Francisco de Assis Pereira is a Brazilian serial killer who was arrested in 1998 for the rape and murder of 11 women and for assaulting nine others at a park in São Paulo. What drove him towards so much hate, so much rage? According to Wikipedia, Francisco, as a child, was molested by his aunt, and as an adult, he got into homosexual relationships. Moreover, a Goth man apparently almost ripped off Francisco's penis. Because of this, he felt pain during sex, and this "impossibility of pleasure" is suspected of being the reason for Pereira's murder mayhem. Mauricio Eça's The Park Maniac doesn't say if Wikipedia is correct. It sees the titular serial killer through a narrow lens, treating him more like a loser monster than a flesh-and-blood character filled with backstory and motivation. Why? The answer to this question lies in this line: "Your voice has no use for me." This is what the journalist, Elena (Giovanna Grigio), tells Francisco (Silvero Pereira) inside the interrogation room when he chooses not to confess to his crimes. The filmmakers share Elena's sentiment. They take away Francisco's voice by refusing to offer any explanation regarding his motives for committing the horrific crimes. He is a beast that should be chained and kept in a cage. This is what The Park Maniac seems to be suggesting.
Written by L.G. Bayão, The Park Maniac, towards the end, displays a desire to honor the victims. Elena walks proudly on the streets because she understands journalism is not about sensationalism but about following ethics. However, both Elena and the film end up paying lip service to the victims. Her feelings about them are depicted through brief, uninspiring shots of her screaming alone in her apartment, while The Park Maniac simply observes sufferers as wide-eyed fools, giving rise to perfunctory torture images. The filmmakers, like Elena, display an obsession with Francisco, the unhinged killer, and then, in the end, wear the badge of decency to score brownie points with the audience. The Park Maniac, as a result, cannot be labeled as either a good drama or a good thriller. This is the kind of film that shows Francisco skating like a pro because Ted Bundy skied like a pro. Meaning: Every serial killer is adept at some sport. If there had been another murderer in this film, he could have been a talented racer, a football player, or a parkour athlete.
Francisco is a delivery boy, so he casually meets several people. When he is skating on the streets, the movie sees him as a daring teenager. The Park Maniac, in other words, tries to convey that serial killers are like ordinary citizens. You could have probably crossed paths with them while doing chores at, say, a supermarket. A thought like this should send chills down your spine, but The Park Maniac renders everything you see on the screen inconsequential. The scenes have a "First this happened, then this happened, then this happened" mechanical quality. Eça doesn't like sensationalism, so he decides to tell his story without provoking the audience. But this merely results in directorial indifference - the movie feels impersonal. It neither intrigues you nor illuminates the characters in a new light. The Park Maniac, at best, serves as a reminder that Francisco will be eligible for bail in 2028 - be prepared. The movie, alas, is so forgettable that we might end up needing another reminder in the future.
Final Score- [3.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times