TIFF 2018: Our Review Of ‘Freaks’

Posted in Festival Coverage, Film Festivals, Movies, Theatrical, TIFF '18 by - September 11, 2018
TIFF 2018: Our Review Of ‘Freaks’

Freaks, written and co-directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein is tailor-made for midnight madness crowds; a thriller and family drama spiced up with horror and sci-fi elements.

Chloe (Lexy Kolker) is a young child who lives in a rundown house with her dad (Emile Hirsch). They exist like doomsday preppers; eating canned food, keeping doors locked, and windows sealed. All that Chloe knows about life outside comes from her dad and the movie throws out signals that they may not be living through an actual apocalypse. Curiosity gets the best of Chloe and she starts exploring the outside world. And it doesn’t take long before we see why Chloe’s dad keeps her hidden away.

Freaks’ fine cast also includes Bruce Dern, Grace Park, and Amanda Crew who deliver solid performances. Dern looks like the only cast member having fun in their role, though. His over-the-top performance is the stuff midnight madness movies are made of; an old and craggy quippy bastard. He also drives an ice-cream truck! My one knock against the film is its young star Lexy Kolker. Cute as she may be, she lacks the acting range to carry the movie for long stretches. This is a bleak film that goes to uncomfortable places and she can’t convey her character’s darker side. She’s more like a puppy growling when you take away its dish.

Freaks bends several movie genres to its will to deliver a violent and atmospheric action-movie fever dream.

  • Release Date: 9/08/2018
This post was written by
Victor Stiff is a Toronto-based freelance writer and pop culture curator. Victor currently contributes insights, criticisms, and reviews to several online publications where he has extended coverage to the Toronto International Film Festival, Hot Docs, Toronto After Dark, Toronto ComiCon, and Fan Expo Canada. Victor has a soft spot in his heart for Tim Burton movies and his two poorly behaved beagles (but not in that order).
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