User reviews

My title pretty much says it all. For those of you who grew up reading 'serious' Science Fiction, you will appreciate this movie. It is very rare to find a Sci Fi film that would be what I would personally call 'serious', but this is it. Not exactly 'Hard' Science Fiction in the sense of it being real technical, but serious in the sense of it being in my lowly and wretched opinion, a DAMN good story!

I have no bloody idea who this little actress is, but if hopefully she can survive the dangerous rigors of Hollywood, she is going to be a PHENOMENAL actor... IS a phenomenal actor. Quite impressive. Most child actors usually I feel come across as either somewhat artificial or overdone, but definitely not this little lady. Restrained, controlled, and VERY believable.

Also, I got to hand it to ol' Bruce Dern... The dude was frigg'n MADE for this part. There were some very nice, but subtle touches of dry humour in just a few well placed areas too that gave the film a nice rounded emotional anchor. And, I loved the way the writers / director really did an excellent job keeping the audience truly guessing about what the HELL is going on, playing out the story and clues at just the right pace that I personally found quite riveting.

If you do enjoy serious Science Fiction and don't mind forgoing the big technological effects of your usual blockbuster Marvel film (not that there's anything wrong with that either : ) and you appreciate just a really well done story and a pretty darn good mystery if you go in cold, not knowing anything about it beforehand, then I think you will really find this movie not only very entertaining and involving, but also rather powerfully moving as well.

A nice find...

Yes the basic plot isn't particularly original, but it the way in which the story is told that has this movie stands out. Movies don't necessarily have to have original plots to be good, they just have to have something about them that is original or intriguing. This movie succeeds with its point of view and tone. It's also unusual to have young children under 10 as the stars in such films and boy does this little star nail her performance. We'll be seeing more of her as she ages I imagine. Worth watching just for her performance alone.

I almost switched this off after 10 minutes. Initially seemed to be some sort of muddled horror movie but ended up more a cross between Chronicle and Heroes. Decent storyline with solid performances and good effects. Recommended.

It had a heartwarming and suspenseful plot. I was totally drawn in until the last few minutes. Though the last 30 seconds took it to a 2 star movie from a 6 star movie.

'Freaks' is unlike any film of this genre you'll find out there at the moment. The film contains elements of 'Jumper, 'Room', and '10 Cloverfield Lane', yet it is unlike any of these films, and definitely not trying to be like anything we've seen before.

'Freaks' captured my attention from the very beginning - for being so different, and so mysterious. Well past the halfway mark it is still not clear what is actually going on, and this is what makes 'Freaks' so different and captivating. It grabs a hold of you to the point where you can hardly contain your curiosity any longer.

Lexy Kolker is excellent as 7-year old Chloe. My goodness, this girl can act!! She completely sold her character to me. She is sensational! For a sci-fi movie, there's not really much in the line of CGI - or obvious CGI for that matter - and that's a bonus. The subtle effects throughout the film are effective and stunning. 'Freaks' is a freakishly weird and brilliant movie that you'd want to watch again and again. Wow, this was incredible.

Oct. 2

Here's The Lowedown on "Freaks" (R - 2018 - Blu)

Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller My Score: 7.1

Cast=7 Acting=7 Plot=6 Ending=8 Story=6 CGI=7 Pace=5 Violent=8 Intense=7 Suspense=10

A bold girl discovers a bizarre, threatening, and mysterious new world beyond her front door after she escapes her father's protective and paranoid control.

"Abnormals are dangerous and we can't let them live free." I came into this movie not knowing a lot about it. I wouldn't classify this as a horror movie per se, but it does have a definite "Firestarter" vibe. If you don't have any expectations coming in, this movie will keep you guessing until the end. Aside from some pace and story issues, this is a solid watch.

Freaks starts out (or so you think) as a film which promises to deliver some uncomfortable moments between an overprotective dad who may or may not be outright crazy as well as possibly dangerous, and his cute, socially-inexperienced, defenseless and mostly awkward little girl. If you know nothing about the film going in, like we did not, upon viewing the first few scenes, naturally, your mind can't help but run to all kinds of dark places, wondering where the filmmaker is going to take us.

Well, where it goes, although the ride hits a couple of small bumps, are dark and eerie places touching on the horror genre, and then surprisingly, it pulls back and takes an unexpected left turn into something completely different.

