Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

Manic

Play trailer Poster for Manic R Released May 9, 2003 1h 40m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
68% Tomatometer 62 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Follows the fate of Lyle (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a violent adolescent who, in lieu of prison, is placed in a juvenile mental institution where he encounters a group of equally troubled teens. This motley crew - abused, sexually confused, violent, and yet hanging on by their grit and anger - becomes Lyle's last lifeline as he fights to find meaning in a world that seems to defy understanding.
Manic

What to Know

Critics Consensus

A grim drama about emotionally damaged teens, Manic's solid cast helps to elevate the material above cliche.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (62) Critics Reviews
Nell Minow Common Sense Media Powerful film packed with profanity and brutality. Rated: 4/5 Dec 25, 2010 Full Review Nick Dawson Empire Magazine Anyone stumbling into the cinema halfway through would think they were watching a documentary, as Manic dispenses with all cinematic flourishes, instead aiming for and achieving absolute realism. Rated: 4/5 Dec 30, 2006 Full Review Derek Adams Time Out It's an undemonstrative, vividly authentic film. Feb 9, 2006 Full Review Felix Vasquez Jr. Cinema Crazed Cheadle is excellent and gives this the true credibility it deserves. Apr 29, 2009 Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com A dynamo of a movie with solid performances. Rated: 4/5 Feb 11, 2008 Full Review Ron Wells Film Threat This is exactly the kind of film the Dogme 95 movement was meant to inspire. Rated: 4/5 Dec 6, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (553) audience reviews
kaden d I'm not sure why but I have a soft spot for movies like these. Joseph Gordon-Levitt always knocks it out of the park when he plays characters like this. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review jelisije j Absolutely fantastic movie about multiple young people dealing with multiple problems and trying to become more then what they feel they can only be. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Beautiful movie about the hardships of teenagers who have been abused in some way. Great performances from all characters. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Great ensemble acting but the Dogme 95 style hurts the film's impetus. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Dealing with anger issues growing up, this movie hits the spot in so many ways. I liked it, I thought it was pretty authentic. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Could reasonably be called an adolescent version of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Manic" is a tough film to put up with, but an enlightening one at that. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Manic

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

More Like This

View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
Twist 16% 53% Twist Watchlist Lost Angels 40% 66% Lost Angels Watchlist Stateside 24% 60% Stateside Watchlist The Shape of Things 64% 65% The Shape of Things Watchlist 16 Years of Alcohol 80% 68% 16 Years of Alcohol Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All Manic photos

Manic

Manic (2001) Manic (2001) Manic (2001) Manic (2001) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Follows the fate of Lyle (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a violent adolescent who, in lieu of prison, is placed in a juvenile mental institution where he encounters a group of equally troubled teens. This motley crew - abused, sexually confused, violent, and yet hanging on by their grit and anger - becomes Lyle's last lifeline as he fights to find meaning in a world that seems to defy understanding.
Director
Jordan Melamed
Producer
Trudi Callon, Kirk Hassig
Screenwriter
Michael Bacall, Blayne Weaver
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
Next Wave Films, Manic LLC
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 9, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 19, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$70.2K
Runtime
1h 40m