User Reviews

This story of an insecure and mentally stressed male who joins a group of men to bond and to become strong and proud again, may sound exciting or thrilling but the opposite is true, because this is merely a SLOWburning character portrait (and not a good one).

This flick is probably only suited for a patient arthouse movie crowd, and NOT suited for an action movie crowd at all, who might have been misled by the trailer, expecting another Fight Club or Taxi Driver.

The bad: Jesse Eisenberg is one of my favorite actors, but he doesnt succeed in convincing me with his acting performance that he is cracking down under severe mental issues (and who eventually goes on a killing spree). He just still looks like a silly harmless nerd. His supposedly deeply surpressed violent character doesnt come over true to life to me AT ALL...

This stories' arch in which Jesse Eisenberg transforms from a caring father of a pregnant girlfriend into a maniacal mental patient who eventually goes on a killing spree isnt convincing me whatsoever and THAT is a problem, because this character transformation is THE core of this very story.

More bad: There are too many credibility issues with the story. Out of the blue there suddenly is a group of men who start supporting the lonely and insecure Jesse Eisenberg like a loving father to his long lost son. There are too many weak performances by several supporting actors that really irritated me. And Adrien Brody's performance as a mumbling guru of a man club is rather silly looking as well.

If you are looking for a devestating movie about a lone soul slowly loosing his mind and seeking "cure" of his mental strains in killing someone, better watch an almost similar plot in "Taxi Driver" (1976) with Robert de Niro instead, because Manodrome is (at best) a cheap and failed surrogate of that all time great American movie classic.

I can definitely understand the difficulty a lot of people have had with wrapping their minds around this story, everything about this movie is in total contrast to everything that we're being taught and indoctrinated with in contemporary Western culture. Men are not supposed to be in control, men are not supposed to be independent, men are not supposed to be their own people, men are supposed to obey, be obedient, and be submissive.

The celibacy aspect of this story was fascinating what a lot of people don't seem to realize is that most women in America are just not sexual beings anymore and many men live lives of unwilling celibacy so the concept of guys willingly renouncing sex who is rather fascinating and a social phenomena that needs to be explored. I could see a lot of woman being put off by this film and justifiably so, it does threaten the position that they hold so dear. That of big boss. I know man who aren't even allowed to carry cash anymore they make the excuse that they use their credit card because it's easier for them to keep track of expenses but in reality the lack of cash is a form of emasculation.

The cultish aspect of this story was a difficult thing to find a level of comfort with, but the basic movie was a rather interesting story, that needs to be talked about, and needs to be considered. 'Me too" has created an extreme society. Toxic masculinity is the mantra of the day. Men are definitely being left behind by the millions, and most men don't even realize how extremely emasculated they are.

What made the film a bit bizarre is that it seemed like his girlfriend was a very decent person, not a Pinkett like dragon queen or a particularly difficult person. So most of his problems seem to be internal.

Having said all that the movie was very convoluted, the central character's personality was beyond bizarre, and the ending was wholly unsatisfying. This was not a good movie, but it's a very important theme that needs to be explored.

It's not a terrible movie, but it's nothing that's amazing. At one point I thought it was supposed to be commentary about men who are taking advice from people like Andrew Tate. But it eventually turned into the MC killing people because... who knows? He has trauma from his Dad leaving him on Christmas day, and doesn't like talking all that much.

There were certain things that happened in the movie with the man cult where they were being hypocrites. They talk about how their fathers leaving them is what caused a lot of trauma, yet they also recommend that Ralphie leaves his GF, who is currently mega pregnant, because "that's what a lot of the other members do." So basically, they want to make another child whose Dad leaves them at some point.

It seems that Ralphie was also a closeted gay man who secretely hates himself. He got mad about seeing gay men being in a relationship while he was driving them home in his car. Ironic since he's so homphobic that he'd scare some gay men, but he eventually has sex with a guy and kills him for some reason. I guess it's supposed to be random killing because that's what murderers do?

All in all, want something to watch that has some really pretty camera work? Watch this.

Ralphie (Jesse Eisenberg) has father abandonment issues. We later discover his father left him at Christmas. It is the Christmas season and Ralphie tries to hide his feelings. He has built a wall around himself. He lost his job and is working as a ride-for-hire. His live-in girlfriend (Odessa Young) is pregnant and is working to help out. Ralphie also works out at a gym. He is not a people person. His dealer friend introduces Ralphie to their group of guys which has Dan (Adrien Brody) as their leader. On the surface, it appears to be a self-help group where men can open up about their issues and true feelings. In reality, it is a cult that enables Raphie's worst instincts by empowering his mind. This led to a horrific downward spiral.

