‘Freaky Tales’ Review – A Lot Happening, But Leaves Us Wanting More

Interconnected stories are nothing new in movies. Indeed, it has been a narrative device in films like Love Actually and Nashville. Arguably, the most famous example is Pulp Fiction; Quentin Tarantino weaves multiple narratives and characters around with ease, creating a gripping and immersive tale. This brings us to Freaky Tales, which is by no means a spiritual successor to the films above, but it is a movie that weaves four interconnected stories. While the cast is stellar, the film stalls and never finds a rhythm that would allow us to invest in the storylines or characters.

Set in Oakland in 1987, Freaky Tales utilizes real-life events to frame the narrative, including the break-in to Golden State Warriors’ star Sleepy Floyd. The four stories interconnect through various locations and recurring characters. The movie is far from a love letter to the era recurring in film and TV. The story introduces a series of characters, from an NBA star, a corrupt cop, a female rap duo, teen punks, neo-Nazis, and a debt collector. All of them are locked in their battles and chasing their demons. It plays like a gnarly mixtape; the performances are engrossing, but the story is all over the place.

Each storyline intersects, if only in the slightest ways. There is an inherent effort to portray this decade with authenticity instead of nostalgic charm. This film breathes the 80s in terms of look and style. The story stylizes a pulpy darkness. It strips away any varnish the decade has had to offer in successive years.

This film, set near the end of the era, provides an epilogue to a time that was more than MTV, hip hop, big hair, or Ronald Reagan. There is a meanness to this film, but not in an offensive way. Filmmaking duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck are less interested in waxing poetic about the 1980s and instead give us a story about lives and the people in them. There is even an infusion of mysticism, which can only be described as freaky!

Freaky Tales boasts a talented cast that is sadly wasted by the overstuffed nature of the story. First off, the cast is fantastic. To name a few, Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, and Normani. Pascal headlines the film as Clint, a debt collector introduced in the third of four stories. Pascal’s charisma is palpable from the moment he enters the story. His is a tale of a broken man with a checkered past.

We meet his character as a debt collector, but his career is riddled with bad choices and heinous actions. The film primarily centers on his arc. It weaves in points from other narratives, but if there is an emotional backbone to this story, it is chapter three. If any character has an emotional arc, it is Pascal’s Clint. It is hard-edged and poetically tragic. There is a longing to see more of his character. One wonders if his storyline could have been a movie in its own right.

The final two chapters are the film’s most emotionally complex. Chapter three allows Pascal to burnish his acting skills. Chapter four puts Mendholson front and center. He plays a crooked cop with a sinister and malicious side. It is a small chapter with pivotal importance to the particular story. Wickedly charming, it is a wonderful showcase of his acting prowess. While on the subject of minor cameo roles, Tom Hanks appears, playing a video store manager, and his scene opposite Pascal is quite enough to justify the investment in the overall story.

There is a lot to like about Freaky Tales. The cinematography is crisp, and the production design is like stepping into a time machine. The performances are enough to compensate for the story’s shortcomings, but it is challenging to recommend outside of a gritty nostalgia trip. There are a lot of ideas here, but the film fails to strike a chord of connection. This shortcoming prevents the film from tying all these stories together in a way that feels engaging and worthwhile. 

Freaky Tales will debut exclusively in theaters on April 4, 2025, courtesy of Lionsgate.