Maniac

Name: Maniac
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Horror
Released: March 6, 1981
Duration: 87 min
Rating: 22
Cast: Abigail Clayton, Caroline Munro, Hyla Marrow, James L. Brewster, Joe Spinell

1981

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 4 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Ratings

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6.7

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6.7	Your Score
6.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Ratings

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Maniac

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Movie Details & Credits

Analysis Film Releasing Corporation | Release Date: March 6, 1981 | R

Starring: Abigail Clayton, Caroline Munro, Hyla Marrow, James L. Brewster, Joe Spinell, Kelly Piper, Linda Lee Walter, Rita Montone, Tom Savini, Tracie Evans

Summary: A psychotic man, troubled by his childhood abuse, loose in New York City, kills young women and takes their scalps as his trophies. Will he find the perfect woman in a photographer, and end his killing spree?

Director: William Lustig

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 87 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Chad Byrnes

A Freudian nightmare with a lead who looks like the guy who runs your local pizzeria, Maniac also features one of the great head explosions in cinema history. Read full review

Chris Cabin

Maniac simply exists as a wretched yet unforgettable succession of scenes meant to corrupt even the purest of minds, if you can help yourself from laughing uncontrollably at its overwhelming amount of inconsistencies. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

The film leaves the viewer feeling violated and ashamed. Avoid. Read full review

Vincent Canby

William Lustig is the film's director, and Joe Spinell, who plays the maniac, also collaborated on the screenplay (with C.A. Rosenberg) and wrote the original story. He is terrible in all capacities, though his performance is more immediately objectionable. Watching him act like a psychopathic killer with a mommy-complex is like watching someone else throw up. Read full review

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User Reviews

Computey18

Dec 24, 2022

Maniac is an Extremely Messed up Film That I Love. It is grimy and Gorey and the type of film that makes you want to take a shower afterwards.

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JeBjBo

Dec 7, 2021

Great atmosphere, a classic of underground cinema. It has pacing and narrative issues, though.

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JLuis_001

Mar 20, 2022

Its cult status is understandable, mostly because it has no restraint in the darkness of its plot and its violence, but it commits many of the general sins of the genre and there's not much plot variety after the first act.

I recognize its cult level. But I just don't really think anythingIts cult status is understandable, mostly because it has no restraint in the darkness of its plot and its violence, but it commits many of the general sins of the genre and there's not much plot variety after the first act.

I recognize its cult level. But I just don't really think anything special of it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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