Maniac (2012)
Decided to go see this after work, and traveled out of my way to do so seeing it's on so few screens in London - boy, am I glad I did.
What a film! A proper horror film - I haven't said that for a while - and one owing as much to arthouse as exploitation. Beautifully directed, I loved the aesthetic, and despite its contemporary setting its heart is in the 80s, complete with a terrific synthy soundtrack courtesy of Rob. Elijah Wood shakes off all traces of the shire and convinces as the edgy, crazy-eyed killer - he's impressively psychotic. It's unflinchingly violent, the unnerving first person viewpoint making us helplessly complicit to the numerous gruesome scalpings and other satisfyingly grisly moments.
I liked this a lot. Franck Khalfoun has paid affectionate homage to the original, while successfully updating it. Inspired casting too.
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