Maniac

Actor Shia LaBeouf has been directing a few shorts and this one is the first I seen so far.

It's a short film horror mockumentary about two french speaking serial killers who is followed by camera crew. If this story sounds familiar, it could be that it looks like C'est arrivé près de chez vous/Man Bites Dog (1992, an infamous black comedy/mockumentary about a serialkiller who gets followed by camera crew.

It is not that interesting as a film, and LaBeouf seems more interested in style then substance, however that is the film's most enduring quality. Very slick cinematography, direction etc.

The black and white, saturated colors, the colorgrading is very pretty. Thechnically Shia LaBeouf has proved to me at least that he can direct, it's only the content that's missing.

Hopefully we will get to see a full feature film by Shia LaBeouf in few years, it seems that he is ready for it.

Shia LaBeuf has been directing shorts before 'Maniac' and he has been accused plain plagiarism. Though 'Maniac' does not seem very original film either it is more homage than a rip off of 'Man Bites Dog' where serial killer is followed by documentary crew. In this short film there are two serial killers followed by documentary filmmakers. The scene with killer and the kid is borrowed straight from more superior 'Man Bites Dog'. There isn't much plot in this film as we only see the overly stylized killing spree. Style over substance film, but Shia shows he has some style with nice hand-held cinematography.

'Maniac' is nice homage to 'Man Bites Dog' (there can be seen the original's poster on the wall at the hotel scene) but it doesn't but much new on the table. The film seems more as a practice of filmmaking than actual film with story.