Multiple Maniacs

Audience Reviews

View More (88)

Khalid F While watching the movie it did have an interesting storyline with it being a soft horror in my opinion and it having some themes that I didn't really find tasteful but still a decent movie overall. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/19/25 Full Review Alex O Multiple Maniacs, a brilliantly insane early piece by John Waters, condenses his distinctive style of outsider art into a joyous celebration of chaos and bad taste. The film, which was shot on a tight budget in harsh black and white, follows Lady Divine (played by the peerless Divine) as she spirals into lunacy amid a carnival of perversions. The picture becomes a visceral, anarchic statement of transgression and camp despite the poor production quality and bad acting. It is provocative, profane, and completely amusing, with scenarios that both challenge and confound. Beneath the insanity, Multiple Maniacs, a cult film that represents the real start of Waters' filthy cinematic legacy, satirizes America's moral hypocrisy with unparalleled audacity. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/26/25 Full Review Richard H Perhaps this is an unfair comparison, but I had just finished watching an episode of “Call the Midwives” before starting this movie. Most of the acting in Multiple Maniacs appears to be people simply reading their lines, showing very little emotion. I'm not sure that I will finish it. Miss Divine and her boyfriend, David, seemed the most authentic, but not particularly appealing, characters in the movie. Very low production values, it almost seemed like an amateur with a video camera made it. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 10/20/25 Full Review Geraldine V this film had me questionable. the first few mins was disturbing and was weirded out by it. there were some parts where it was funny and made me had a good laugh but this film overall is not a movie I would watch on a regular basis. Also, this would be my first time watching a John Water's film which he has some type of style of dark comedy which makes it interesting. But overall would not watch it again. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 10/14/25 Full Review Wylie T John Waters’ Multiple Maniacs is pure chaos, and that is exactly what makes it unforgettable. Shot in black and white on a very small budget, the film feels like a mix between underground theater, a strange home movie, and an act of artistic rebellion. Divine’s performance is wild, funny, and strangely powerful, carrying the film with total confidence and madness. The story is not the main point. It is full of murder, blasphemy, and shocking scenes that test the limits of taste. But under all the filth and craziness, Waters is laughing at the hypocrisy of polite society. The movie makes fun of what people think is normal by going so far that you cannot help but look, and maybe even admire its fearless attitude. It is not an easy watch. It is crude, messy, and sometimes disgusting. But Multiple Maniacs also feels alive in a way few films ever do. It is the kind of movie that shows why people call Waters the “Pope of Trash.” Weird, gross, and unforgettable, this is a punk classic that celebrates bad taste with heart and humor. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/05/25 Full Review George G Watching this in my own time by cult cinema class, I was kinda surprised by the film. It's definitely weird and kinda gross with the way it's presented queerness at the time, like I feel it would be controversial if it came out today but for its time and how it's used in the film, it works. Love is presented throughout the film, obviously in a twisted way but it was funny with how crazy the film is. I mean it's hard to explain, this film was weird but definitely had a story underneath it, while simultaneously presenting a bunch of oddities throughout the movie. Divine is the main character and the way she is presented and the way she talks, you know when she appears on screen, she'll steal the show every time. The film at the end of the day is confusing but I feel that's the point since you're just entertained by the film. There are some things that hold it back for me and its mostly representations that feel outdated but I won’t go into detail about that. I would recommend it to others but I say be advised with representations since it can be offensive. I give this film a 3/5 stars. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/15/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Multiple Maniacs

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Most Popular at Home Now