Gentleman MANIAC

Remakes have always raised the nagging question of ‘why’ – and often, other than cashing in on a name or updating an already proven script, worthwhile reasons are difficult to come by. But along comes director Franck Khalfoun’s take on MANIAC, the cult classic slasher film directed by William Lustig.  With a script written by Alexandre Aja and a riveting performance by Elijah Wood in the lead role, the intent of this endeavor seems clear: to both pay homage to an influential genre film while elevating the source material into something more meaningful. The result is a collision of visceral gore and innovative visual storytelling, making for a refreshingly thrilling modern entry into the horror genre.

This MANIAC is more a slow moving portrait whose mood you feel yourself pulled into rather than a story that has you wondering what will happen next. The path is a familiar and straightforward one of boy (Frank played by Elijah Wood) meeting girl (Anna, a visual artist), boy falling for girl, and boy coming to grips with girl’s unavailability - or rather losing his grip because of it - along with the ensuing carnage. Add to this equation the fact that Frank appears to have suffered a lifetime of psychological trauma up to his current young adulthood, leading to an unhealthy pastime with stalking and mutilating women, when not running the mannequin shop that has been in his family. What draws them together is Anna’s interest in the lifeless figures in the shop window, which she envisions as part of a gallery show she is working on.

While not complicated by twists and turns, the telling of the narrative is thoroughly engaging for its stylistic choices. First and most prominent is the use of a first person POV perspective, that of the film’s murderous subject Frank, consistently throughout most of its duration. It’s a daring move, taking its well-known lead off screen onscreen for much of the movie, save for his reflected image or sequences in his mind. Yet it also creates an unsettling experience as we are forced to share Frank’s rattled mindset and voyeuristic fixations from within. All too good a job is done carrying across the obsessive excitement he experiences as he tracks his victims.

In fact, the character itself is a unique departure from typical domineering antagonists in this sort of film. Slight of build, Frank is portrayed not only as physically frail (he often succumbs to overpowering migraines), but also wracked with emotional insecurities. Such as when his sexuality is questioned, or aspects of his past are brought up in innocent jest by those he encounters…his inability to react betrays his killer persona. Speaking with a reedy voice and in an overly articulate manner, Frank is the antithesis of trendy slasher cool. This more fragile characterization along with the POV perspective makes Frank an empathetic figure to varying degrees, something that must be distinguished as a completely different thing from rooting cynically for a character’s actions.

A brilliant soundtrack, by a musician known only as ‘Rob’ is a standout feature of the film that does more to add emotional coloring to the character. Besides referencing ‘80s electronic dance music, which accurately fits the time of the original MANIAC, it makes use of synthesizer washes, which much like the work of Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream, create a sense of emptiness and isolation that Frank is coming from. Even the catchier numbers support the film thematically: the cold synth-based compositions perfectly compliment statements on image conscious superficiality that the film seems at least somewhat concerned with.

This theme is carried through in the setting as well; moved from its 1980 predecessor’s locale of a famously grimy New York City, this version takes place in Los Angeles. Khalfoun mentioned the need for an anonymous city where moments of ominous isolation could plausibly happen. Yet the destination sought by so many seeking to make a name for themselves by flaunting a fashionable look lends itself to suggestions of the glamour and artifice that gets under Frank’s skin. At the opening reception for Anna’s exhibition, Frank comes face to face with plastic smiles and hollow laughter. Viewed through his agitated perspective, they come across as threats, assaults even. ‘I sometimes feel the mannequins have more personality than people,’ Frank confides to Anna.

Do not let the attention to concept suggest the film isn’t filled with primal brutality.  The team behind MANIAC is determined not to come up short in the gore department, as flesh is sliced with brutal precision and plenty of splattered blood.  And even here themes arise. Consider afterwards, if your stomach is up for it, the manner of violence rendered on different victims and it seems Frank is lashing out at prized physical attributes, savagely attacking the very parts of the body each victim seems to value most. And, perhaps the most signature of the film’s brutal acts (and one that is shared with the original MANIAC) are the scalpings aimed at the face and hair – how better to spit in the face at what our idol culture holds most dear?

The MANIAC of 2013 is fully functional throughout its concise hour and 29 minute running time, but truly soars when marrying the aesthetics of art house and grindhouse to create imagery both repulsive and chillingly captivating. Like the near-conclusion’s flesh tearing sequence, comparable to the body horror of Cronenberg’s films, signifying the layers of Frank’s psyche being stripped away.

Maniac's Gallery: If horror is in the eye of the beholder, it's interesting to consider different presentations on the notion of psychotic killer from around the world. While above is Jeff Proctor's stylized poster for the film's US release, below are posters from South Korea, France, and Japan, where the film has already been released.

MANIAC opens Friday, June 21^st, at the IFC Center and will also be available to watch on VOD.  Those that can make it to the 9:20 screenings on Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22, when Elijah Wood will appear in person, are strongly urged to do so. His enthusiasm for the horror genre is sure to make for an entertaining evening.  

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