Netflix’s sci-fi miniseries “Maniac” was released on Sept. 21. It features a star-studded cast with the likes of Jonah Hill (“Mid90s”) and Emma Stone (“Battle of the Sexes”). This limited series consisted of 10 mind-bending episodes with many twists and turns and is by far the most unique show Netflix has produced. This series revolves around two strangers, Annie and Owen, portrayed respectively by Stone and Hill. They live in an alternate Manhattan, where genuine relationships are hard to find. Eventually, destiny will bring them together, and their lives will be changed forever.

In the first episode, viewers meet Owen Milgrim, a middle-aged man with no direction in life. Owen is the black sheep of his family and is being asked to defend his brother about alleged sexual misconduct. Owen has also been showing signs of mental illness he hides from everyone. He is in over his head right from the beginning, as all this stress has been getting to him and he wants a new start to life. Owen is the embodiment of a mid-life crisis. He eventually decides to be a test subject for a new drug made by the mysterious “Neberdine.” Hill translates all of this beautifully through his blank facial expressions and his weight loss, which gives him a sickly look that makes the performance feel more lived in.

The second episode is in the same timeline as the first but is shown through Annie’s eyes. Annie Landsberg is a young woman who already has been abusing the drugs that Owen has volunteered to test. She eventually joins the same pharmaceutical trial as Owen to obtain more drugs. Annie is an avid reader who is slick and cunning. She buys a copy of “Don Quixote,” a story featuring a man who is unable to tell the difference between reality and fiction. There are many references to this book as the show evolves.

It is when Annie and Owen finally meet that things get interesting. The Neberdine building where the drug tests are held has a similar feel to the spaceship in “Alien.” The audience is introduced to Dr. Mantleray (Justin Theroux, “Mute”) and Dr. Fujita (Sonoya Mizuna, “Crazy Rich Asians”) as the scientists who oversee the drug testing who have a complicated relationship. A video describing the effects the drug has on humans is beautifully shot with an ’80s vibe. The computer that is monitoring the behavior of the subjects while on the drug is named GRTA (Sally Field, “Little Evil”). Field does a wonderful job at giving this inanimate object human emotions.

Director Cary Joji Fukunaga (“Beasts of No Nation”) runs wild with his imagination through unique and original shots during the drug test storylines. This is where the range of Hill and Stone are displayed, as they embody different personalities during the trials. “Maniac” sometimes feels like the unreleased work of Stanley Kubrick (“Eyes Wide Shut”) with all of its beautiful weirdness. Stone and Hill expand on the chemistry they established back in the 2007 classic “Superbad.” The dream sequences vary tremendously in mood. Within each episode, there are moments where viewers feel like they are in a different show, due to the frequent shifts in tone and genre. 

The social commentary that “Maniac” gives is very profound. There are many themes that question whether technology has connected people or caused them to drift apart. The setting is an alternate society where technology is dominant. The show also questions what it means to be normal, as well as what normal even means. Sometimes the storylines get too convoluted, but, even then, it is a visual spectacle.  If you are a fan of stellar performances and outstanding directing, then this is the show for you.

Image from Netflix via YouTube