The film is different and is a slow burn that never fizzles. At one point in the mall our "protagonist" realizes the group of men who have abandoned their families is not right for him, but he is brought back into the fold as his freedom was not meant to be.

Guide: F-word. Sex. Male nudity.

If I could give this zero stars I would! I have been wanting to see this movie for several months. The previews look pretty good & I absolutely love blah blah. But this movie is absolutely the worst movie i have ever seen! The movie is full of this main character waiting to be gay. Know desire for that crap! Their is absolutely no story line & the guy playing the main charter, well his plays a creep the entire movie. Honestly, do not waste your time. I don't understand how movies like this can get made. I mean seriously the entire movie is made up of gay crap & a crazy man! It says thiller & drama. Nope none of that!!!!

The way this movie went about exploring a man's need to belong - particularly in a tribe or with other like-minded men - was a lesson not only in the growing trend of Andrew-Tate-style toxic masculinity, but also a surprisingly deep peek into the complex vulnerabilities men feel these days.

The story was real as well as relevant, but it also carried an underlying warning about falling for the first 'feel good' thing to come your way.

It was amazing to see Jesse Eisenberg slip into the role of Ralphie, a cabbie whose pregnant girlfriend Sal (played by Odessa Young) was giving him more anxiety about the future than happiness in the present. I have always loved Jesse's acting, so watching him dive into character made "Manodrome" well worth watching.

The movie addressed the widening divide between what women want from men and what men can realistically provide. It was a bold take on a multi-layered subject, made even more complex by human emotion and worldly circumstance.

Now, I believe the gym scenes were symbolically significant. To many men, the gym is a second home. This shouldn't be overlooked, because in past centuries men used to 'workout' by partaking in anything from city-wide construction and general town protection, to full-fledged war and defending their lords' fiefdoms from invaders.

Gyms bring guys a few steps closer to physically reliving those days. It's one of the reasons why we feel good after a strenuous workout. Such 'genetic memories' are still strong in almost every man alive today. This is probably why we all think of Rome at least once a week.

This in no way detracts from a woman's many virtues. Women can do almost anything a man can, in fact women can do some things men biologically cannot. It's also a fact that women too can workout and feel good.

But history, for good or worse, has set a precedent where, for the longest time, men have 'fought' for something or other. This controversial concept shouldn't permit injustice and inequality today, because society is obviously evolving and every man and woman should evolve with it.

In "Manodrome", these (and other) subtexts were deftly woven into the plot and delivered on the backs of good performances. Back to the significance of using gym scenes in this movie... It seemed to convey the possibility that gyms are cults too, in a way, ones where men go to indirectly feel like they're part of a tribe, ready to rage or war as needed.

Now, about the cult itself... I was pleasantly surprised to see Adrien Brody in this movie. He gave a memorable performance, remarkably different from his usual, and was the epitome of persuasion. He played 'dad' Dan, a father figure in a slowly growing family of men - who referred to themselves as 'son' this or 'dad' that, depending on seniority. They weren't related by blood but came together because, apparently, they just wanted to live their truth away from societal pressures.

Though this idea sounded innocuous, the underlying dynamics of their 'tribal' setting nurtured dark consequences both within and outside the group. All these men, straight as they came, prided themselves on being celibate. Some among them were full-on 'women haters'.

There really was no such thing as a free lunch, something that Ralphie (Eisenberg) soon discovered. He was with Sal, who was pregnant with his baby. To leave or not to leave became his question. And the way he went about realizing the answer made "Manodrome" feel distinctly intriguing, if not discomfiting.

Cult-ish overtones and a realistic approach to understanding the inherent nature and hidden fears of men lent "Manodrome" a deep gravitas that can divide non-neutral viewers. As a man writing this, I felt the movie was woefully wrong in some places but wholesomely correct in others. Feel free to discern for yourself which is which.

But one message stood above all else: the importance of fathers in the lives of sons, how their absence can nurture lost men while their presence can ensure the rise of real men, men who don't wish to see the world burn just so their egos can feel the smallest sparks of social warmth and misbegotten power.