10 Greatest Films About Maniacs

Maniacs are a subtle subject covered in many documentaries about cinema history. From Hannibal Lecter to Norman Bates and back again, maniacs are pretty much one of the reasons thriller films exist at all. Maniacs are normally defined as people who fall into the sociopathic or psychotic categories with horrendous anger, scheming plans, deadly personalities and intense amounts of skill.

There are different kinds of maniacs on screen and in television, but this is about film and there we'll stay. Some of these may surprise you and some of these may make you think that yes, they deserve their position. I'm not saying that you'll think that about all of them but certainly at least one or two. From cannibalism to brutal murder to raising the dead to beating someone to death with a bowling pin, there's something quite sinister about maniacs that we may not understand in concept - but on screen it looks incredible.

Maniacs obviously start out by having some kind of obsession with something. Whether that be carnal, monetary or consumerist, there's something incredibly unnerving about the way a maniac is fixated on their subject of obsession. It isn't like we are interested in certain topics, it is a dark desire to oppress someone due to their grand obsession, the obsession turns manic and so, through it they start murdering, beating and creating havoc across the climax of the film until it is finally over.

What I think is great about maniacs on screen is initially we had the maniac dying at the end, being beaten and finished by the people around him. This sense of satisfaction comes to us. But as time goes on, we get to know more of the maniac we become more aware of them and thus, we uncomfortable move to their side no matter how antagonistic they are. Then, we don't want them to perish and to our surprise - they don't.

From Alfred Hitchcock, to Mary Harron, to Paul Thomas Anderson, David Fincher, Stanley Kubrick, Christopher Nolan, Polanski, Lynch, Aronofsky, Cronenberg and yes, to Jordan Peele. There's something insanely unnerving about obsession, paranoia and the way they remain hidden in plain sight.

In film, maniacs have constantly been changing, there have been many backdrops for them as well. Characters that you may not think are manic, are in fact exactly what it states - they are manic. From a character such as Jay Gatsby - who has an obsession that leads him to fall back in love with an old flame and claim that he, out of obsession and anger, accidentally killed Myrtle Wilson when in fact he didn't - is manic behaviour. His material obsession is his downfall in the most Shakespearean sense of the term. Then we have a character like Norman Bates who is the 'psycho' of the situation and so - there is little to be said about why he is considered to be a maniac. He murders a woman, puts her car in the river and hides the body, claiming he knew nothing about whether she came or went to the infamous Bates Motel.

When it comes down to it, there's a number of characters - far more than ten even in the 21st century so far, that can be considered to be maniacs. But we're going to look at only ten of the best ones from history. Here's the criteria for making you a great maniac on screen.

1. The character must have some sort of obsession

2. The character must also have a sense of deep paranoia

3. The character must either want to hurt or kill, cause chaos or gain power through the ridding of other people

4. The character must want to gain something out of this that we see through the film

5. It must be clear as to how the character is going about displaying their obsession, causing harm and gaining his reputation as a maniac

Now that we've established the criteria, I would like to share my top ten films that star characters considered maniacs. Now, these people must either be main characters or supporting characters. A maniac who is a side character or side-plot does not count. We need to see the obsession, paranoia and gain as part and parcel of the main plot - it is essential to understanding the maniac and producing the five acts of criteria I have given you in the list (see above).

Top Ten Films Starring Maniac Characters

10. Batman (1989)

9. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

8. A Clockwork Orange (1972)

7. M (1931)

6. Halloween (1978)

5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

4. Psycho (1960)

3. The Dark Knight (2008)

2. There Will Be Blood (2007)

More Mentions!

Misery (1990)

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

Wall Street (1987)

1. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)