Now available for streaming at Netflix, FREAKS (2018) was a great surprise for me, a fantastic genre bender.
The film opens with a simple premise. Since she was a baby, Chloe has lived in an abandoned house with her loving but controlling father, warned to never go outside. Dad is loving and playful but also controlling and unpredictable, his primary goal to protect her, though something is off about the whole scenario. Outside, the world looks normal enough, and all Chloe wants is to be a normal girl who is part of a loving family. When a mysterious stranger shows up, she begins to learn the truth isn’t what she thought, but the danger her father warned her about is very real. As the story unfolds, the mystery of who they are and what’s going on in the outside world steadily unravels in stages–in a forced manner, at first, but then more and more naturally–building on the story until everything is revealed in a series of thrilling action sequences.
I loved it. The actress playing Chloe (Lexy Kolker) was fantastic, as was the dad (Emile Hirsch) and Bruce Dern in his role. The script is daring and goes all the way to sometimes shocking lengths with its premise, culminating in a satisfying ending. It has its “clunks” but overall is a smooth, fun ride.
So check it out, but you might want to avoid the trailer as it kind of gives away the whole thing.
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