Netflix R-Rated Sci-Fi Thriller Is A Mind-Bending Trip That Needs A Sequel
As film genres go, science fiction is the ultimate sandbox, allowing writers and directors to do literally anything. Despite that, however, far too many films in the genre are safe and sanitized copies of what has succeeded before, making sci-fi feel less like a limitless school sandbox and more like the product of creators endlessly copying each other’s notes. If you want something both fresh and mind-blowing, here’s some good news: Freaks is now streaming on Netflix, and it may challenge your idea of what this genre can do in the best possible way.
Freaks
What is Freaks about? It begins with a young girl who has never been allowed to leave her house, and once she finally makes her escape, she realizes she has special powers. This marks her as one of the “abnormals” the government regularly hunts down, and her quest to discover whether her mother is really alive puts her on a direct collision course with those who would exploit her growing powers.
The Cast
Freaks has a tight cast of talented performers, and all of them impress: for example, Emile Hirsch (who we loved in Speed Racer) plays the secretive patriarch to Lexy Kolker, who portrays the young protagonist of the film. Battlestar Galactica’s Grace Park plays a nefarious government agent, someone who is the face of our hero’s fears.
And the cast is rounded out by some true genre legends, including Bruce Dern, who remains the most entertaining performer in The ‘Burbs.
Shoestring Budget
We were already very impressed by Freaks, but what makes the finished product completely mind-blowing is that it was made on a budget of only $2,000 Canadian dollars. If you’re wondering how directors Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky got such big-name actors on such a tiny budget, it all comes down to networking.
In previous interviews, they described how producing the film involved calling in favors from those who had worked with them before, and they had enough collective goodwill to bring the Oscar-nominated Dern to the project.
A Small Budget Success
The budget for Freaks really puts its box office into perspective. You see, the movie earned only $368,410, an amount that might make the casual observer think this was a real box office bomb.
However, compared to the film’s tiny budget, this very modest worldwide gross made the film immensely profitable.
Stream It Now
It took this 2018 film time to build up something of a cult audience, but almost everyone who sees it is impressed by the entire production. On Rotten Tomatoes, Freaks currently has a critical rating of 88 percent, with critics lauding both the killer performances and the film’s uncanny ability to merge sci-fi and horror.
Furthermore, critics generally agree that the two directors have a bright future ahead considering what an awesome film they made with such limited resources.
Are you going to find Freaks similarly innovative, or is this just another overhyped sci-fi movie destined to disappoint you? Just as the only way for young Chloe to understand the world was to finally leave the house, the only way for you to truly judge this film is to stream it on Netflix today.
Once you experience sci-fi like this, safe franchises like Star Wars may never fully satisfy you again.
