It's hard not to have your attention grabbed by the poster for this film, a disturbing closeup of a demented face in "scream" pose with highly unsettling wire thingees going in and out of the face's nostrils, mouth and eyeballs. The marketing wizard who came up with that image needs to apply for a job at Asylum Films (the low budget studio that brought us such masterpieces as "Sharknado" and "Sharknado 2: The Second One"). This film, "Maniacts" is actually a love story/road movie along the lines of Tom Tykwer's "Heaven", David Lynch's "Wild at Heart", or--this is a stretch but--possibly the Wim Wenders epic "Until the End of the World".
If you're not familiar with those flicks then I'll try to explain. The story presents an odd romance between 2 fugitives on the run, taking us through episodic events that are seemingly unrelated (sort of like a modern Alice in Wonderland) but ultimately bringing the story to a powerful conclusion. Yes, there are bits of action, violence and terror in the beginning, but these are handled with a very tongue-in-cheek attitude, and this soon evolves into a slower-paced drama as we follow the journey of these 2 oddballs in love.
Joe & Beth are convicted serial killers locked up in a torturous mental institution worse than anything we saw in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". This part of the film is a bit disturbing but that's offset by the satirical, comedic presentation which I really enjoyed. Joe is a bit of a simpleton, almost like the dumb loveable brute Lenny in "Of Mice and Men" while Beth is the brains of the outfit. Their initial meeting and acquaintance is really fun and entertaining, and their chemistry is phenomenal. Stellar acting by both, and sadly I must mention that the actress who played Beth (Kelly Waymire) died 2 years after this production with it being her final feature film. Real shame because if this movie was any indication, she was a very talented actress with extreme diversity.
The title "Maniacts" refers to 5 acts, or chapters, depicting their story. Intertitles introduce each one, such as "Art is a Maniact", "Love is a Maniact", "Faith is a Maniact", and so on. (Note: I may have miscounted, but I'm assuming that there were 5 because that's the standard Shakespearean dramatic structure, as well as the way your 10th grade English teacher probably taught you to compose an essay). The point being, there is an interesting structure holding this film together even though the different episodes may seem random at first.
I see that other reviewers really liked the direction the story took and the ending it gives us. Me personally, I didn't really like the way things were wrapped up because things shifted very suddenly toward the end, but that's just a personal opinion, not an artistic criticism. The cheeky vibe of the first 30 minutes evolves into something more serious, sentimental and dramatic, which was handled well, but it can be a bit hard to digest if you're not expecting it. I feel like the film could have been at least 30 mins longer so that the final events could slowly emerge rather than suddenly hitting us. But maybe if I watch it a 2nd time with that in mind (or maybe if you watch it forewarned) it'll be a better viewing experience.
Also be forewarned that this is a "low budget" production, meaning there's no Hollywood gloss. But that doesn't mean that it looks cheap. It's actually very well done within the constraints, and I imagine if this were ever remastered in Blu-ray HD (as I type this in 2019, eighteen years after the film's release, the only available copies are VHS and DVD, both at full-screen 4:3) it might be a real treat for the eyes especially when they get to the natural desert landscapes of Santa Fe where it was filmed. But alas, this is probably the best we'll get so you'll have to lower your viewing standards a bit. If that doesn't scare you off then this is definitely a worthwhile watch.
In any case, do NOT judge this book by its cover. It's not horror, it's not really a thriller or an action flick or even a comedy, even though all those elements figure in. Think road movie romance with a dark, violent setting & quirky characters, and proceed from there. One thing I'm sure everyone can agree on: if they ever reissue this on home media, I hope they change that damn cover!
