In the age of streaming, it seems as if actors, who are more accustomed to the big screen, have drifted to platforms like Netflix as a creative outlet. The service offers stars an opportunity to do something different, have more control over the production and to do it all in the few weeks between filming bigger projects. The latest people to act and produce in a Netflix Original are Emma Stone (La La Land) and Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street).
The pair star in Maniac, a limited series that brings Owen (Hill) and Annie (Stone) together during a pharmaceutical trial. In a show where the two leading roles are occupied by household names, it would be easy to build a show around the actors rather than finding the actors who fit in the world. Though the obvious draw to the series is Hill and Stone, Maniac doesn’t rely solely on their acting talents.
Hill and Stone blend into the physical realm of the show. Their performances are spectacular, but they don’t stand out. There is a balance between the characters, world and plot. People will click on the series when they find out who is in it, but will be surprised, that by the end, they’re watching because of the space created by Cary Joji Fukunaga and Patrick Somerville.
Suspense is established early on with the series’ ambiguous time period. From the wide-rimmed glasses the scientists wear, the matte-colored walls and the retro choice in clothing, the setting suggests it takes place in the ’70s. But there are indications that it takes place in the near future. The computers and technology used in the experiment are sophisticated, though it looks like the original IBM setups. (The show even regularly mimics the classic computer logo.) The present day setting has to at least be after 1983 because there is a cheesy rendition of The Police’s “Every Breath You Take.”
It’s moments like the impromptu singing that highlight how absurd the show is, but there is seriousness in the absurdity. All in all, Maniac is a series that provides social commentary on psychiatric therapy.
There are three pills the subjects take in the trial: the A, B and C pills. The first brings the person’s acute trauma to the forefront. That pill is the most effective in creating audience sympathy for the characters. It takes the characters to a real moment in their lives. It’s like when movies use flashbacks to develop characters. In therapy, people often talk of the traumatic experiences they’ve gone through and the reason they sought professional help in the first place. That’s what the A pill mimics.
The B pill stands for behavioral. It shows the characters their reactions to their trauma and patterns in their everyday life that show how they feel. It’s in the B stage that the characters get a printed out version of their diagnoses. The computerized feel to the assessment shows the formulaic routine in human-to-human therapy.
And the C pill is for confrontation. It’s at that point where the characters have to decide how to face their problems. For Owen and Annie, they realize they can help each other.
There is a level of irony in the show that is hard to ignore. The scientists conducting the experiments have just as many problems as the people in the trial. What makes them qualified to be on the other side of the glass watching their lab rat-like subjects with an absurd amount of intentness? One is addicted to drugs, another has mother issues and one fears abandonment.
There are parts where Hill and Stone are put in funny situations, but it’s hard to laugh. The audience knows the characters are trying to figure out what is happening in their brain, and their subconsciouses reflect the real world. As the characters near closer to the root of their problems, the more bizarre the situations get.
Netflix has made questionable choices in recent years regarding TV shows (i.e. Fuller House). It is easy for the company to greenlight any show because there are less creative restrictions. But as more qualified and talented people move to making projects on the streaming service, the more there are better TV shows (i.e. Santa Clarita Diet). Maniac is one of Netflix’s best series. It is fulfilling and insightful. The audience will find it’s not purely entertainment; it’s a show that will allow for self reflection.
Rating: 4/5
