While a skinhead spewed geysers of blood after a punk hit him with a rusty weapon in “Freaky Tales,” the word that came to mind was “disparity.” I can watch folks wallop Nazis all day long, and especially seeing a bunch of late ‘80s punks of all different stripes beat up these Hitler youth thugs should be immensely entertaining. And yet…it all felt distant and removed from being truly enjoyable. The sentiment was there, the gore was there, it was even artistically shot in a clever way…but something about writers/directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s “Freaky Tales” just doesn’t exactly resonate the way it should. There’s a real disparity between what the filmmakers intended audiences to feel and how viewers actually feel. Too much of “Freaky Tales” feels like a poser, cribbing from better filmmakers and movies in interesting ways but lacking the energy and swagger of those other works to make it connect. There’s lots to like in “Freak Tales,” to be sure, but there’s also a genuine sense that it never meets its potential.
“Freaky Tales” follows multiple stories that intersect in various ways across a couple of days in Oakland in the summer of 1987. Chapter one concerns two friends (Jack Champion, Ji-young Yoo) who frequent a liberal bastion punk club of freaks who are often attacked by skinheads. The second entry is about two rappers (Normani, Dominique Thorne) who are given the chance of a lifetime. Part three centers on an enforcer (Pedro Pascal) who is done with his criminal ways, even if those ways aren’t necessarily done with him. And the final chapter focuses on local NBA legend Eric “Sleepy” Floyd (Jay Ellis) who enacts revenge against those who have wronged him. These stories all crisscross and run into each other through the course of their telling, with the main throughline being a theme of underdogs having to seize their moments.
I wonder how this movie plays with people from the Bay area. Does it feel like too much winking or is it finally giving this overlooked city its due? No idea, but that was one of my thoughts as Boden & Fleck’s script rattled through local nods instead of being thoroughly engrossed in a sprawling neo-noir story. On paper, “Freaky Tales” sounds like an incredible anthology film with style and action and more. But it lacks that indescribable spirit that infuses a good genre movie and really gets its hooks into audiences.
There are standouts—namely Normani, Thorne, and Ellis, who all deliver excellent performances and are incredibly captivating on screen. Even though the second chapter has the “lowest” stakes of the “Freaky Tales” quartet, it’s easily the strongest of the bunch with the best dialogue and most engrossing moments. The rap battle with Too $hort (played by DeMario Symba Driver, though the real Too $hort narrates the movie) is a lot of fun and shot with the most energy of the film, which is curious when compared to the many action-packed scenes. But those action-packed scenes, while not as enervating, do indulge in lovely gore and a surprising amount of viscera that is still entertaining (especially when those being eviscerated are a bunch of racist shitbirds). Ellis’ physicality as Floyd in the final chapter is a real testament to the actor and the stunt team for coming up with some clever uses of his lanky frame along with some pretty dope weaponry as well.
There are lots of fun bits throughout “Freaky Tales,” but it too often feels perfunctory. The “one last job” story was tired by the ‘60s, and while Pascal gives a good performance, Bolden & Fleck do little else to elevate their attempted entry into the canon. There are some awkward lines throughout the movie that sound like the duo were hoping would be stone cold classics but come off as forced and hollow. The gimmicky use of static distortion—y’know, like VHS tapes or TVs from the ‘80s!—doesn’t add to anything or even establish any sort of aesthetic. And there is a cameo that is just distracting while bringing the entire movie to a halt, feeling like a throwback to the Tarantino-ripoffs of ‘90s with their love of stunt casting and pop-culture drenched monologues. And not in a good way.
I kept wanting to really like “Freaky Tales.” It checks a lot of boxes—subject matter(s), great soundtrack, strong performances, cool violence, and more all done with some style. But too much of the stylistic flair falls flat, too little is done to create new and engaging characters, and too much of the dialogue is tin-eared. “Freaky Tales” will find its audience, I think, and will probably gain infamy in time with clips and GIFs of some of its better moments, though I don’t think it will ever be the cult film it so clearly wishes it were. For a movie about underdogs that persevere through heart and individuality, it’s a shame that “Freaky Tales” so often feels devoid of those very qualities.
3 / 5 Stars
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Too $hort, Jack Champion, Ji-young Yoo, Angus Cloud
Directed by: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck
