Anandita Lidhoo The controversial Netflix show, Maniac, stars Emma Stone and Jonah Hill in a retrofuturistic dystopia, where a few suffering from psychological trauma apply as test subjects for an experimental pharmaceutical trial. By the end of this experiment, they are promised “pure, unaffected joy,” as the medication (a set of three pills) is supposed to replace years of cognitive-behavioural therapy. The show imbibes a lot of the current approaches and theories in the realm of clinical psychology, with a fantastical twist to them. It keeps the viewers hooked with its quickly shifting sense of time, space, and normalcy. The potrayal of mental illnesses in the show is very accurate- be it from small behaviours like how the protagonists carry themselves in public to how they behave in the drug-fueled hallucinations they have in the pharmaceutical trials. The interviewer, Dr Mantleray, debriefs them in front of a few cameras to verify the data captured by a supercomputer he created, colloquially called “Gertie.” A lot of the way he questions the participants of the study resembles the gentle nudges given by present-day therapists, allowing viewers to connect this aspect of the show to reality. The treatment Stone and Hill sign up for revolves around three pills- A, B, and C. Each comes with its own characteristic effect- and yet all have a common procedure. You take the pill, swallow, close your eyes, and let the mind hallucinate while Gertie captures it all. Pill A forces you to relive your trauma (specifically the most traumatic incidents you have had), Pill B makes you see your blind spots, and Pill C forces you to have a confrontation. This procedure is quite similar to what happens with patients in therapy, and how they first are made to process their trauma, then discuss their personality traits and blind spots, and ultimately, confront themselves and others involved in the trauma. Additionally, since in the show, the procedure happens entirely in the brain, it makes it all much more elegant and sophisticated, ensuring no external damage and much more mental freedom. The show has taken an interesting perspective on mental illness and living with it, day-to-day. It shows the banality and the extremes, both without romanticising them. It sheds light on the yearning for being “normal” and wanting to do anything to be this way- something that is present in our current society. The show makes one question what normal is, however, trying to make the viewers realise that this pointless, endless chase towards “being healed” is nothing but, if only to fit in society’s standards of mentally healthy. Anne (Stone)’s addiction to the A pill to self-medicate her depression is a classic example of the aforementioned. Many feel so stigmatised and unable to reach out for help that they rely on unhealthy and toxic ways to cope- be it drugs, alcohol, or putting oneself in danger. She has little to no money to feed herself, she is behind on rent and has no job, because she only gathers enough money to ‘score’ A and snort it, since that is all she cares about. This obsession with feeling better, avoiding the depression, every single day, is very relatable for many in our current society. Another beautiful aspect of the show is that the scientists running the tests are just as “problematic” as the participants of the trial. Dr Muramoto dies because he was freebasing a mix of A and C, potentially avoiding his own trauma. Dr Mantleray has evident “mommy” issues and is paraphilic, while Dr Fujita refuses to step out, chain-smokes, and is possibly agoraphobic. All three scientists dealt with their psychological anguish in their own, characteristic ways, exhorting the viewers to question what normal and successful is. The power dynamics of such a setting are interesting as both sides of the coin feel the same way, they may even share coping mechanisms. This shatters the belief that those with mental illness cannot lead a “normal” life. An eye-opener, Maniac is a must-watch for its accurate and yet futuristic take on mental health, its perception, and normalcy.

Anandita Lidhoo

The controversial Netflix show, Maniac, stars Emma Stone and Jonah Hill in a retrofuturistic dystopia, where a few suffering from psychological trauma apply as test subjects for an experimental pharmaceutical trial. By the end of this experiment, they are promised “pure, unaffected joy,” as the medication (a set of three pills) is supposed to replace years of cognitive-behavioural therapy.

The show imbibes a lot of the current approaches and theories in the realm of clinical psychology, with a fantastical twist to them. It keeps the viewers hooked with its quickly shifting sense of time, space, and normalcy. The potrayal of mental illnesses in the show is very accurate- be it from small behaviours like how the protagonists carry themselves in public to how they behave in the drug-fueled hallucinations they have in the pharmaceutical trials.

The interviewer, Dr Mantleray, debriefs them in front of a few cameras to verify the data captured by a supercomputer he created, colloquially called “Gertie.” A lot of the way he questions the participants of the study resembles the gentle nudges given by present-day therapists, allowing viewers to connect this aspect of the show to reality.

The treatment Stone and Hill sign up for revolves around three pills- A, B, and C. Each comes with its own characteristic effect- and yet all have a common procedure. You take the pill, swallow, close your eyes, and let the mind hallucinate while Gertie captures it all. Pill A forces you to relive your trauma (specifically the most traumatic incidents you have had), Pill B makes you see your blind spots, and Pill C forces you to have a confrontation. This procedure is quite similar to what happens with patients in therapy, and how they first are made to process their trauma, then discuss their personality traits and blind spots, and ultimately, confront themselves and others involved in the trauma. Additionally, since in the show, the procedure happens entirely in the brain, it makes it all much more elegant and sophisticated, ensuring no external damage and much more mental freedom.

The show has taken an interesting perspective on mental illness and living with it, day-to-day. It shows the banality and the extremes, both without romanticising them. It sheds light on the yearning for being “normal” and wanting to do anything to be this way- something that is present in our current society. The show makes one question what normal is, however, trying to make the viewers realise that this pointless, endless chase towards “being healed” is nothing but, if only to fit in society’s standards of mentally healthy.

Anne (Stone)’s addiction to the A pill to self-medicate her depression is a classic example of the aforementioned. Many feel so stigmatised and unable to reach out for help that they rely on unhealthy and toxic ways to cope- be it drugs, alcohol, or putting oneself in danger. She has little to no money to feed herself, she is behind on rent and has no job, because she only gathers enough money to ‘score’ A and snort it, since that is all she cares about. This obsession with feeling better, avoiding the depression, every single day, is very relatable for many in our current society.

Another beautiful aspect of the show is that the scientists running the tests are just as “problematic” as the participants of the trial. Dr Muramoto dies because he was freebasing a mix of A and C, potentially avoiding his own trauma. Dr Mantleray has evident “mommy” issues and is paraphilic, while Dr Fujita refuses to step out, chain-smokes, and is possibly agoraphobic. All three scientists dealt with their psychological anguish in their own, characteristic ways, exhorting the viewers to question what normal and successful is. The power dynamics of such a setting are interesting as both sides of the coin feel the same way, they may even share coping mechanisms. This shatters the belief that those with mental illness cannot lead a “normal” life.

An eye-opener, Maniac is a must-watch for its accurate and yet futuristic take on mental health, its perception, and normalcy.