The series received positive reviews from critics upon release, with many praising its visuals, direction, and acting, particularly the performances of Stone and Hill. The series received multiple accolades, including nominations for Stone's performance—both at the 23rd Satellite Awards and the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards—and for the series's overall writing—at the 71st Writers Guild of America Awards.
Premise
Maniac follows Annie Landsberg and Owen Milgrim (see also Milgram experiments), two strangers who connect during a risky, psychologically intense, twelve-person, mind-bending pharmaceutical trial conducted by Neberdine Pharmaceutical Biotech (NPB). The experiment, originally overseen by Dr. Robert Muramoto and Dr. Azumi Fujita, later falls under the purview of the study's original designer, the eccentric Dr. James K. Mantleray. Together, Annie and Owen go on a mind-bending odyssey through various hallucinatory worlds.
Languages
In addition to English, the original voicework features spoken Japanese and Icelandic, and (to a lesser extent) French. Netflix offers at least five different dubbings and five different subtitle options in different languages.
Cast and characters
Main
Emma Stone as Annie Landsberg, a woman with borderline personality disorder who dwells unhealthily on her relationships. Stone also portrays Landsberg's alternate forms: Linda Marino, Arlie Kane, Annia, and Ruth in the B and C pill-induced fantasies.
Jonah Hill as Owen Milgrim, the son of a wealthy family who potentially has schizophrenia. Having decided to make his way without his family's assistance, Milgrim struggles to hold a job and provide for himself. Hill also portrays Milgrim's alternate representations: Bruce Marino, Oliver "Ollie" Hightower, and Snorri in the B and C pill-induced fantasies.
Justin Theroux as Dr. James K. Mantleray, a scientist working on the Neberdine Pharmaceutical Biotech (NPB) experiment. Previously removed from the experiment's team, Mantleray is brought back on following the death of Dr. Robert Muramoto.
Sonoya Mizuno as Dr. Azumi Fujita, a scientist who runs the NPB experiment. She feels immense pressure to provide results from the experiment to her superiors.
Gabriel Byrne as Porter Milgrim, a wealthy industrialist and father of Owen and his siblings.
Sally Field as Dr. Greta Mantleray, a famous therapist and the mother of Dr. James K. Mantleray. Field also portrays Lady Neberdine and Queen Gertrude in the B and C pill-induced dreams respectively, and provides the voice and embodiment of GRTA, a smart computer used in the NPB experiment that has a deep emotional relationship with Dr. Muramoto and reacts strongly to his death.
Recurring
Kathleen Choe as Soo, test subject #3 in the NPB Phase III experiment
Ariel Kavoussi as Audra, an AdBuddy employee that Annie considers signing up with. Kavoussi also portrays Bianca Forsythe and provides the voice of Dragonfly.
Grace Van Patten as Olivia Meadows, Owen's former crush whom he yelled at while experiencing his first BLIP (brief and limited psychosis) in college.
Selenis Leyva as Patricia Lugo, the intake director at Neberdine Pharmaceutical and Biotech whom Annie blackmails into getting into NBD's drug study.
Leo Fitzpatrick as Lance, a smuggler of exotic wildlife for use in clothing and one of Sebastian's two sons.
Jojo Gonzalez as Agent Lopez, a New York Fish and Wildlife officer searching for a ring-tailed lemur taken from the nursing home that Linda works at.
Maxine Prescott as Mrs. Finklestein, an elderly woman that lives in Owen's apartment building. Prescott also portrays Harriet, a resident of the old folks home that Linda works at.
Joseph Sikora as JC, a smuggler of exotic wildlife for use in clothing and one of Sebastian's two sons.
David Fierro as Bobby, Olliver Hightower's driver. Fierro also portrays an AdBuddy employee that Owen hires.
Glenn Wein as Lord Jopling, a guest at the Full Moon Séance. Wein also portrays an AdBuddy employee with halitosis that Owen hires.
Jonathan Rentler as Greg Nazlund, a truck driver who crashed into Annie's car five years ago, killing her sister Ellie. Rentler also portrays a ranger that Annia encounters.
Guest
Marcus Toji as Calvin Muramoto (episode: "Windmills"), Dr. Robert Muramoto's son and also Annie's drug dealer that initially supplies her with NPB's "A" pills, to which she is addicted. She goes to him for more and, after informing her that he is all out, suggests that she sign up for one of NPB's drug studies.
