This is under Z because of director Zach Lipovsky.
Writer: Zach Lipovsky, Adam B Stein (Screenplay)
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Bruce Dern, Grace Park, Amanda Crew, Lexy Kolker, Ava Telek
Plot: A bold girl discovers a bizarre, threatening, and mysterious new world beyond her front door after she escapes her father’s protective and paranoid control.
Tagline – They look just like us
Runtime: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Brilliantly Original
Story: Freaks starts as we meet young girl Chloe (Kolker) who is living with her father (Hirsch) in a house she isn’t allowed out of, she doesn’t meet people, while her father prepares her for the outside world.
When her father comes back injured, Chloe decides to leave the house, going to meet the ice cream man who claims to be her grandpa (Dern) who shows her about the outside world as we learn about the dangers outside.
Thoughts on Freaks
Characters – Chloe is a young girl that has been sheltered from the world because of her special abilities, ones that her father has been preparing her for, she is constantly curious about the outside world, she wants to have a normal life with a mother and father, but her curiosity leads her to create her own world, while becoming a danger to everyone else. Dad has been protecting Chloe for years, he is preparing her for the real world, knowing what will happen if the agent learn the truth about them. He will do anything to protect her even if that means breaking the rules he has created for them to live by. Agent Ray is leading the investigation into the abnormal or freaks of the world, she knows the dangers they could bring the world, but unlike most, she is willing to use them to help fight wars. Grandpa is a local ice cream man that has always been around the house, he has been watching over Chloe from a far needing to protect her in his own way.
Performances – Emile Hirsch and Bruce Dern bring the star power to this film, they are both great in their roles showing us just how determined they both are to protect their youngest family member. Young Lexy Kolker bursts onto the scene with her performance that shows the human side to the character that is in need or normality.
Story – The story here follows a father trying to protect his daughter from the world, his daughter has special abilities that if the world caught her, they would kill her or experiment on her, only her curiosity is leading to threat of that safety. This is a very different spin on the idea of treating people differently, using the idea of superhero genre, while grounding these ideas in reality. In the end it is about people just wanting to live, not wanting to become victims because of other people and just wanting to normal life. The story does keep us guessing and doe splay down the powers, only revealing them slowly as the story unfolds, which helps us understand that they have been forced into using them just to survive. Overall this story is original, hugely original and one that could be enjoyed by many more people.
Mystery/Sci-Fi – The mystery in the film comes from seeing how the father daughter are avoiding the world, why they are forced to be so secretive and this unfolds in the sci-fi powers they possess, ones that mean they can be a threat to the world.
Settings – The film uses the rundown looking house to help our characters look like they are hiding, not a beautiful clean house, like the one Chloe would like to live in, we have the standard government facility too, which isn’t anything special, but where the sets are used well, is with Chloe ability to be in other places, blending the rooms from the house with the other environments.
Scene of the Movie – The bubble revelations.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We could have seen more of the agent, maybe showing her on another capturing mission first.
Final Thoughts – This is an excellent sci-fi film that brings something original to the table, while still keeping the heart of a film that is all about wanting to be part of a family together.
Overall: Outstanding Sci-Fi Movie.