Much of the supporting cast is okay, but the real revelation is the outstanding performance by Lexy Kolker as the little girl, and just slightly less-so, although still great, her dad, played by Emile Hirsch. They pretty much carry the film. Bruce Dern also delivers, if not a riveting performance, at least a mentionable and memorable one. His role in their lives unravels slowly and is not completely understood until somewhere in the middle of the film. It takes a while to discern what his purpose truly is and for the viewer to see the entire picture. I enjoyed that.

I also liked that the film lets the viewer decide for themselves if what they've witnessed is abuse, trauma, or something else entirely. I also like that while I believe the characters are used as a stand-in or metaphor for discrimination, it isn't anything that is heavy-handed or overtly pushed.

All in all, I found Freaks to be entertaining, and that its concept had been well-executed and delivered. The journey, despite the twists and turns, was captivating, and the destination was 99% equally pleasing and enjoyable, if not 100% where I had expected to go.

A 2018 Netflix original which owes a lot to Stephen King's story (& 1983 film) Firestarter. A man & his daughter, limned by Emilie Hirsch & Lexy Kolker, are holed up in a home in a suburban community. Hirsch warns Kolker to stay indoors (we already get the sense this is a recurring admonition) but even after acceding, we still find her venturing outdoors & even having sleep-in's w/the neighbor's daughter. One day she meets up w/a mysterious ice cream man (complete w/truck & pastel colored outfit), played by Oscar nominee Bruce Dern, who seems to know her & more importantly knows about her power. As their relationship progresses & it looks like this shady conesman may be a means for Kolker to escape, we start to see the blurriness of the story's details come into focus. It turns out Kolker's mother is Dern's daughter & she's being held in a governmental clandestine location because of her powers. Dern hopes to smuggle Kolker into the facility to facilitate an escape (they connect w/an agent played by Battlestar Galactica's Grace Park) which quickly goes to poop when men w/guns enter the picture. The final third of the film has the mother being freed (Kelker can control the guard & project the environment to her home so everyone can see what's happening) & the government agency descends on the house en masse manages to save the film (which actually is a subtle mutants vs. Human tract where 'freaks' are hunted & interred) a bit but all the fogginess (for the first third you think the entire scenario is happening in Kelker's head) & obfuscation aggravates more than ingratiates the audience's interest in the affair. Maybe a TV series was better suited for this material but seeing Dern in a'hole mode is always a plus somewhere. Also starring Michelle Harrison (currently on TV's The Flash who plays the speed force & Barry's mom) as the next door neighbor.

Being different can be tough. Especially at a certain age. But who really is different and how different? And why would your own father ... well the story is quite complex, especially if you haven't read anything about it before you watch the movie.

Which is a nice way to enjoy it, since this has a few surprises ahead. For a low budget movie, the effects are quite nice. And the story is more than interesting and holds the tension throughout. Some things may be easy to spot and predict, but it's still quite original and very entertaining.

A much awaited sci-fi indie for sure, from early positive festival buzz to a neat trailer to a both pleasantly surprising & slightly underwhelming result. I had my doubts about Lipovsky and Stein, their portfolio is not exactly reassuring, but they have done a great job with little budget (which also, on the flip side, makes the movie feel restrained) & the solid cast, including an impressive performance by the 7 year old Lexy Kolker, helps greatly.

"Freaks" is a take on mutant mythos, much like the more shinier "X-Men" movies, but this time freshened up by some different creative decisions in script writing. However, as the story unraveled, sadly, it turned out that the questions asked were more interesting than the answers received. The filmmakers had nailed the world-building during the first half, structuring the plot carefully, giving it piece by piece. Themes like childhood curiosity, extreme parenting & dystopian horrors are explored. The lesser flaw is the pacing, it's a slow-burn long before it is action, but it's never really boring. The big flaw, though, is how actually straight forward and routine the story is, hidden carefully behind the aforementioned world-building. Clever choices, but the resolution/s in the story are therefore less surprising and less impactful. Nevertheless, we have an interesting main hero, Chloe, a 7 years old girl whose head we live in throughout the movie. Most of the characters were decent if a little (or more) clichéic & the performances carrying them - great. For one I feel like Bruce Dern literally never fails. "Freaks" are clothed in a fine cinematography that doesn't exactly excel, but, given the budget, the production design, FX and editing is well done and do not ruin or damage the viewing experience.

