Netflix has unveiled the trailer for its upcoming limited series Maniac, and the new look gives prospective viewers a mind-blowing glimpse into the surreal miniseries. Emma Stone and Jonah Hill headline the show, which is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, who notably helmed True Detective's first installment. As for Maniac, the trailer gives a comprehensive look at the wild plot of the limited series and its compelling characters. Watch it for yourself below:
If your mind is a little blown by what you just saw, you are not alone. Maniac looks like a trip that will take viewers across time and various universes. It also seems to involve a play on reincarnation that potentially spans multiple planes of existence. As the trailer indicates, the story will follow Emma Stone's Annie Landsberg and Jonah Hill's Owen Milgrim as they engage in a drug trial.
What the trailer does not tell you is a bit of the backstory of what made Annie and Owen take part in the program in the first place. According to Netflix's official description, Annie is disillusioned and on an aimless track in life, consumed with the broken relationships she shares with her mother and sister. Owen, on the other hand, is the fifth son of a wealthy New York family, who has been struggling with a disputed case of schizophrenia.
Because of where they are in their lives, Annie and Owen decide to undergo this experimental treatment of medication invented by Justin Theroux's Dr. James K. Mantleray, who claims his series of pills can repair anything the mind is struggling with, whether it be "mental illness or heartbreak." While the program claims there will be no adverse side-effects, the trailer indicates that may not be true.
The trailer itself is engaging and downright compelling, given its dreamlike quality. The show appears to be ready to offer viewers fantasy, science fiction, romance, and a major dose of drama. It is also something entirely different from anything Jonah Hill and Emma Stone have ever really done before. Based on the trailer, though, they seem primed to take it on.
Maniac will easily be one of fall's most talked about series. Besides the buzz of the two silver screen favorites, the plot should have people talking for a while. Do I think Jonah Hill and Emma Stone's characters are reincarnated lovers, whose great love cannot be undone by pills or any mind-bending techniques? Yes. But, you can find out how Stone and Hill's characters manage to sort it all out when the limited series premieres. Maniac will be available to binge on Netflix on September 21.
For new television content set to premiere on Netflix this year, check out our 2018 Netflix premiere rundown. Our guide to Amazon Prime's premiere schedule is available to peruse through next. For new television shows set to arrive this fall, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's fall premieres.
