Writer/Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck interconnect four energetic, frequently bloody stories in infectious anthology Freaky Tales. The filmmakers set Freaky Tales in 1987 Oakland, capturing the subculture of the Bay Area amidst the peak of ‘80s excess. It yields an anything-goes anarchic spirit that, when combined with an impressive cast game for this type of madness, plays like a stylish and entertaining genre mixtape.
Borrowing a page from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Freaky Tales segments its stories into four chapters, but they overlap in ways that don’t immediately reveal themselves as characters and timelines blur across the entire anthology. That careful structure makes up a large part of the fun, and Boden and Fleck bide their time immersing viewers in an eclectic world of punks versus Nazis, crooked cops, a crime enforcer’s attempt at retirement, and one Warrior all-star player who’s harnessed the mysterious green glow permeating the city and lending sci-fi to the mix. How these stories ultimately connect isn’t nearly as fun as the raucous, violent ride getting there.
Music takes center stage in many of the stories, highlighting the spirit of Oakland as punk rockers (Scream VI’s Jack Champion and Ji-Young Yoo) find love as they make their stand against Nazis or a pair of aspiring R&B and Hip Hop musicians, Entice (Normani Koredei Hamilton) and Barbie (Dominique Thorne), battle on stage against Bay Area legend Too Short. That’s when the rap duo isn’t contending with a corrupt cop dubbed “The Guy” (Ben Mendelsohn). Music informs the story, even on a meta-level, as needle drops are intentionally on the nose for humor’s sake.
Just as vital to Boden and Fleck’s love letter to Oakland is cinema, with the pair giving equal weight to their film influences as the music. Freaky Tales wrings a few comedic beats from The Lost Boys as connective tissue, and Scanners becomes one of the most surprising sources of gory inspiration. But the filmmakers ensure that each chapter is distinct in style and tone, largely shaped by their respective cinematic inspirations. Pedro Pascal earns the most audience sympathies for his segment; it’s here where Boden and Fleck drop the biggest surprise of the film in terms of cinematic reverence. You’ll know it when you see it. While The Warriors kicks off the anthology, it builds to one insanely gory final act that’s part slasher but all ‘80s action.
As kinetic and stylish as Freaky Tales is, its ambitious scope does occasionally show its seams. Not everything ties together neatly, and the expansive cast means that not every character beat earns its intended impact. Much of that can be attributed to the irreverent and bombastic nature of ‘80s cinema – don’t look for any explanation behind the constant green glow that manifests throughout in strange ways – but it’s minor comparatively.
Freaky Tales aims to offer a fun ride, and it more than succeeds. While Boden and Fleck create a specific love letter to the Bay Area, its adoration of music and movies is accessible on a larger scale. The way the filmmakers effortlessly shift through styles to capture each segment’s story, even playing with form and technique, makes for one of the more entertaining movie surprises in recent memory. There’s a bombastic charm to Freaky Tales that captures the essence of ‘80s action and genre cinema in a way that few manage. Its delightfully twisted and sometimes self-indulgent humor will be off-putting for some, but those open to the concept of a genre mixtape will find themselves charmed by this distinct audio-visual take on the anthology format.
Freaky Tales made its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
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