Online Series: Maniac - Emma Stone - Jonah Hill

[Say Hey Kid]

Netflix Original Limited Series with Justin Theroux and Sally Field also. What do you guys think of this?

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[x Tame Impala]

What do I think about it???

 

[Sens]

What do I think about it???

Basically

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Love them both...is it worth watching?

 

[x Tame Impala]

Yes. IMHO it's an excellent sort of virtual reality tour into what it is to have a mental disorder. Also the way CJF translates Japanese culture into an American one is flawless and so cool

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

Episode 9 was the best

 

[silverfish]

Finished. Thought the concept was better than the execution, but it was still very good. Emma Stone was amazing.

I had posted this in the general Netflix thread, something I noticed in episode 5 that I thought would have way larger implications than it ended up happening...

Spoiler

When Azumi was actively trying to separate Annie from Owne's Saence 'vision', the animation they used to make her disappear was either exactly the same or extremely similar to the way fake Jed would disappear from Owen's reality before the experiments even began. So I thought we were going to get some trippy what's real, what's not real, kind of thing going on. But they never came back to it.

 

[XX]

Love them both...is it worth watching?

Do you like dark humor, retro futurism, and excellent cinematography/direction?

The briefing video they have to watch in Episode 2 should have been a trailer on its own.

 

[Timeless Winter]

So far so good through 2 episodes. Now that I've watched all of Ozark I needed a good show and found one.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Dude, I just finished it and it was a total mind-f***, but very entertaining. They both did an incredibly good job of playing their respective roles and worked very well as a pair. Some of the moments even bordered on comedic (some were straight-up funny), which was good to lighten the mood a little bit and speak to the ridiculousness of the entire overriding theme of the show.

I would certainly recommend it for anyone who likes psychological twister movies/shows. As a limited series it's more like a really long movie, tbh.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Finished. Thought the concept was better than the execution, but it was still very good. Emma Stone was amazing.

I had posted this in the general Netflix thread, something I noticed in episode 5 that I thought would have way larger implications than it ended up happening...

Spoiler

When Azumi was actively trying to separate Annie from Owne's Saence 'vision', the animation they used to make her disappear was either exactly the same or extremely similar to the way fake Jed would disappear from Owen's reality before the experiments even began. So I thought we were going to get some trippy what's real, what's not real, kind of thing going on. But they never came back to it.

Spoiler

This is what leads me to believe that Owen was actually "dreaming" or whatever throughout the entire duration of the show. The story about him having to lie for his brother was just another 'iteration' as they call it. Or was maybe Owen's actually psychosis. I'm not entirely convinced that the time before and after the trial was actually a 'real' life.

 

[silverfish]

Spoiler

This is what leads me to believe that Owen was actually "dreaming" or whatever throughout the entire duration of the show. The story about him having to lie for his brother was just another 'iteration' as they call it. Or was maybe Owen's actually psychosis. I'm not entirely convinced that the time before and after the trial was actually a 'real' life.

Spoiler

I get the thought, but they were so heavy-handed on when they were in the computer and when they were out of it that I think what we think was real and what we think was fake is what it is.

 

[Carlzner]

Just finished it and... hmm. It’s tough articulate my thoughts. I finished it in the middle of a flight over 2 hours ago and can’t get it off my mind.

The first thing that comes to my mind is commending Netflix and CJF for making a show that takes a lot of risks and conveys mental health in a way I’ve never seen before.

The way little details intertwine in the dream states (I don’t even know what to call them.) was really great. I was pretty mind blown by the episode with the lemur where they deliver it to the truck drivers mother. I’m paraphrasing but the moment in the elf “dream” when Ruth Langmore told Annie that she might be the crazy one because she thought she was the only sane one once she realized it wasn’t “reality” had me pause it for at least a few minutes to digest it.

The moment between the two of them in episode 9... yeah, definitely the best episode as someone said above.

