Review: Maniac (1980)

In many slasher films that were coming out by the thousands in the 1980s, rarely did we get to follow the killer as our main character, rarely did we invest an emotional attachment to the killer while also being terrified of them at the same time, and rarely was it done with true realism and craftsmanship. Maniac succeeds on all of these counts. While many see it as just a pure exploitation film, with nothing but misogynistic, mean-spirited attitudes and desensitized gore and carnage on the surface, underneath, it really is a psychological horror film, and an intelligent one at that. Yes, it was made on the cheap, a film to be shown on a double bill on 42^nd Street or at a drive-in. But, when thoroughly examining it, it's a calculated study on the dark human mind.

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