"Freaks" has a handful of great elements but doesn't quite pack the punch it promises to. Originality is something it seems to possess, but, as the credits are rolling and I put the whole thing together in retrospect, it's more convential than it wants to be. This goes out as a recommendation to the fans of ambitious sci-fi indies, non-Hollywood superhero movies & mysterious little thrillers. My rating: 7/10.

This is one of those movies where they don't bother with world-building or backstory up front, so you're watching it without really understanding what's happening or why anything is the way it is...then at some point they start explaining things but by then you've pieced it together and are just waiting for them to get on with the story. So you spend the first half of the movie wondering what's going on and the second half waiting for it to get moving again, which adds up to only a mildly enjoyable viewing experience.

The performances are good, including the young girl who is the main focus of the story, so the quality of the acting keeps the movie from slipping into negative-rating territory -- but since it takes a while to get a handle on what the world of the film is like, it's difficult to feel invested in the characters or their situation.

This storytelling technique is definitely preferable to opening narration, but jumping in at a point when a lot of unexplained events have already occurred can easily leave a viewer impatiently looking ahead for clarity rather than absorbing the story as it unfolds. It isn't until about halfway through when the characters start giving out exposition, but by then, everything they're saying is already understood, and it's just wasted dialogue delaying narrative progression.

Worth watching on Netflix for those who like family drama mixed with low-budget superpowers, but doesn't break new ground in terms of storytelling and fantasy.

I knew nothing about this film before I watched it, so I was really pleasantly surprised by how good it was. The plot keeps you on edge all the time, and surprises me constantly. I actually marvel at how the plot turns out. I like this film a lot!

I liked this one quite a bit. A bit cheese in parts but a solid performance from Bruce Dern . Emile Hersch was good also. A different sort of take on a somewhat overused premise. But good. 7/10

"Freaks" strikes me as a look at how those seen as the "other" - whether it's about race, sexual orientation, or religion - have to withdraw from the rest of society. From what I understand, Stan Lee created the X Men to address this point (but also to indict McCarthyism).

Worth seeing.

Wasn't quite sure that I would like this movie when I 1st turned It on. But as I got further into the movie it became apparent that was going to be a pretty good thriller.

I hadn't really heard much about this movie for some reason which is strange considering it came out last year. I'm also shocked that it didn't have any buzz because it is really great.

It is slow at the start and kinda confusing but just enough so that you are not annoyed by it and want to find out more about what is going on.

It is an interesting premise and after watching it i think this would have also made a great tv show as i feel like i want to know this world and explore what else is going on it in.

It looks great too and the effects look pretty clean. It also makes such good use of the sets in a cleaver way. The majority of the move takes place on one set and i think they found a great way around spending lots of money and it is really effective.

I think this film should have got more notoriety than it did and i think people should watch it. Keep in mind that the first 10 to 20 are a little slow and maybe put you off but work through them and I'm sure you will enjoy this movie.

If you like firestarter with a young drew barrymore and patrik swayze then you will love this...firestarter was not good at all. but this one is pretty good....the special affects are on point....the story is predictable...but what movie isnt..... all in a nutshell if is an enjoyable movie and worth watching...

I'm glad I didn't read anything about the story before watching Freaks, so it was all a big guessing what the hell was going on. You can't deny there is a lot of mystery in this story and that made it more than entertaining. There are no tons of action scenes, but the few ones are spectacular. The movie has it more from the suspense building and the intriguing story. The acting was really good, especially from Lexy Kolker, what a great performance for a nine-year old, she has definitely a future in the movie business. Her interaction with Emile Hirsch, who was also excellent in his father role, made Freaks stand out in this genre, it's slightly better than a good sci-fi movie. I wouldn't be surprised if one day they made a sequel, I would definitely watch it.

Creepy old man, and creepier little girl. The Exorcist, meets Code 8, and many others. Put it in the cornfield, son. Brilliant writing, great acting, and it feels good to really laugh. Super mommy provides the required feminist ingredient. Hope there's no sequel. Gets a seven, because fun. Kids are fun. Somehow, they give adults permission to act like dopes.

Well...it´s not Marvel. But this is exactly what I would like to see in an X-Men tv series for adults.

Little actress has a future. Good performance.