This has now trumped 'Inglourious Basterds' as the most scalping I've ever seen in a movie. Elijah Wood plays a psycho who murders women and then scalps them (occasionally the other way around) and then collects the scalps which he affixes to the heads of mannequins. Somewhat contrived past emasculation and childhood trauma are revealed gradually in his backstory, giving us a reason for his quirks. His is quite a well imagined character, and the way that his past is drip fed to us feels far more natural that the info dump that is too often used.
This is the 2012 remake. I've never seen the original, or any of the other series of remakes over the last hundred years, but I doubt I will any time soon, as I'm rarely in the mood for basic slashers unless they happen to be on TV.
Woods is the only actor who really stands out, but that's probably because he was seriously good in this role. He should get more work, really (and Sean Astin should get far more, as he's awesome. In fact, he should have got an Academy Award for best supporting actor, never mind a Saturn).
It's a dark, jittery movie. It's style mirrors the killer's frame of mind well, and the first person shooting style is fairly interesting, if not totally original. The scares are tension orientated and their success (and they are, mostly, successful) is closely linked to the film's neat timing and the pacing of each scene. The writing is alright. There is little subtlety so it relies on Wood's excellent delivery.
A fine slasher with neat gore effects and enough depth as to suppress boredom, 'Maniac' lives up to it's name, without being too cliched.
Maniac: 36.8