Starts streaming today Gonna be checking it out Maniac review – Jonah Hill and Emma Stone hit career highs in NYC dystopia
I’ve watched the first two episodes and am loving it so far....especially the Poop Bots! Also, the lead man, Jonah Hill has a real Bob Dylan look about him.
Three eps in so far, and I too am digging it, not least because I love Emma Stone. It's one of those trippy shows that likes to play with your mind. It reminds me of Legion (though it's more coherent) with a little Mr. Robot and a touch of The Dharma Initiative... The setting is also weird. By the looks of the computer hardware and monitors, it feels like it's set in the 80s (why?), and yet the level of artificial intelligence seems to be better than now. I think the arty look and feel of the show can be attributed to Cary Fukunaga (listed as creator on IMDb) - the gifted director behind True Detective S1. Great stuff so far...
Once again Emma Stone inhabits a dynamic, nuanced character. I also like the very dry humor, the fruity candy color scheme and the blazing neon sign right outside Jonah's window that alternates OralB / Jolly Rancher.
Watched episode 1. I'm in, but a couple of times I just couldn't catch the dialog as it was mixed too low...
All of the technology seems decades old, except for the stuff that is obviously in the future. There's a disposable camera in one scene, where they throw in a joke when she takes a selfie. ("They should make a stick for this.") I'm only 3 episodes in, so maybe it gets clearer what's going on later?
Exactly! Legion, Mr. Robot and The Dharma Initiative! I love how the 80’s tech is reflected in the color grading — very close to a hyper 80’s film stock, even though it was shot digitally.
Finished the season. I loved the visual style and the enigmatic mish-mash of period specific technologies. I'm not sure it was necessary, but it added to the quirky nature of the series. However, even though I eagerly devoured the episodes, by the time it ended, I felt dissatisfied. In retrospect, it felt meander-y, throwing up multiple 'dream' sequences and quirky plot twists without any real payoff. The whole computer AI thing felt like a big contrivance. Emma Stone was great, but she had little chemistry with Jonah Hill. I found it impossible to form any kind of an emotional connection between these two characters, even though were are meant to. In fact, Hill was mostly a lifeless, monotonic bore who mumbled through 90% of his dialog - very annoying. Unfortunately, for me, this was a slickly produced swing and a miss...
I'm halfway through and I love it so far. My kind of weird. But what I REALLY LOVE is the surround mix of this show. Lots of stuff going on in the rears, especially with the music.
I just endured the first episode. Wow, it was so incredibly boring. Jonah Hill's character was turgid, and the whole thing went nowhere. Just terrible imo.
Finished last night and really enjoyed this series. I can see how the story would disappoint some people. What I liked about it was the feeling of watching it more than the resolution or lessons from the story itself, if that makes sense. The mood, acting, sense of humor, and all-around absurdness was right up my ally. It's visually stunning and looked incredible in Dolby Vision on my OLED. The sound mix was outstanding as well As far as the time period, I got the feeling that it was supposed to be in the spirit of "what people in the 80s thought the future would look like."
The first episode just shows the setup from Hill's POV. The second just shows the setup from Stone's POV. Both of them are really prologues. The actual series really starts in the third episode. If fact, until episode three I didn't even realize it was supposed to be a comedy. Justin Theroux is hilarious throughout.
Yeah, it's weird with these Netflix series that you really have to watch 3 or 4 episodes to really know if you are going to like the series. A few of my favorites (Stranger Things, Ozark) I would have given up on after the first episode. Maniac isn't exactly a favorite, but I am glad I stuck it out after the first 2 eps.
It reads that is a "Limited Series." So, does this have an ending this season, or does it look like it will continue for another season? I was thinking about watching it.
I'm six episodes in and have to say I can't really get into it. I find it a bit boring and now it's getting 'daft' too. Should I persevere to the end?
You might as well. I found it quite interesting in the moment, that is, watching each episode unfold and wondering where it's going. However, when it was over and looking back on the season, I was pretty underwhelmed (Emma Stone not withstanding).
My girlfriend and I ended up watching the whole thing the day it came out since we both had the day off. It started brilliantly, and had a distinct vibe of the best Philip K Dick books from the mid to late 60s, UBIK especially -- the Amazon series of his stories could learn a thing or two here. I agree with @Deesky that the dream sequences go on a little long without payoff (or maybe that there's just one too many of them). Jonah Hill's character didn't have nearly as interesting an arc as Emma Stone's, which was heartbreaking, and yes, a lot of mumble and stare from Hill. Even though it lost steam toward the end, I recommend it. I like that it avoided the obvious Hollywood romantic resolution to everything, too.
Man, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. LOVE this series. Finished it last night. I thought Jonah did a great job playing a schizophrenic. I work with adolescents who suffer from this illness and he captured their behavior, mood and confusion perfectly.
I watched 4 episodes. That was where I ended. When I found myself sniggering at some of the events, that's when I knee I was out. The first two episodes were cool, though...and the Warren Moon jersey.
