“A joyful playground for the talented lineup of actors in this cast”

After Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s newest film Freaky Tales premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, it received so much praise from audience members that another screening had to be added to the program. Watching the film in a crowded theater, it’s clear why there was such a high demand for more, as the experience is enhanced by a willingness to participate, to laugh, and to cheer. 

Freaky Tales is an anthology film—a single film consisting of several shorter films, all different but often tied together by a single theme, premise, or event. Here, the four events take place at real locations in Oakland, California during historical events of 1987, an homage to the Bay Area where Fleck grew up. Part one follows two punks, Lucid (Jack Champion) and Tina (Ji-young Yoo), who rally together along with their community to defend their territory from Nazi skinheads. Part two shifts the focus onto Danger Zone, made up of two aspiring rappers, Barbie (Dominique Thorne) and Entice (Normani), after they get invited to participate in a rap battle against legendary Too $hort. Part three moves onto debt collector, Clint (Pedro Pascal), who’s about to complete one last task ahead of the birth of his child before finally leaving his criminal career behind. Part four ends with a bang as NBA star Sleepy Floyd (Jay Ellis) brings his team to a career-defining win against the Showtime Lakers, but after tragedy strikes, the night spirals into an epic display of revenge and bloodshed. 

Anthologies are tricky to pull off successfully, and even when they’re executed well, they still aren’t for everyone, and this film isn’t a perfect anthology by any means. At times, it relies too much on the films it’s clearly inspired by, like Tarantino’s Kill Bill. The ‘80s nostalgia brought in by Boden and Fleck is something that’s been seen a lot in media over recent years, and the appeal of the decade—the iconic music, fashion trends, and movies—are all present here front and center, giving it that familiar and universal feel, though this sentimentality is sometimes used to carry the weaker plotlines. 

Boden and Fleck put a lot of heart into these four stories, along with each department behind the scenes, which makes the film work as a whole. Although music, costume, and production design choices are equally important, each section is unique because of the creative editing styles that create a surrealist tone, a joyful playground for the talented lineup of actors in this cast who all bring something fresh and interesting to the table with their characters. The world that the filmmakers have created seems to be on a separate plane of existence, and this suspension of belief works because of the earnestness in each performance.

Though it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind and chalk the fun and enjoyment up to typical film festival hype, Freaky Tales would still be a massively entertaining film even witnessed from the comfort of one’s living room, but having to do so would be a shame.

Dir: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Prod: eOne Films, MACRO
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Dominique Thorne, Normani, Jack Champion, Angus Cloud
Release Date: 18 January 2024
Available on: TBD

---