Glenn Fleshler as Sebastian (episode: "Furs by Sebastian"), the owner of a fur shop, Furs by Sebastian, that is creating clothing out of exotic animals. Linda and Bruce attempt to take back a ring-tailed lemur that he had stolen from them.
Jennifer Ikeda as Therapist (episode: "Option C"), Owen's therapist at the Horton Psychiatric Facility where he is sent after condemning his brother in court.
Ben Sinclair as “friend” (episode: “Option C”), Annie's friend proxy for Owen before visiting him in the asylum.
Episodes
Maniac features 10 episodes, each running between 26–47 minutes. All episodes to the miniseries were released simultaneously on September 21, 2018.
Production
The IBM logo, which was the inspiration for the Maniac logo as well as the fictional Neberdine Pharmaceutical Biotech company.[1][2]
Development
The series was officially announced in March 2016, with Netflix ordering the production straight-to-series that same month. On March 18, 2016, it was announced that Paramount Television and Anonymous Content were producing a television series to be directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. The half-hour dark comedy series was reported to be executive produced by Fukunaga, Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, Michael Sugar, and Doug Wald. Ashley Zalta was also announced as a co-executive producer. At the time, the series was being shopped to various networks and was searching for a writer.[3] Less than a week later, it was announced that Netflix was finalizing a deal for a straight-to-series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes.[4][5] On October 21, 2016, it was announced that Patrick Somerville would write the series.[6] On July 29, 2018, it was announced during the annual Television Critics Association's summer press tour that the series would premiere on September 21, 2018.[7]
Casting
Alongside the initial series announcement, it was reported that Emma Stone and Jonah Hill were finalizing deals to star in the series.[3] In August 2017, it was announced that Sonoya Mizuno had been cast as a series regular and that Justin Theroux and Julia Garner would appear in a recurring capacity.[8][9][10][11][12] On September 13, 2017, it was reported that Jemima Kirke had been cast in a recurring role.[13] On October 5, 2017, it was announced that Sally Field had joined the cast in a recurring role.[14][15] On February 23, 2018, it was reported Billy Magnussen had been cast in the series.[16]
Filming
Principal photography for the series began on August 15, 2017, in New York City and was expected to conclude by the end of November 2017.[17]
Music
Dan Romer composed the soundtrack to Maniac with collection of orchestral and electronic musical pieces. The soundtrack was released on a double LP by Waxwork Records on January 10, 2020.[18]
On September 13, 2018, the series held its world premiere at the Southbank Centre in London, England.[19] On September 20, 2018, the series held its American premiere at Center 415 in Manhattan, New York.[20]
Reception
Critical response
The series was met with a positive response from critics. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an 85% approval rating, with an average rating of 7.6 out of 10 based on 104 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Maniac enthralls with its dazzling visuals, adventurous narrative, and striking performances from both Emma Stone and Jonah Hill."[21]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 76 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[22]
In a positive review, Variety's Daniel D'Addario commended the series saying, "The beautifully made Maniac plunges viewers into a fictional world that's both divergent from our own and instantly recognizable—and then reinvents itself several times over, skittering across time, space and genre to tell a story of connection that feels urgent and deeply, painfully human...As a trial of something new, Maniac passes every test, and ascends instantly to take its place among the very best TV of the year."[23] In another favorable assessment, The Washington Post's Hank Stuever described the series as "oddly mesmerizing" and offered it qualified praise saying, "Maniac starts off too absorbed in its own complicated structure, but once Owen and Annie are strapped in at the lab (and experience an accidental melding of their subconscious states), the show becomes a visually compelling romp through highly detailed dreams and personal discoveries."[24] Describing it as "exhilarating to watch and a lot to process", Vulture's Jen Chaney called the series "one of the fall season's best".[25]
In a more negative critique, Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly awarded the series a grade of "C−", saying, "For all its manic poses and deflationary snark, it's ultimately patronizingly sentimental. [...] Maniac asks big questions about reality, and then settles for the limpest possible cinematic representations of that reality."[26]
Awards and nominations
References
^Kelly, Hillary (September 21, 2018). "Maniac Premiere Recap: The Intake Process". Vulture. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
