A retro ‘80s environment bears witness to a quartet of different stories intertwining as one in Freaky Tales. Riding the line between stylish and cheesy, there is a lot to love on this nostalgia-driven journey.
★★★★☆
Directorial duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden unite once again to deliver a tale of a funky and fictional Oakland in 1987. US rapper Too $hort narrates the film’s four separate chapters, which ultimately come together as one, and stars on stage in the second—which is perhaps the standout.
The audience are thrown straight in at the deep end with young punk rockers taking a stand against the Nazi group terrorising them. Next comes a fierce rap-battling duo, a forthcoming henchman with retirement on the mind, and finally an NBA icon on a mission of vengeance. Various characters make brief appearances in each other’s stories before sharing the screen more readily in the conclusion.
Being so blatantly split up into chapters is a stylistic choice that can fall flat if mishandled. Equally, some may argue that it is a device being overused in modern cinema. The way in which the four stories intertwine is crafted incredibly well here, though, with seemingly minor characters becoming primary figures in the overarching story. Videogame-esque fighting and editing is another way in which Freaky Tales borders on being cheesy but never veers into cringe-worthy territory.
Cameos from celebrities including Tom Hanks and Marshawn Lynch, whilst cool, could equally be too gimmicky, but instead, serve to make the film more enjoyable. Combined with the nostalgic styling and fashion of the ‘80s period, a sharp colour palette and a generally intoxicating aesthetic, it is difficult not to have a good time. Original cartoon-like animations only add to this, particularly given the worrying rise of AI usage being seen in the industry.
Seeing emerging stars pop up in the project is another cause for celebration. Jay Ellis was part of the stellar Top Gun: Maverick cast, while Jack Champion took on the baton in Scream VI and Dominique Thorne has been at the heart of fascinating films including If Beale Street Could Talk, Judas and the Black Messiah and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Champion is a particular standout, picking up where he left off in Scream VI with that mysterious aura whilst Thorne’s performance is very different to those mentioned, displaying yet another string to her bow.
When people reminisce about the ‘80s music is one of the first aspects to be mentioned, and Freaky Tales makes sure to incorporate it—from Tower of Power to Evelyn King to Metallica. Whenever the whole nostalgia shtick starts wearing thin, there’s Sleepy Floyd (Ellis), zooming along on his motorbike with revenge on his mind and funky music blasting out to reignite the fire.
Due to the light nature of the editing and the overall vibe of Freaky Tales, the sheer brutality of its fight scenes really creeps up on you with the style similar to that of the videogames of yesteryear. Multiple Nazis end up with literal holes in their bodies to the complaints of nobody which serves as an extension of genre-bending logic.
The Verdict
Freaky Tales certainly isn’t a film for everyone, with the nostalgic style sure to rub some the wrong way. That being said, there are fun and thrills in abundance with blood-pumping music offering lively support.
Words by Jamie Rooke
Freaky Tales is in select cinemas from 18 April and on digital platforms from 28 April
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