Maniac(2012)
2012 · Franck Khalfoun · 89 min
As he helps a young artist with her upcoming exhibition, the owner of a mannequin shop's deadly, suppressed desires come to the surface.
Horror · Thriller
6.01.1k votes
TMDB score
5/5
Intensity
4/5
Gore
4/5
Stays with you
How Maniac scares
It opens slow and intimate, letting you settle into one man's daily loneliness before violence starts breaking through in short, brutal bursts. Because much of it is shot from the killer's own eyes, you're stuck uncomfortably close to his mind instead of watching from a safe distance. The scares aren't jolts or loud stingers, they come from creeping unease, obsession, and sudden, ugly violence when it finally arrives. It's a heavy, upsetting watch more than a fun scary one, aimed at people who can handle discomfort and gore rather than casual horror fans.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Maniac rates psychological 5/5, visceral 4/5, gore 4/5, lingering effect 4/5, and overall intensity 5/5.
- Psychological: 5 of 5
- Visceral: 4 of 5
- Gore: 4 of 5
- Lingering: 4 of 5
- Intensity: 5 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 20 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 95 of 100 — leans Real-world
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 85 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.
An uneasy, queasy simmer runs almost the whole way through, with sudden brutal jolts throughout and a punishing, frantic final stretch.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4, 2, 3, 4, 5, 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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