Rent Freaky Tales on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Directed by: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, Ji-young Yoo
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer
Plot
Four interconnected stories set in 1987 Oakland, CA showcase the love of music, movies, people, places, and memories beyond our knowable universe.
Verdict
Composed of four shorts, it doesn't feel like a movie. While it doesn't give you a chance to grow bored, it doesn't have the impact of a longer narrative. The last short loosely connects all of them, and throughout the movie this is such a strange ride. It's inventive, but what is the mysterious green glow? It's wild, but with a Tom Hanks cameo and the last story I'd argue that makes this worth watching.
It depends.
Review
Boden and Fleck have done such a range of projects from the small sports drama Sugar to the big budget action Captain Marvel.
A voice over introduction sets this in 1980s Oakland and raises questions about the pervasive green glow and some kind of telekinetic power. Just moments in, and I'm not sure what this is. Each story features something glowing green.
Broken into four parts, the first story is a punk rock romance as they prepare for and then fend against a white supremacist attack on their music venue. The fight is cartoonish with exaggerated gore that spills out of frame. It's not much of a story, but it is a primer for this world.
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| Normani, Dominique Thorne play Entice, Barbie |
The second story starts in the same location as the first with characters exiting a movie theater. A female rap duo, Danger Zone, is invited to perform at a show by Too $hort, but it's apparent they are just there so the main act can win a rap battle. In the first two stories the mysterious green glow imbues power to the beholder. While Danger Zone initially falters, the green glow empowers them and they prove not to be an easy opponent. The rap battle has a great energy as the duo combats Too $hort's misogyny which is underscored by what they face even at their jobs during the day. They overcome to win the battle. It's a fun vignette, but half way in this lacks the punch of a lengthier story. The only connection is the setting and this green glow that still raises several questions.
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| Pedro Pascal plays Clint |
In the third story Clint (Pedro Pascal) is a criminal of some sort that wants to reform. Tom Hanks has a great turn in a cameo role as a video store clerk. That scene is one of the highlights of the movie as he discusses the best underdog movies.
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| Ji-young Yoo, Jack Champion, Jay Ellis, Dominique Thorne play Tina, Lucid, Sleepy Floyd, Barbie |
The fourth and final story ties everything together, featuring Sleepy Floyd (Jay Ellis) who was an actual NBA player. His house is robbed by the supremacist group we saw in the first story, and he's informed about it by two of the punks. Sleepy not only had a playoff game for the ages, but he's a martial arts master intent on revenge. He embarks on a gory rampage that defies expectations.
This is such an odd movie. Part four is the best of the stories just for how ridiculous it is. While I don't understand it, it's a wild ride. That and the Tom Hanks cameo are the best parts, but this is more a curiosity than a memorable movie.
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