Alastair Van Maren

Look, overall, it's a decent movie in most respects. The acting (less the first 10ish minutes which felt weirdly awkward) is great, the dialogue is fun, the characters are quirky and memorable, the cinematography and production design are excellent, and the plot, while meandering, is pretty interesting to watch unfold. My wife and I had high hopes despite the overall poor reviews, largely because we love Russell's other movies so much (American Hustle is probably our favorite movie). Frankly, it's hard to believe that the same person wrote and directed this movie. Aspects of the screenwriting seem downright amateurish. There's a whole monologue at the end explaining exactly what this film is about, but that doesn't actually communicate anything that wasn't immediately obvious. As a result, it just comes off as an object lesson in exactly how much damage to a film that kind of patronizing moralizing can do.

A lot of people seem to strongly dislike Maniac; at least as many as rave about it. Or perhaps they're just more vocal. Either way, this is pretty interesting, as most shows aren't nearly that polarizing. All that can really be said is: try it. Give it 4 or 5 episodes, and if you "don't get it" then don't bother finishing it. Note that "getting it" here can only really be judged in terms of how you react to the show. In this case, it means almost every episode having you nearly in tears at least once, and laughing uproariously or giggling quietly to yourself many times. The show is by turns hilarious and heartbreaking, but you absolutely have to give it your full attention or much of the humor and heart that really makes it tick will be lost on you. My pet theory for why so many people seem to vehemently dislike it is because they weren't really paying close attention to it. This is one of those rare shows that really, REALLY rewards you for paying attention to it. The details make the show, so if you are looking for something to half-watch while you browse online or do something else, don't watch this. It truly deserves your full attention. In short, Maniac is the best TV show I've seen in years, possibly ever. Give it a chance, but make sure you are focused on it while you do.