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Academy Award nominee Jesse Eisenberg might be best known for portraying tongue-in-cheek, darkly comedic, nerdy characters, but Manodrome will perhaps see The Social Network star in a never-before-seen role. But he isn’t the only one surprising us. Academy Award winner Adrien Brody makes for an integral part of the cast as the story’s antagonist. Manodrome comes from South African director John Trengrove, who wrote and directed the film in his English-language feature film debut. He has previously directed the miniseries Hopeville, which was nominated for an international Emmy, and the highly acclaimed 2017 South African film, Wound.
Billed as a psychological drama thriller, Manodrome revolves around the central theme of toxic masculinity and its damaging consequences, which has already piqued the attention of its audience. The story follows Ralphie, an Uber driver in New York, and his pregnant partner, Sal. Struggling to make ends meet and anxious about the upcoming child, Ralphie gets frustrated with life when he chances upon an all-male, self-help, cult-like group. Soon, Ralphie finds himself on a path of madness and self-destruction. Eisenberg stars as the story’s troubled protagonist Ralphie, while Brody portrays the cult’s leader, Dad Dan. For both the actors, their characters seem like a departure from the kind of roles they are usually known to play. The cast also includes Odessa Young, Sallieu Sesay, Philip Ettinger, Ethan Suplee, Evan Jonigkeit, and Caleb Eberhardt in various supporting roles. Riley Keogh of Daisy Jones & the Six fame, who was earlier set to play the character of Sal is attached to the project as one of the producers.
Premiered at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on February 18, 2023, Manodrome has garnered generally positive reviews and reactions from its initial screenings. In a review for Collider, Marco Vito Oddo describes the film as,
…a sensible exploration of how toxic masculinity changes, shapes, and slips through the cracks while fighting to survive in a world where the patriarch is constantly under assault. It’s also a cautionary tale about how a community can enable broken men to embrace what makes them dangerous for the people around them and themselves. Finally, it serves as a gritty character study where Eisenberg can flex some new acting muscles.
As the film arrives in theaters this November, check out our guide below to find out when, where, and how you can watch Manodrome.
Manodrome
RThriller- Release Date
- November 10, 2023
- Director
- John Trengove
- Cast
- Jesse Eisenberg , Adrien Brody , Odessa Young , Philip Ettinger , Ethan Suplee , Evan Jonigkeit , Caleb Eberhardt
- Runtime
- 96 minutes
- Main Genre
- Drama
- Studio(s)
- Grindstone Entertainment Group , Capstone Studios
- Distributor(s)
- Lionsgate
When Is the Release Date for 'Manodrome'?
Manodrome had a global premiere at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival in February 2023. It was screened as a part of the Main Competition and nominated for the prestigious Golden Bear and the Teddy Award. Distributed by Lionsgate Films, the drama thriller film is releasing in theaters in the US on November 10, 2023, followed by a digital release on November 17, 2023.
Is 'Manodrome' in Theaters?
Releasing on November 10, 2023, Manodrome will be available to watch in select theaters, sharing the premiere day with other highly-anticipated films like MCU’s The Marvels, Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, and the comedy-horror film, It’s a Wonderful Knife. However, Manodrome is vastly different in genre and concept, which is likely to save it from competition from the other releasing titles.
Manodrome is only playing in select theaters and is unavailable at some of the more well-known chains across North America, such as AMC, Regal, Cinemark, and Cineplex. You can check out the Fandango link below to learn about the showtimes at your nearest theater/s, book tickets, and learn other details about the film.
Will 'Manodrome' Be Available on Digital?
Along with its theatrical release, Manodrome is also set for a digital release a week after its premiere, on November 17, 2023. As far as its streaming release is concerned, there is no update on the same at the moment. Typically, films arrive on streaming at least 30–45 days from their theatrical premiere, so we can expect Manodrome to also stream around that time.
Watch this space for the latest updates on the streaming release of Manodrome.
Will 'Manodrome' be on DVD and Blu-ray?
So far there is no news on the DVD and Blu-ray release of Manodrome, but the physical copies usually arrive in a month or so after the theatrical premiere. So, we can expect the DVD/Blu-rays to come out by the end of the year, or later. Meanwhile, if you want to see this gritty and twisted psychological drama, your only option is to head to your nearest theater.
