It stars Jesse Eisenberg, Adrien Brody, Odessa Young, Sallieu Sesay, Philip Ettinger, Ethan Suplee, Evan Jonigkeit, and Caleb Eberhardt.
The next day, Jason gives Ralphie a new pair of sneakers, telling him it is a gift from the group for making a good impression.
When they attempt to have sex in his backseat, Ralphie slams the car to a halt, then dangerously speeds through the streets.
After celebrating, Dad Dan offers his gun to Ralphie, who reveals that his father walked out on his family on Christmas Day.
When they finish, Ahmet introduces himself, but Ralphie suddenly shoots him dead, stealing his truck and pawning his personal belongings.
Principal photography took place in Syracuse, New York from November 21, 2021 to January 4, 2022, under the shooting title, "Untitled Rust Belt".
[9][10] Manodrome had its world premiere at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival and screened February 18, 2023 in the opening weekend of the Main Competition.
[11] The film was nominated for the prestigious Golden Bear, in addition to the Teddy Award for Queer Cinema.
The website's consensus reads: "Jesse Eisenberg does some impressive work in Manodrome, even if the story isn't quite deep or nuanced enough to support his deeply committed performance.
"[15] Chris Barsanti of Slant Magazine praised Trengove for his cinematic craftsmanship, stating "While Trengrove’s skill is apparent in the slow build of tension, it truly stands out in the arguably more impressive way he holds Ralphie’s view of the world separate from that of the film’s.
"[17] Deadline compared the film to Taxi Driver, writing that its tone and brutal treatment of male violence may not appeal to everyone.
David Rooney wrote that Jesse Eisenberg's performance as the tightly coiled Ralphie is compelling and "generally rises above the lofty self-seriousness of a movie that aims to sound the death knell on toxic masculinity.
"[19] Variety's Peter Debruge wrote that Manodrome struggled to live up to its provocative premise, lacking the depth and nuance needed to effectively explore the state of contemporary masculinity, saying, "The characters feel thin, the secret society seems implausible and its goals too vague to capture the imagination.
"[20] Writing for Cineuropa, Davide Abbatescianni described the film's final result as a "captivating pastiche made up of thriller, psychological drama and surreal comedy tropes, filled with crazy twists and turns...This hodgepodge may be amusing or fascinating to some, but frustrating to others.