Sometimes Our Favourite Shows Leave And We Don’t Know Why: A Review of Maniac
Words by Takuma Ohashi (he/him)
Where to Watch Maniac: Netflix
Recommended viewing method: On a Friday night after a tough week, when you just want to turn off and immerse yourself in emotional turbulence.
In an alternate, modern-day world, a Japanese pharmaceutical conglomerate is running a clinical trial for their three-day, three-pill cure for all mental illnesses. This is where we find the two main characters of Netflix-original limited series Maniac, Annie (Emma Stone) and Owen (Jonah Hill), experiencing hallucinations from the three pills.
Annie and Owen’s friendship is the heart of the show. They start without connection, but through shared hallucinogenic experiences, a special bond is created. We watch as they take turns being there for each other when it really matters—when they both lose their way, are precariously close to entering a comatose state, and their consciousnesses are on the line. Goosebumps. We also observe the complex relationships that both Annie and Owen have with their respective families. Maniac forces us to realise that we are all human and bound to let each other down. The question is how we deal with the fallout. Hopefully, with love and kindness.
Maniac almost feels like a ‘what if’ scenario. What if Japan’s economy had never tanked in 1991? The show features absurd inventions such as a small, chihuahua-sized, robot dog-poo cleaner and an emotionally intelligent supercomputer (no tamagotchis unfortunately). Another quirky invention is the concept of an Ad-Buddy, where a customer can earn money by allowing another person to follow them around and read targeted ads at them. If you like to ponder how different the world might’ve been if one thing happened differently, you will love the subtle world-building details in Maniac.
Look out for the penultimate episode “Utangatta” (Episode 9). There is an awesome, single-take sequence of Emma Stone killing bad guys. It is executed so masterfully that you will want to rewatch several times in quick succession. It reminds me of the much-loved, single-take shoot-out scene in Season 4, Episode 4 of Stranger Things. Maniac Episode 9 also has multiple tear-jerking moments, so make sure to have your emotional support human or animal nearby.
My favourite television shows and movies are ones whose biggest moments occur inside a character’s mind, like Inception or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. They allow the cast and crew to have fun with everything—liberating the restrictions posed by gravity, tweaking a character’s personality, accent, or body language, resurrecting dead characters. In Maniac, Annie and Owen inhabit multiple personas and accents. In the process, they better understand who they really are.
I don’t say this lightly—Maniac is a must see. It’s one to binge, ponder, rewatch, and then share your feelings about with your close friends (or your new uni acquaintances, if you’re feeling bold).