Watch the Trailer for 'Manodrome'
Released in November 2023, the trailer for Manodrome serves as a two-minute summary of the twisted and dangerous plot that is about to unravel, albeit, through very dark comedy. The clip quickly introduces Eisenberg’s protagonist, Ralphie, a down-on-luck cab driver who is so frustrated with his life, he seems on the verge of a breakdown. Then his friend introduces him to his group of men, led by a mysterious man who goes by Dad Dan, or so everyone calls him. What seems like a brotherhood or a cult of self-proclaimed “high-value men”, the group instills masculinity in its members through aggression and violence and encourages male bonding in peculiar ways. The trailer also hints at the vicious spiral that Ralphie will find himself in, thanks to Dan and his cult.
Besides addressing critical subjects, Manodrome also has a few other interesting elements as we see in the trailer. For starters, Eisenberg’s Ralphie is nothing like the other characters he has played before, including the massive physical transformation he has in the film. Similarly, while Brody might have played various kinds of antagonists and villains, Dan is probably going to be one of a kind. Secondly, from what we see in the trailer and promos, it looks like the film will also be quite action-heavy, which you don’t always expect from psychological dramas like these.
Other Movies like Manodrome You Can Watch Right Now
Since its film festival screenings and initial reactions, Manodrome has so far been compared to Fight Club, Don’t Worry Darling, and similar films which also explore toxic masculinity and angry and socially sidelined men.
Taxi Driver (1976)
After his breakthrough, Academy-winning performance in The Godfather Part II, Robert De Niro starred in this 1976 film in his second collaboration with Martin Scorsese. Written by Paul Schrader, the psychological thriller follows Travis Bickle, a 26-year-old Vietnam vet-turned-cab driver in New York, who is lonely, depressed, and frustrated with deteriorating society and the vagaries of fate. With his mental state on a slide, Travis sets out on a dangerous path. While the core subject of Taxi Driver is vastly different from Manodrome, there are a lot of similarities in their themes, which rest on isolation, loneliness, and depression. Also, one cannot ignore the parallels between Ralphie’s state of mind and that of Travis, and the factors that contribute to them. The Academy Award-nominated film also stars Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris, and Albert Brooks.
Fight Club (1999)
If Manodrome is closer to any other film, it’s this David Fincher cult classic from 1999. Based on the eponymous debut novel by Chuk Palahniuk, Fight Club is as dark, gut-wrenching, and disturbing as Manodrome appears to be. The story, told by an “unknown narrator” (Edward Norton), takes you on a mind-bending, overwhelming ride through his mind and life. An automobile professional with chronic insomnia, the narrator lives a mundane life which frustrates him. Then he meets the soap salesman Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) who changes his entire life. From punching it out at an underground fight club to developing an uncanny bond, Tyler and the narrator become each other’s support to get through the disappointments of life and society at large. Manodrome explores this very theme at its foundation, addressing disenfranchised men, emphasis on masculinity, and rejection of self-care. However, we are yet to see if Ralphie’s story ends with a similar shocking revelation as the narrator or not.
Bruiser (2022)
With a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this 2022 film is considered an incredible depiction of toxic masculinity. Directed by Miles Warren in his critically acclaimed debut venture, and written by Warren and Ben Medina, Bruiser follows a 14-year-old Darious, who struggles with his abusive father and turns to a charismatic drifter for support, among other father figures, to learn about what masculinity entails. Through his learning from different people, including his mother, Darious tries to figure himself out but discovers that aggression and violence dominate his life. A lot along the lines of Manodrome, Bruiser also explores the influence of wrong inspirations in a man’s life and how they affect their masculinity and perception of the world. Premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, the film was highly praised, including by Collider's Chase Hutchinson, who called it in his review a “beautifully shot work that grapples with fatherhood, masculinity, and growing up that emerges as a fittingly flawed cinematic gem.” Bruiser stars Trevante Rhodes, Shamier Anderson, Jalyn Hall, and Shinelle Azoroh in various roles.
