The Mercedes Killer by Maniac
I had the very rare pleasure of seeing this edit, not only before it was actually released but… drumroll…before watching the series that it was based on, Mr. Mercedes.
Sure, I was familiar with the premise…based on a work by the one and only Stephen King, the story centers on Bill Hodges, a man who left his native Ireland (love that accent) as a teenager and became a cop in the small town of Bridgton, Ohio. After several years of service, He’s now retired, divorced and his daughter hates him. He’s also an alcoholic haunted by a crime he wasn’t able to solve before he retired. Someone stole a Mercedes and used it to drive into a crowd of people waiting for the doors to open at a job fair, killing sixteen people (including an infant).
Two years after the murders, the killer decides to reach out to Hodges and taunt him. The viewer knows the identity of the killer immediately.
That’s all I am going to spoil.
I will say this…this is one whacked out story. I guess that’s why Maniac wanted to take a stab at it (pun intended). It has mystery, horror, sex, incest and masturbation (to his mother, no less and then-to his crime). This guy’s crazy is completely off the chain.
This edit may be as close to perfect as an edit of a television series into a long movie may get. Anjohan may have Game of Thrones down, but there can be no dispute that Maniac has horror down. I watched this coming off of a binge watch of his Hannibal edits. I had high expectations after watching those and reading a few reviews of Mr. Mercedes season one.
I don’t have the technical specs but I can say that the video editing is seamless, almost perfect and obviously of superior quality. The audio was amazing on my home theatre system. I believe there were some alternate music choices used to enhance the effect. I truly felt like I was watching one of Stephen King’s long horror movies. However, this was more a psychological horror than blood and gore (although it is there…in spades). I felt the disturbing cat and mouse game that was being played out as if I was involved. I also felt both-the protagonist’s pain and desire for closure and the antagonist’s torment and desire to unleash the beast-equally.
It was an immersive experience made perfect by the hyperspeed pace and sledgehammer impact of the editing. I don’t believe that I will even bother watching the series now. How could I, after such an experience? (I’m scratching my head thinking that I may go back and watch it again after everyone goes to bed to see if I missed anything). By the way, don’t be shocked to find an easter egg hidden in the movie on the sly.
All things considered, if you are into psychologically disturbing cat and mouse games with a taste of blood and gore, this nearly perfect edit is a must see.
Well done! Two thumbs very enthusiastically held high.