Thought-provoking science-fiction and supernatural genre films are always a draw for the intellectual movie fan – and 2019 has certainly giving us some memorable examples with AVENGERS: ENDGAME smashing the record held by AVATAR as the top-grossing film of all time.
FREAKS, co-directed and co-written by Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky, is certainly going to be one hell of a calling card for these two talents, who met on a reality show produced by Steven Spielberg called ON THE LOT, which aired back in 2007. Although they didn’t win on the show, it is clear that on the evidence of this film, Stein and Lipovsky are certainly two names to watch.
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Chloe (Lexy Kolker) is kept hidden in a well-covered house by a paranoid father (Emile Hirsch), who keeps reminding her that the ‘bad people’ await outside and that ‘they will kill us’. Chloe is home-schooled and trained in how to react and answer to a different name. However, the inquisitive kid is determined to discover what lies beyond the four walls of the family home, which is clearly under disrepair.
However, Chloe begins to suffer visions of her seemingly-deceased mother and finds solace on the few occasions she defiantly manages to sneak out with a local ice-cream driver, Mr. Snowcone (Bruce Dern). The mystery and puzzle begins to deepen….
It’s difficult to categorise what FREAKS is, as it is partly Sci-Fi, part Supernatural thriller. There are elements of ROOM and LOOPER amongst others, two examples of films that transcend expectations and genre convention. It’s also a movie that will certainly be one of the talking points of the year among sci-fi fans enthralled with the intellectual idealism in films like BLADE RUNNER 2049.
As in all the best genre movies, performance is everything and there are three excellent examples thanks to Kolker, Hirsch and Dern, who continues in his later years to be one of the very best in his field in a career that has given us so many memorable movies like THE DRIVER (1978) and NEBRASKA (2013), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award.
FREAKS certainly has more to offer a broader base of moviegoer and expect solid credentials and acclaim from this stunning debut.
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