Maniac - Insanity that Wasn't that Insane

Maniac is a new Netflix Original tv series that premiered in October. The show stars Jonah
Hill and Emma Stone as the two leads of the series. Jonah Hill plays Owen, a depressed,
lonely man who is puppeted by his family. Emma Roberts plays Annie, a druggy who
struggles to remain in connection with her family over the years. The two meet up with others
at a strange facility to test out a new drug, which is later discovered to be an entire series of
pills, starting with the “A” pill. These pills were created to cure people’s depression by
assembling their emotions into a dream.

The show has lots of memorable scenes/shots. In one episode, when the two are in the
middle of an intense gunfight, there almost no cut away shots so all the fighting happens in
one shot with the camera shifting back and forth. This makes the scene very interesting to
watch. This show also uses colors very well. In the “real” world, the colors are bland such
as the grayish green grass of Annie’s lawn and the white of Owen’s apartment. This all
changes when they enter the facility. In the experimental room where the main computer to
analyze the subjects is, the main color is pinkish red grabbing the audience’s attention. In the
room where the subjects are kept, the room has parts filled with flourishing plants and tiny
trees of bright greens.

Although the show was very interesting to watch and think about, at the end I was
disappointed. In the trailer it was filled with exciting scenes (the gunfight being one of them) and
really interesting interactions between characters. The actual series had not much of this. A lot
of the time, especially in the first couple of episodes, the characters were just talking with nothing
really happening. As the show progressed the really interesting scenes started showing up more
and more, but still not enough for me to feel totally fulfilled. I usually say these shows should only
be one season long, but this is one I really wanted to see continue. It ended on a note that felt
more like a lead up to another story then an ending that, well, ended the story. However, I found
out while researching the backstory of the show that the directors and writers only attended, and
still attend, to leave the show as is.

After considering what I expected, and what I got, I have to give the show GOOD/BAD. I
definitely consider watching this series, but do not put your expectations as high as the trailer
might want you to.