It's always a nice surprise when you can just vibe with a film, something that very much happened with Freaky Tales. The latest offering from indie filmmaking duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, this action comedy leans into both its own absurdity and influences from other films to become one of the most entertaining films of the year so far.
An NBA star (Jay Ellis), a corrupt cop (Ben Mendelsohn), a female rap duo (Normani and Dominique Thorne), teenage punks, neo-Nazis and a debt collector (Pedro Pascal) embark on a collision course in 1987 Oakland, Calif.
If the synopsis above doesn't at least make you the tiniest bit interested in seeing how this plays out, then it definitely won't do anything for you. What Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck achieve here in creating such an authentic - outside of all the weird shit - 80s vibe is nothing short of mesmerising. It's a film almost paying homage to a time itself, as well as the countless influences that inspire the narrative - something this film admirably wears on its sleeve. The visuals are grainy and feel like an exploitation film while the soundtrack is full of bangers that bring the era to life with such energy.
Their writing is also an aspect of the film that shines, the vignette structure working well to connect the respective stories throughout. You might argue it isn't necessary but Boden and Fleck utilise it to their advantage, with the film flowing more naturally as a result. For an action comedy, it mostly delivers on both however, it's more subtle with the laughs than you'd think and the major action bookends the film. The finale in particular the most obvious Kill Bill homage we've seen in a while.
As for the performances, this is very much an ensemble piece that relies on many moving parts to achieve success. The most obvious standouts are Pedro Pascal and Ben Mendelsohn, himself a regular fixture in the duo's films, both getting the most to do but so different ends of the scale when it comes to calmness. Pascal oozes charisma every time he's on screen while Mendelsohn just captures that nasty nature of his character in the way only he can. The rest of the cast are clearly having a blast with the material, which is always a good sign for any film.
Having heard nothing about Freaky Tales prior to watching it, it's such a good feeling when a film comes along and just provides you with such a fun time. Who doesn't like watching Nazis get their comeuppance!?
Verdict: ★★★★
Freaky Tales is in select cinemas from 18 April and on digital platforms from 28 April
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