Mania (2015)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The dream sequences are beautiful, the acting up to par, the pace is lightening fast and the cinematography masterfully done. Ellie Church does an amazing job playing the title character who is just trying to make sense of a horrible situation. She's trying to help the one she loves even if it's not really the right (or sane) thing to do. Both girls are gorgeous on screen and really just sell their individual characters well. Jessica Cameron has a knack for directing indie horror films with unique story lines that are just a great time to watch! There are depressing moments, surprising moments, disturbing moment, and moments that are unintentionally hilarious but in the best possible way. Overall I'd recommend this film to any horror enthusiast and especially one who loves what Jessica does.

With "Mania," director Jessica Cameron and screenwriter Jonathan Scott Higgins have crafted a riveting, bloody road picture that maintains a relentless aura of uneasiness. Moments of tenderness between the two women are but brief respites as Mel and Brooke descend into their personal hell in which the demon is a mental disease that thrives on bursts of madness, striking without warning. There also are moments of dark humor to go along with the cringe-inducing violence. "Mania" is the story of two the lesbian lovers, Mel (Ellie Church) and Brooke (Tristan Risk), whose lives unravel as a result of Brooke's increasingly volatile psychological disorder. It is Mel who must absorb the brunt of what is happening, and while she bravely tries to salvage what sanity there may be left in her relationship with Brooke, her own subconscious conspires against her, as she endures some dark, disturbing but erotic dreams, along with visions of her own demise as well as Brooke's.Thus Mel is torn apart by her desire to protect the person she loves more than anything and the realization that that there just is no way out. Cameron's keen directorial eye is evident as she utilizes frequently close-ups of both Mel and Brooke, and this is a challenge that the two actresses meet with skill. Church's performance reflects the desperation of Mel mixed with an unconditional love for Brooke that continues to energize her objective to find peace and a solution despite the hopelessness and continually escalating carnage. Risk, who has deservedly earned a reputation in the horror genre as a mesmerizing performer, has an ethereal presence that makes Brooke especially tragic. She is a gentle, often vulnerable soul with some crossed wires that transform her into a beast. In a lot of ways, Brooke is the more stable of the two women in that she knows she is beyond help other than a lifetime locked away, but passively goes along with Mel's plans because that is the best way she can show her love for Mel. Talented and dedicated people like cinematographer Josh Chiara and music composer Ken Jacobsen and many others were instrumental in helping Cameron package together a tight, gorgeously filmed 88-minute exploration of love and terror and madness that has audiences reacting with enthusiasm.

I had the pleasure of seeing this movie at the RIP Horror film fest on Halloween night. I can tell you, I was not disappointed. It was absolutely amazing and Jessica Cameron did a wonderful job with this film. It had a very interesting story with the two characters, Mel and Brooke and their journey to escape. I was completely invested in the outcome of this film. I highly suggest everyone seeing this movie.The story just made you want to sit at the edge of your seat just waiting to see what was going to happen next. It had some of the most amazing scenes that had me biting my nails. It had such beautiful makeup effects. You could really feel the connection between the Brooke and Mel. I cannot wait to see this again. Job well done.

I had the chance to see this at The Arizona Underground Film Festival a few days ago and I was certainly not disappointed. I was really looking forward to this film after first seeing Jessica Cameron's gore fest "Truth or Dare." The end result was a nice blend of story,tension and David Lynch-ian imagery.Another thing to take into account is Mania itself. The filmmakers did a wonderful job taking into account and showing the symptoms that Mania can cause.It creates an uneasy tension that last through out the film and asks the question,"How far would you go for love?" I also appreciate that this film leaves things open for interpretation. Not just with the imagery but early in the film it is a plot point that one of the characters must take her medical to prevent these Manic episodes from happening. Like in real life, 5 out of 10 doctors would say that pills will help while the other 5 would say it'd only make things worse. That certainly came across in the film,as i never was sure if the pills were truly helping or only making things worse. It's the little things like this that make the film excel.The film also comes along with a great cast of larger than life supporting characters, a killer score with a definite 80's vibe and of course, gore.I definitely recommend checking this film out if you're a fan of independent horror.