Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

Multiple Maniacs

Released Apr 10, 1970 1h 30m Comedy Drama List
100% Tomatometer 23 Reviews 72% Audience Score 1,000+ Ratings
The Cavalcade of Perversion, a traveling freak-show, is a front for a band of psychotic kidnappers and murderers. Read More Read Less
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

Multiple Maniacs

In Theaters Fandango at Home Prime Video Max Apple TV

Watch Multiple Maniacs with a subscription on Max, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Critics Reviews

View All (23) Critics Reviews
Steve Rose Guardian Only John Waters could stage a Charles Manson-style slaughter then think: "This could really do with a giant-lobster rape scene to spruce it up." Rated: 3/5 Feb 16, 2017 Full Review John Semley Globe and Mail For all its ostensible unpleasantness, Multiple Maniacs is cheapo, indie, queer American cinema at its most adversarial and thrillingly vicious. Rated: 3.5/4 Aug 5, 2016 Full Review Neil Genzlinger New York Times Is it some kind of lost masterpiece? No. It's merely an interesting milestone on the path to Mr. Waters's better-known works ... Aug 4, 2016 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand ... quite possibly the trashiest and most tasteless film to get the Criterion treatment. And I say that with love and appreciation. Jul 5, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy It still retains its ability to surprise, even if modern society has put a damper on its ability to always shock. Rated: 3/4 Apr 10, 2022 Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com Waters, as always, doesn't fall short of his promise in this sleazy, tawdry, hilarious harpooning of manners and mores. Rated: 3/5 Sep 11, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (75) audience reviews
Teddy B Divine's hilarious and larger-than-life personality as well as some really snappy dialogue makes up for shoddy camerawork and egregious scenes that drag extraordinarily (church scene, for example. You can see how low the budget is through this scene, especially, only Divine keeps it going). Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/12/24 Full Review Cole T Multiple Maniacs shows an important display of American counterculture as does Divine. However the film overall is pointless and shows no actual plot or reasoning. There is a fine line between being "campy" and being ridiculous. And this while also being extremely confusing, is ultimately pointless. On top of all the this the acting isn't exactly adequate to say the least. The only thing that is perhaps appealing about this movie is the grit and nerve to input many of the things that were in the film that would've been considered "taboo" for that time. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 10/01/23 Full Review Tyler B Divine looks beautiful and menacing in black and white. This raw performance from the dreamlanders will shamelessly stand throughout the ages. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/28/23 Full Review Audience Member A time capsule of John Waters shock methods. They really didn't care about acting, costuming, sense, or narrative continuity. Just 1970 zany shocking situations and emoting. You do have to appreciate the time it was made to get it. In 1970, John Wayne won the best actor Oscar for True Grit. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member The beginning of the cultural reset that is John Waters' and Divine. If a little long, it is still as hilarious and lurid as Pink Flamingos or Female Trouble, and it's got all your favorite Dreamlanders in one place! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member Filthy, disgusting, vulgar, cheap, cheaply made, sacrilegious - and wonderful in a way only an early John Waters movie can be. And, of course, starring the always fabulously devine Devine. Curiously, there are lengthy scenes more or less true to the story of Jesus - but it wouldn't be a John Waters movies without being interspliced with scenes of Divine getting a rosary stuck up her ass for ecstatic sex in church. The miracle of the fish and loaves features canned tuna and Wonder Bread. Johnny C sez check it out, but only for the cultiest of cult flix fans.. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Multiple Maniacs

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
A Clockwork Orange 86% 93% A Clockwork Orange The Chinese Girl 95% 73% The Chinese Girl Simon of the Desert 100% 91% Simon of the Desert The Magician 100% 85% The Magician The Milky Way 95% 84% The Milky Way Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All Multiple Maniacs photos

Multiple Maniacs

Multiple Maniacs (1970) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis The Cavalcade of Perversion, a traveling freak-show, is a front for a band of psychotic kidnappers and murderers.
Director
John Waters
Producer
John Waters
Screenwriter
John Waters
Distributor
American Home Entertainment, New Line Cinema, Cinema Group, Film-Makers' Cooperative
Production Co
Dreamland
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 10, 1970, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Aug 5, 2016
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 21, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$25.0K
Runtime
1h 30m
Most Popular at Home Now