Emma Stone’s Retro Sci-Fi Miniseries That Everyone Missed on Netflix Still Holds Up 8 Years Later

Although Netflix would settle into making the type of mass-market, commercially viable blockbuster shows that allowed it to compete within the streaming wars, the early days of the service saw many interesting greenlights for series that were more than a bit unorthodox. Maniac is one of the most unique science fiction shows Netflix ever created because of its clever way of exploring alternate realities. Since it was a series that could change its setting on a regular basis, Maniac encompassed different genres, making it equally sad, funny, scary, and unexpected. The series was directed in its entirety by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the brilliant mastermind behind the first season of True Detective, but unlike other “auteur television,” it didn’t feel like a script for a movie that was divided up into eight chapters. Maniac used the medium of television to engage in complex conversations about mental health and the healthcare system, and it's proven to be even more relevant nearly a decade after it first debuted.

Maniac follows a series of experimental pharmaceutical procedures held by Dr. Robert Muramoto (Justin Theroux) and Dr. Azumi Fujita (Sonoya Mizuno), who conduct research for Neberdine Pharmaceutical Biotech by sending 12 patients on a mind-bending odyssey into the deepest recesses of their subconscious. Among the participants in the study are Annie Landsberg (Emma Stone) and Owen Milgrim (Jonah Hill). Annie has borderline personality disorder and is grieving the loss of her sister Ellie (Julia Garner), and Owen has schizophrenia, which has caused him to be treated with disdain by his wealthy father, Porter (Gabriel Byrne). Maniac uses retro sci-fi concepts to examine the existential anxieties of modernity, specifically in how people find themselves incapable of being truthful with both themselves and others. It’s not only an impressively original feat of sci-fi, but an indication of how significantly Stone and Hill had grown as actors since their first collaboration eleven years prior on Superbad.

‘Maniac’ Has Some of Emma Stone and Jonah Hills’ Greatest Performances

Maniac differentiates itself from other retro sci-fi shows because the justifications of the characters’ actions are very realistic. Both Annie and Owen have felt imprisoned by their mental health issues, and see involving themselves in a wild experiment as the only opportunity they may have to become “fixed.” The isolating nature of the test itself also allows them to escape from difficult situations with their own families. This isn’t only a sad indication of what people are forced to do when not given proper treatment, but a realistic expression of the issues faced in a post-recession era. It’s no longer possible for characters like Annie and Owen to simply take time for themselves without thinking about the future of their employment, which makes them susceptible to the more dangerous tests that Muramoto is conducting. As is quickly revealed, Muramoto isn’t a figure of authority that can be trusted, as he is dealing with psychological issues resulting from the relationship with his own mother (Sally Field).

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The unique effect that the NPB tests have on their patients ensured that Maniac was able to tell a non-linear story that slowly peeled back the layers to both of the leads. Although occasionally there are direct flashbacks to moments of their past, such as the death of Annie’s sister and Owen’s bullying at the hands of his brother, Jed (Billy Magnussen), there are also instances in which the different subconscious realities that the characters enter allow them to reckon with trauma that they wouldn’t have been able to process in real life. For example, a supernatural fantasy world gives Annie the ability to stand up for herself and develop self-love for the first time.

‘Maniac’ Was Original Science Fiction With an Emotional Component

Maniac was a great instance of subversive casting because both Hill and Stone were playing against type. When compared to the confident, professional characters that Stone tends to play, Annie is deeply insecure and terrified of her own feelings, as she fears that anyone she forms a connection with will leave her. Similarly, Hill drops all comedic pretense to give a very grounded performance as a man who is at odds with his family’s legacy. What’s most impressive is that both Stone and Hill can show the ways that their characters develop over the course of the different realities. While they are able to form a deeper connection when trapped within different bodies, Annie and Owen recognize that there’s a possibility for them to defy the confines of the experiment and continue their relationship in real life.

Maniac is as eye-popping visually and aesthetically inventive as any streaming show of the last few years, but it’s also a series that feels surprisingly timely. The implication that powerful business entities will favor professional development over care of their clients has only proven to be true. Maniac expertly shows that what’s experienced by augmented artificial intelligence cannot replace anything about reality and human creativity. It’s often the case that speculative sci-fi can become very pessimistic, but Maniac didn’t wallow in its characters’ misery beyond the necessary darkness needed to authentically depict their issues. Ultimately, it was a series that argued on behalf of forming connections and how those connections could expand beyond any sinister barriers. It’s not only some of the most versatile and experimental work that Stone and Hill have ever done, but an example of a radically different television experience that could have only had its inception in the streaming era.

Maniac

Release Date 2018 - 2018-00-00

Showrunner Patrick Somerville