Maniac
Analysis Film Releasing Corporation | Release Date: March 6, 1981 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
22
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 4 Critic Reviews
Positive:
0
Mixed:
2
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
L.A. WeeklyChad 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
50
Slant MagazineChris 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
25
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
The film leaves the viewer feeling violated and ashamed. Avoid. Read full review
10
The New York TimesVincent 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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