Manodrome

Manodrome is a 2023 psychological drama thriller written and directed by John Trengove.

Manodrome is a 2023 psychological drama thriller written and directed by John Trengove. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Adrien Brody, and Odessa Young. It premiered at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival in February 2023 and was released in the United States in November 2023.

Plot

The film centres on Ralphie, a financially strained man whose pregnant girlfriend adds to his sense of pressure. After meeting a charismatic older man and a secretive group of men, he is drawn into a world that intensifies his instability and violence.

Cast

The principal cast includes Jesse Eisenberg as Ralphie, Adrien Brody as Dan, and Odessa Young as Ralphie’s pregnant girlfriend. Supporting cast members include Sallieu Sesay, Philip Ettinger, Ethan Suplee, and Evan Jonigkeit.

Release and reception

Manodrome premiered at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival and then received a U.S. theatrical and digital release in November 2023. Reviews commonly compared its themes to Fight Club and discussed its focus on modern masculinity and incel culture.

Themes

Commentary on the film has focused on toxic masculinity, the manosphere, and alienation. Critics noted that it uses Ralphie’s psychological collapse to explore how grievance and group identity can feed aggression.