Maniac(1980)
1980 · William Lustig · 88 min
A psychotic man, troubled by his childhood abuse, kills and mutilates young women and local models on the streets of New York City.
Horror
6.4511 votes
TMDB score
5/5
Intensity
5/5
Gore
4/5
Stays with you
How Maniac scares
It settles into a slow, grimy rhythm early on, following its killer through his daily life before dropping into sudden bursts of brutal violence, so the dread builds quietly between attacks rather than jumping out at you. The fear here is less about being chased and more about sitting inside a disturbed mind, watching his loneliness and rage curdle into something horrible. When the violence hits, it's shown in ugly, lingering detail, and the movie doesn't try to make it thrilling or fun. This is a heavy, uncomfortable watch best suited to people who want something bleak and grounded rather than a fun scare.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Maniac rates psychological 4/5, visceral 4/5, gore 5/5, lingering effect 4/5, and overall intensity 5/5.
- Psychological: 4 of 5
- Visceral: 4 of 5
- Gore: 5 of 5
- Lingering: 4 of 5
- Intensity: 5 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 15 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 95 of 100 — leans Real-world
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 90 of 100 — leans Disturbing
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A grimy, unpredictable ride that keeps jolting between queasy quiet stretches and sudden bursts of brutal violence, building to a frenzied final stretch.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 3, 4, 2, 3, 4, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5, 4.
How scary is Maniac?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, Maniac rates 5/5 — one of the more punishing watches in the catalog, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be heavy on gore and genuinely disturbing. Expect it to stay with you for days.
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