)

What to Expect

Maniac is a reboot of the original Maniac from 1980, a legendary slasher about a schizophrenic serial killer who uses the scalps of his victims to turn creepy mannequins into effigies. This Maniac, unlike that Maniac, takes an entirely unique approach to horror cinema by creating a first person point of view to effectively put the viewer in the killers shoes. This approach not only makes you almost feel complicit in his kills, but helps to convey how he doesn't feel in control over his actions. The only time you see Franks face is when he sees himself in various reflections, watching himself kill in this way is an effective way of showing how he's not actually in control over his actions. And being a schizophrenic who is driven to kill by an alter personality really helps to create a weird sense of empathy that you normally wouldn't have for a guy who kills innocent people just to snatch their hair.