Freaks (2019): Review by @Kush_Hayes
Its rare these days that I see a movie in the theater that I know zero about, including not having seen a trailer. Its even rarer that I leave that movie not only sitting all the way through, but enjoying it on a level where Im disappointed that there arent more people seeing it as well. 2019s Freaks, written and directed by the team of Adam B Stein & Zack Lipovsky and distributed by Well Go USA on a limited run is what you get when you take the superhero genre, and give it not just an interesting story but tell that story through compelling characters. Not everything in the story is thrust upon us, but rather important details of our universe are sprinkled throughout its 1hr 45min run time.
Our cast list is short, but thats what enhances its abilities to move the story along. The majority of this movie is shared between Emile Hirsch and newcomer Lexy Kolker and their chemistry together is fantastic. When we meet them, things seem somewhat normal, and then Dad shouts at daughter to not look out the window. We go through their daily routine and again, things seem normal, but then we see more of their home. There are half empty bottles of water and sports drinks littered all over the house. The windows that arent completely blocked off with duct tape everywhere, are barricaded with random objects much like something out of Night of the Living Dead. And based on the way we have Canned Foods displayed, If you didnt know better, you would say we are currently in some kind of apocalypse.
The first act does a great job of building up paranoia, portraying Dad (Hirsch) as possibly insane, and to a degree, Dad is very insane. However there is a reason behind that as we will learn. Once we get the full narrative of how Chloes (Kolker) being raised, you basically fear for her and are excited for her to escape her fathers custody. We then meet “Mr. Snowcone” the Ice Cream Man, played by Bruce Dern. I would actually like to know what the decision was behind Mr Snowcone selling Ice Cream as opposed to his namesake. But thats not factor. We get some awkward dialogue where youre wondering if Chloe has wandered right into the hands of some kidnapper or whoever it is that Dad has been warning or if it is indeed her grandfather as he identifies himself to a police officer later.
Now this entire time, its been alluded that Chloe is “special” and “different” and once we meet Mr Snowcone do we discover the rest of the world at hand and we are in a grounded, gritty, dark superhero movie. My attention has been captured since Dads first outburst, but by the time we establish what it is we are in that I become fully invested in the world presented. Rules are outlined, consequences are underlined and things get crazy all in a modest budget with a modest story with an extraordinary cast pushing it past its boundaries.
This movie was a pleasure to watch. I feel luck to have seen it when I have. I am disappointed to mention I managed to see the final screening of its run at the Metreon in San Francisco. Im confused how I havent heard about it before this month. If you enjoy sci-fi, if you like superheroes and comic books, if youve complained theres nothing original out, you only have yourself to blame. This is what you want to see. I put this up there with Brightburn and Captive State as some of the best SciFi this year.
Five out of Six Blueberries
Rated R for violence and some language
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