^Patterson, Troy (September 21, 2018). "The Design of "Maniac" Offers an Uncanny Imitation of Life". The New Yorker. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
^ a bAndreeva, Nellie (March 18, 2016). "Emma Stone & Jonah Hill To Star & Cary Fukunaga To Direct 'Maniac' Dark Comedy Series For Paramount TV & Anonymous". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
^Wagmeister, Elizabeth (March 24, 2016). "Netflix Lands Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, Cary Fukunaga Series 'Maniac'". Variety. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
^Andreeva, Nellie (March 24, 2016). "Netflix Lands Emma Stone, Jonah Hill & Cary Fukunaga Paramount TV/Anonymous Comedy With Series Order". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
^Andreeva, Nellie (October 21, 2016). "Netflix Emma Stone-Jonah Hill Series 'Maniac' From Cary Fukunaga Finds Writer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
^Ramos, Dino-Ray (July 29, 2018). "'Maniac': Netflix Sets Premiere Date, Releases Teaser For Emma Stone & Jonah Hill Dark Comedy – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
^Andreeva, Nellie (August 17, 2017). "Justin Theroux To Co-Star In Emma Stone-Jonah Hill Netflix Series 'Maniac' At Par TV". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
^Petski, Denise (August 22, 2017). "'Maniac': Sonoya Mizuno Cast As Regular & Julia Garner To Recur In Emma Stone-Jonah Hill Netflix Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
^Stanhope, Kate (August 17, 2017). "Justin Theroux Joins Emma Stone-Jonah Hill Netflix Series 'Maniac'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
^Roots, Kimberly (August 17, 2017). "Justin Theroux Joins Maniac Netflix Comedy With Emma Stone, Jonah Hill". TVLine. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
^Otterson, Joe (August 17, 2017). "Justin Theroux to Guest Star on Emma Stone, Jonah Hill Netflix Series 'Maniac'". Variety. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
^Petski, Denise (September 13, 2017). "'Maniac': Jemima Kirke Set To Recur In Emma Stone-Jonah Hill Netflix Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
^Andreeva, Nellie (October 5, 2017). "'Maniac': Sally Field Joins Cast Of Emma Stone-Jonah Hill Netflix Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
^Sandberg, Bryn Elise (October 5, 2017). "Sally Field Cast in Emma Stone-Jonah Hill Netflix Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
^Boone, John (February 23, 2018). "Billy Magnussen Is on Fire and He's Only Getting Hotter (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
^Andreeva, Nellie (February 1, 2017). "Emma Stone-Jonah Hill Series 'Maniac' For Netflix & Paramount TV Gets Production Start Date With Cary Fukunaga Directing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
^Diaz, Eric (January 10, 2020). "Dan Romer's MANIAC Score Released On Deluxe Vinyl". Nerdist. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
^Arthur, Andrew (September 13, 2018). "Emma Stone and Justin Theroux appear at Maniac world premiere in London". Irish Independent. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
^"Inside the New York Premiere of Maniac". Town & Country. September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
^D'Addario, Daniel (September 13, 2018). "TV Review: 'Maniac' With Emma Stone and Jonah Hill". Variety. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
^Stuever, Hank (September 13, 2018). "10 new shows to check out this fall, including 'Murphy Brown,' 'Camping' and 'Forever'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
^Chaney, Jen (September 19, 2018). "Maniac Is a Hell of a Drug". Vulture. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
^Franich, Darren (September 13, 2018). "Netflix's dreamy Maniac miniseries fails in every reality: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
^Giardina, Carolyn (February 2, 2019). "Art Directors Guild Awards: 'Favourite,' 'Black Panther,' 'Crazy Rich Asians' Among Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
^Handel, Jonathan (February 2, 2019). "'Roma's' Alfonso Cuaron Takes Top Honor at DGA Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
^Pedersen, Erik (January 18, 2019). "Motion Picture Sound Editors Reveal 2019 Golden Reel Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
^McNary, Dave (January 20, 2019). "PGA Awards: 'Green Book' Wins Top Feature Film Award". Variety. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
^Peterson, Karen M. (November 29, 2018). "International Press Academy Announces Nominees for 23rd Annual Satellite Awards". Awards Circuit. Archived from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
^St. Clair, Matt (January 4, 2019). "'A Star Is Born,' 'Roma,' and 'Beale Street' Win Big at the Satellite Awards". Awards Circuit. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
^Nordyke, Kimberly (January 27, 2019). "SAG Awards: 'Black Panther' Nabs Top Film Prize; Rami Malek, Glenn Close Among Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
^Hipes, Patrick (December 6, 2018). "WGA Awards TV Nominations: 'The Handmaid's Tale', 'Barry', 'SNL' Make List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
