Maniac

GENERAL INFORMATIONTwoRelease Info:  Netflix 2018

Genre:Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
Creator: Cary Joji Fukunaga and Patrick Somerville
Running Time: 20-50 minutes per episode, 10 Episodes

Staring: Jonah Hill, Emma Stone, Justin Theroux and Sally Field

Rating? TV- MA

SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS

IMDB: 8.1

MY RATING: 8 of 10

STORYLINE

Two strangers are drawn to a mysterious pharmaceutical trial that will, and they're assured, with no complications or side-effects whatsoever, solve all of their problems, permanently. Things do not go as planned.

MY REVIEW

After the first two episodes, I was hooked like my cat to catnip! The idea of an alternate reality in this show really did a little dance number that set very well with me. Yes, there were some things that I just let go for the greater good, but this was a solid 8. It's blending of 80's sci-fi and an offbeat quirky cast of just left of center people who are all endearing in their own way. This 10 episode story left me feeling strangely in need of hugging my mom. Well played, Netflix.

I'm not sure if I want to credit the director with the performances of Jonah Hill and Emma Stone, but they were amazing. It was truly a pleasure to watch.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Like I said above, the director got exactly the performance that was needed for the roles of Owen Milgrim and Annie Landsberg. They were pivotal to making the story believable. Their chemistry was palpable. I loved how easily they worked together. It's always better if a team has the right chemistry.
• CINEMATOGRAPHY and SET DESIGN- Just amazing the level of detail that was provided for each location/time. My favorite was the seance episode.
• COSTUME DESIGN- The dichotomy between the locations of each episode were perfection! There is something special about an actor/s who can adapt to that fast change in situation with 
• SCORE/SOUNDTRACK- the music was unsettlingly calm at times but it really worked for the concept.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• 80's Sci-Fi mixed with modern was good, but not really my favorite thing. Not a true "didn't like", but just didn't work for me.

What QUESTIONS do I now have?

• When will the story go on?

On a more personal note..... 

Had a little SnapChat fun with the cat ear filters. Pretty much, that is what makes this time of year tolerable! Then I gave the kitties some catnip! We all know how well that goes!