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Running Time: 107 Minutes
Certification: 15
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, Ji-young Yoo, Angus Cloud, Keir Gilchrist, Michelle Garrah Huang, Jordan Gomes
Anthology films can be a difficult beast, as the overall effectiveness can feel down to a ratio of good entries to those which miss the mark. It can often take one stinker to bring down a film's overall average, but that is not an issue with Freaky Tales, as the miniscule difference in the segments' quality makes for an effective feature. The film comes from writing/directing duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, known for engrossing gambling drama, Mississippi Grind, and their MCU entry, Captain Marvel.
Set in 1987 Oakland, four interconnected stories unfold regarding the town's colourful characters. There are recurring elements across the tales, including mentions of a phenomenon called Psytopics, a bright green light of unknown origin affecting the citizens, and references to actor Tom Hanks. The voiceover appropriately describes it as a wild time, something reflected in this stylishly directed work with a killer soundtrack.
Kicking off this anthology is Strength in Numbers (aka The Gilman Strikes Back). After a screening of The Lost Boys, teenage punks Lucid (Jack Champion) and Tina (Ji-young Yoo) move the night onto their regular club. However, the arrival of Nazi skinheads and their violent intimidation results in a ruined evening for the punk club regulars. Fed up with the repeated attacks, the community decide enough is enough, and arm themselves to defend their regular haunt.
The two teenagers serve as the entry point for viewers, as they ready themselves to protect the place which means so much to them, while having a shared attraction that they are too shy to act upon. At its heart, this is a tale about people trying to keep hold of the place where they found acceptance and a feeling of belonging. It all builds up to the fight, which is an utter blast to behold when it unfolds. With a comic-book styling excellently breathing life into the fights, it delivers a bloody brawl that does not hold back, making for a solid start to this feature.
Following things up is Don't Fight The Feeling, a segment that follows a rap duo known as Danger Zone, made up of Entice (Normani) and Barbie (Dominique Thorne). The pair are eager to prove themselves as hip-hop artists, and see their opportunity upon being invited to perform with a local rapper. While the friends deal with racial abuse and sexual harassment in their day-to-day lives, this is the most laidback segment of the bunch, courtesy of the action being more verbal than physical. Once the duo get onstage and encounter more of the same misogyny, the pair utilize their hip-hop lyrics to deliver a much-needed verbal smackdown which is worth the price of admission alone.
Next up is Born to Mack, which opens with weary debt collector Clint (Pedro Pascal) using a payphone. He has received some bad news that has wrecked his life, resulting in him returning to his car and pulling out a gun. It then cuts to 24-hours earlier, as a more optimistic Clint sits in his car outside of a video store. He makes plans for a future where he no longer raises a fist in anger, although that plan is thrown into disarray when the past rears its ugly head. With a contained story that resembles a novella, this is an engrossing tale that is centered around an effective Pascal, who terrifically depicts a man left with nothing to lose. Clint's hopes for a better future have evaporated, and he is left to accept the reckoning courtesy of the hurt he previously caused.
Rounding off things is The Legend of Sleepy Floyd, a segment that revolves around a basketball game. While NBA All-Star Sleepy Floyd (Jay Ellis) plays a record-setting game, the aforementioned Nazi gang rob his house and attack his family. In the aftermath, Floyd decides to take revenge on them. From Ellis' commanding performance, to the impressively gruesome violence that escalates, this is an exceptional way to close off this feature that leaves a strong lasting impression.
Across the four segments, the most recurring element is the aforementioned green light which represents an underdog spirit, key to the characters as they try persevering to right the wrongs in their lives. It is a notable element within this feature with a retro feel, utilizing a grainy look, different aspect ratios, and even cigarette burns to reflect products of a bygone era. Admittedly, there are notable issues within, particularly some overlap between stories which feels forced. It is also rather glaring how half of the tales focus on the deaths of female love interests driving the stoic male leads. Just because you reference the past, that does not mean you have to take every element from a bygone era.
The '90s was notable for many filmmakers trying to capture the feel of a Tarantino flick, and that continues here as Pulp Fiction is a notable influence on this film. But Fleck and Boden stand apart from those imitators by mixing in aspects of other films, including Kill Bill, The Warriors, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. The result leaves Freaky Tales to carve its own identity as an utter blast which honours the underdogs in grisly cineliterate fashion.
Freaky Tales is available in select cinemas now, and on Digital Download from 28th April
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