I thought this would be longer and I probably will do a longer write up when I have the time but that was unlike anything I’ve watched before. Fascinating concept and they really hit it out of the park, for the most part. All the performances were great, but the MVP is CJF.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Just finished it and... hmm. It’s tough articulate my thoughts. I finished it in the middle of a flight over 2 hours ago and can’t get it off my mind.

The first thing that comes to my mind is commending Netflix and CJF for making a show that takes a lot of risks and conveys mental health in a way I’ve never seen before.

The way little details intertwine in the dream states (I don’t even know what to call them.) was really great. I was pretty mind blown by the episode with the lemur where they deliver it to the truck drivers mother. I’m paraphrasing but the moment in the elf “dream” when Ruth Langmore told Annie that she might be the crazy one because she thought she was the only sane one once she realized it wasn’t “reality” had me pause it for at least a few minutes to digest it.

The moment between the two of them in episode 9... yeah, definitely the best episode as someone said above.

I thought this would be longer and I probably will do a longer write up when I have the time but that was unlike anything I’ve watched before. Fascinating concept and they really hit it out of the park, for the most part. All the performances were great, but the MVP is CJF.

You might want to throw a spoiler tag on that, man. Borders on spoiling.

That being said: I'd highly recommend re-watching it when you find some time as well. My girlfriend and I are doing that now and we are noticing all these tiny little details that are connected with things that come later in the show, and different things they say, or references made that correlate with their later "dreams"/iterations.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Spoiler: Ending Spoiler

So upon watching the series again I noticed that in episode 6 when Annie and Owen have an interesting conversation which hints at the end of the series. Owen tells Annie that if he had gotten the lost chapter of Don Quixote he would have entered a fantasy that he imagined where the two of them were in a car running away. He says someone was chasing them but he didn't know who and it felt like an escape. This pretty much describes the final scene where Annie and Owen are escaping from the mental facility. Makes you kind of wonder if that final scene was actually real or what exactly is up with the ending.

 

[Hivemind]

Spoiler: Ending Spoiler

So upon watching the series again I noticed that in episode 6 when Annie and Owen have an interesting conversation which hints at the end of the series. Owen tells Annie that if he had gotten the lost chapter of Don Quixote he would have entered a fantasy that he imagined where the two of them were in a car running away. He says someone was chasing them but he didn't know who and it felt like an escape. This pretty much describes the final scene where Annie and Owen are escaping from the mental facility. Makes you kind of wonder if that final scene was actually real or what exactly is up with the ending.

There's a lot more foreshadowing than that. Owen repeatedly states his desire to escape with someone and start fresh elsewhere.

 

[Hammettf2b]

am hearing good things about this. might give it a try

 

[Rodgerwilco]

There's a lot more foreshadowing than that. Owen repeatedly states his desire to escape with someone and start fresh elsewhere.

Spoiler

Oh for sure, he mentions getting away and starting again multiple times. I just thought that part was particularly interesting because in that conversation he specifically mentions that they're in a car running away from people who are chasing them. As well as the fact that I didn't really pick up on the significance of the conversation until my second watch-through.

It's pretty interesting seeing things you pick up in a second watch through that you don't notice, or know the significance of, the first time watching.

 

[montreal]

Just finished watching it last night, crazy show that was fun to watch but very original and I thought that both the 2 leads did a great job (Hill/Stone) I watched the first episode after reading about it in the general Netflix thread, thought it was odd but I like odd just wasn't sure I'd like this or not. Was hooked after watching the next episode and got more into it with each episode.

 

[WhiskeySeven*]

Just finished watching it last night, crazy show that was fun to watch but very original and I thought that both the 2 leads did a great job (Hill/Stone) I watched the first episode after reading about it in the general Netflix thread, thought it was odd but I like odd just wasn't sure I'd like this or not. Was hooked after watching the next episode and got more into it with each episode.

