MOVIE REVIEW: FREAKY TALES

 

An NBA star, a corrupt cop, a female rap duo, teenage punks, neo-Nazis and a debt collector embark on a collision course in 1987 Oakland, Calif.

Director: Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden

Cast: Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Normanit, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, Ji-young Yoo, Angus Cloud

Release Date: April 4, 2025

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama

Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout including slurs, sexual content and drug use.

Runtime: 1h 47m

Review:

Freaky Tales is a quirky, Interconnected Tarantinoesque anthology that delivers a hefty dose of 80's Bay area nostalgia with increasingly off the wall chapters that benefit from a strong vibe and cast.  Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden borrow elements from a variety of sources for the four chapters that make up the story with noticeable nods to Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill being readily evident and even some sprinkles of Scott Pilgrim in the opening.  The pairs deep love and affection for this time and space seeps through the screen as they touch on everything from the punk and hip-hop scene to dirty cops, Nazis and basketball ninjas.  Some chapters are far more grounded than others with the filmmakers asking you to roll with the punches especially as events get nuttier in the final act.  Like most anthologies, some chapters work better than others with the first two really nailing down the vibe of each setting before stalling out in a more straightforward crime drama with the Pedro Pascal focused third chapter.  That's not to say the third chapter is bad, it just marks a notice shift in the film's tone to establish the connective tissue that brings everything together in its final act.  It’s a minor hiccup but it does have a fun cameo that makes the tonal change easier to deal.  The ensemble cast turns in solid work across the board with Jack Champion and Ji-young Yoo sharing some believable romantic chemistry in the opening act with Normanit and Dominique Thorne bringing a similar authenticity to their friendship in the rap battle portion.  Pedro Pascal is given the least showy role in the whole thing but delivers a solid turn as usual.  Ben Mendelsohn and Jay Ellis are given more fun roles as a sleazy detective and rather lethal point guard.   It all makes Freaky Tales a rather unexpected surprise of a film that's sure to become a cult classic in the years to come.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: ABIGAIL

 

A group of would-be criminals kidnaps the 12-year-old daughter of a powerful underworld figure. Holding her for ransom in an isolated mansion, their plan starts to unravel when they discover their young captive is actually a bloodthirsty vampire.

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

Cast: Alisha Weir, Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, Giancarlo Esposito

Release Date: April 19, 2024

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore throughout, pervasive language and brief drug use.

Runtime:1h 49m

Review:

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's Abigail might be a little light on scares but it more than makes up for it with its fun, over the top energy and a game cast that make it one of the funniest horror comedies in recent memory.  The directing duo recapture the energy that worked so well in their 2019 breakout, Ready or Not, with a bloody blend of cartoonish characters and increasingly outrageous dark comedy which plays like a mash up of Reservoir Dogs and From Dusk till Dawn.  Those expecting anything new or terribly deep will be left disappointed since neither the story nor characters are fairly thin and straightforward.  Thankfully, this is the kind of film that doesn't really require much from either, especially with an ensemble cast that's having as much fun as the directors are.  Melissa Barrera is steady in the lead role, playing it straight for the majority of the film even as things get gorier and bloodier.  The supporting cast is made up of familiar faces that are clearly relishing the chance to lean into the characters personas.  Dan Stevens delivers another strong performance as a NY cop turned criminal, further proving his ability to morph into anybody onscreen.  Kathryn Newton, in full Avril Lavigne cosplay, is great fun as the ditzy tech nerd of the group who gets some of the film's best lines.  Kevin Durand brings a goofy likability to his meat head muscle highlighted by some solid chemistry with Newton.  Angus Cloud, in his final screen performance, gets a few moments early on but his screen time is fairly brief, much like Giancarlo Esposito, in the grand scheme of things.  Alisha Weir, who plays the kidnapped tween ballerina, really shines throughout as she shuffles between tween and ancient ghoul with incredible ease.  She possesses a confidence onscreen that makes the film work far better than it would have been in lesser hands.  Abigail stumbles a bit in the final act where you get the sense a few bits could have been excised to make for a leaner experience.  It’s a minor issue and something that's easy to overlook once the film wraps up its goofy, gory trek that's sure to leave plenty of people smiling.  

B+