In what is probably the sickest movie I've seen since A Serbian Film, Elijah Wood gives a haunting and tortured performance as a mannequin-loving serial killer with mommy issues. It is a noted improvement over the 1980 original, but the film's main innovation, viewing almost everything through the killer's eyes, takes it past being a voyeuristic experience and makes the viewer essentially a participant in the brutal acts portrayed on screen. It's mesmerizing, yet nauseating to watch at the same time. I also liked the soundtrack, which had shades of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, SCARFACE and CANDYMAN, and in a similar style to the soundtracks for Nicholas Winding Refn's most recent two films. I thought the film was excellently shot, with creative use of lighting and atmosphere. Certain sequences were rather disorienting, although that was probably the intended goal. Still, the genre tropes remain and although it's dressed up and presented in a new way it still doesn't break much new ground as far as slashers are concerned. Recommended only if you can stomach it.
Review of Maniac