Really creative and inspiring show. I enjoyed it very much.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

Spoiler

OK...
I don't think that ending was "reality"
He was with the shrink.
He said there are 2 options.
Option A is that Annie and the Test were bogus, all in his mind.
Then he went on to describe Option B, which he said scared the hell out of him.
In Option B, Annie visits him and suggests he escape.
He even tells her he's afraid of her being real.
But he is still in the shrinks office, describing this as Option B.
The episode was called Option C.
We don't know what Option C was, because he decides, in his mind, to accept Option B, because why not? After all, he gets the girl.
Just my opinion, having just finished it a few minutes ago...

 

[Trap Jesus]

I've really enjoyed it, but I find it's hit a bit of a lull at the part I'm at (episode 7/8). Either way, still really enjoyable and a really interesting mix of genres. It seems like there's at least one moment every show that has me bursting out loud laughing; some really good comedic writing. The world-building is also exceptional, and there is some really interesting camerawork as well.

Side note: it's crazy how captivating of an actress Emma Stone is. She's able to convey so much with just her eyes. Really magnetic presence whenever she's on the screen. I like Jonah Hill, but his mumbling routine can be tough to understand at times for me. Feel like you really have to strain to hear what he's saying sometimes.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I've really enjoyed it, but I find it's hit a bit of a lull at the part I'm at (episode 7/8). Either way, still really enjoyable and a really interesting mix of genres. It seems like there's at least one moment every show that has me bursting out loud laughing; some really good comedic writing. The world-building is also exceptional, and there is some really interesting camerawork as well.

Side note: it's crazy how captivating of an actress Emma Stone is. She's able to convey so much with just her eyes. Really magnetic presence whenever she's on the screen. I like Jonah Hill, but his mumbling routine can be tough to understand at times for me. Feel like you really have to strain to hear what he's saying sometimes.

I would agree on pretty much everything you say here. It does hit a slight lull in ep7 into 8, but it builds up a lot of things that are important for the overall arch of the story.

I agree 100% about the comedic writing. I absolutely LOVE the character of Dr. Mantleray (the son). It took me a little bit to figure out whether he was MEANT to be funny or if he just turned out that way as a by-product of being written as such an odd-ball. His comedic relief and his 'mommy issues' are hilarious, but actually sculpt a lot of the way that the whole experiment works, imo.


Also agreed about Emma Stone. I really feel as though she absolutely nails this role. The way she plays each different character is perfect (except for the 80s girl in the lemur episode, imo).

I would honestly recommend watching it again after you finish it. You are able to pick up on so many different things in the second watch-through that you don't notice are important the first time.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Spoiler

OK...
I don't think that ending was "reality"
He was with the shrink.
He said there are 2 options.
Option A is that Annie and the Test were bogus, all in his mind.
Then he went on to describe Option B, which he said scared the hell out of him.
In Option B, Annie visits him and suggests he escape.
He even tells her he's afraid of her being real.
But he is still in the shrinks office, describing this as Option B.
The episode was called Option C.
We don't know what Option C was, because he decides, in his mind, to accept Option B, because why not? After all, he gets the girl.
Just my opinion, having just finished it a few minutes ago...

Spoiler

That's a very interesting take for sure. I'll have to re-watch this part of the series with this in mind.

I am also of the opinion that the final scene is not "reality", but I came to this conclusion differently. I was under this impression because Owen often talks about running away and escaping. In the episode when Annie and Owen are yelled at for being in their pods together (after the Seance Heist) Owen expressly explains to Annie that if he had gotten the last chapter of Don Quixote that he would have used it to go into a fantasy where they are in a car and are driving away. He describes it as "escaping from something" and that there are people chasing them, but he doesn't know who. To me, this is a spot-on explanation of the final scene here.

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

I just finished the show and thought it was excellent. The acting was very good. Aside from Jonah Hill and Emma Stone, the lead female doctor was excellent, I thought.