Freaks (2018) and Freaks (2020) - both Netflix

[shevek]

They're clearly running out of names for things. Because Netflix has two superhero movies, both named Freaks (which in itself, is not very original in Current Year..that seems like an overly played-out 80s trope) that came out in the past two years: 2018 and 2020. Both of them barely have any costumes (just one, total).

Obviously, this is either just a coincidence, or someone didn't bother to check IMDB. Or maybe it's just something in the zeitgeist (which would make sense since the second movie is from Germany, and they invented the word). So, what are these about and are they worth your time?

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The first 2018 film was made in America. (Yes I know it says 2019, but that was wide release. It played festivals first in 2018).

"Freaks" can be described as a mashup of The Room with the X-Men/New Mutants Universe, with maybe a little of the kids-against-authority flair of the Witch Mountain films. Half the movie involves a father trying to isolate himself in a shut-down rickety house with his child. In the world outdoors, there are individuals with various superpowers called "abnormals" who are considered dangerous (one of them has destroyed Dallas. hey, better them than Pittsburgh again!). The abnormals are hunted down by a government task force, highly armed with strike teams and missiles, and either killed or imprisoned in an Iron Heights/Belle Reve type of facility called Madoc Mountain.

The movie has some surprisingly well-known stars with great roles: Emile Hirsch (who is basically a better-looking Jack Black);
Grace Park (Boomer from the newer Battlestar); and the legendary Bruce Dern (still kicking it at 84, his role is somewhat similar to Doc Brown in Back to the Future). But the star of the movie is little Lexy Kolker, who plays the amazing young telepath, with a little bit of the 'enfant terrible' style of Drew Barrymore from Firestarter. She is ultimately more powerful than Professor X!

However, the heroine of the film is the superpowered Mom played by Amanda Crew (I'd never heard of her as an actress, but apparently she gets very steady work).

There are no costumes in this film. However, there is a good amount of violence and considerable levels of horror and gore. The one major peril scene happens when the Mom is strapped to a table and is fairly intense and gritty.



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The second film was made in Germany. Technically it's called "Freaks - You're One of Us (Du Bist Eine von Uns)".

It probably has subtitles in its official form, but I watched it entirely in German without subtitles, and I took four years of German in college so I was able to follow along, since there was a lot of action and everything was pretty clear. You won't have any problem, either, even if you don't know any German. I'm not at all sure why they just didn't film it in English..maybe the German government gives them a subsidy for German-language content, who knows.

The premise here is that superpowers are treated as a sickness in this average German (which looks so generic Western it could easily also be American) modern setting. If it's explained how these people got their powers, I must have missed it in the German translation, but I suspect they might never have actually fully explained that. Anyway, some of the people who are deemed 'sick' are kept in an insane asylum under heavy supervision, but others are released out in the world to live 'normal' lives. All they have to do is keep taking a pill that suppresses their powers: two blue pills every morning with a glass of water (so, literally the reverse of Project Power). These pills are administered by a doctor / therapist who looks a lot like Dr. Helga Jace from Black Lightning (and DC Comics) and has the same kind of sinister 'I'll do any kind of sadistic experiment for science' type of cold demeanor.

Of course, as you might imagine, the mayhem begins when some of these unsuspecting individuals stops taking their pills. Being that the entire cast is European, they are unknowns, but the lead actress is Cornelia Groschel, who plays Wendy. She looks a lot like a 30-something version of Brec Bassinger, or maybe a bit like Alicia Silverstone (you can probably think of other actress comparisons). She has a nice body and beautiful blonde curly hair, but is presented fairly plainly throughout the movie, and never in a costume. I keep thinking how amazing she would look if she would put on some makeup and step into some spandex, but alas, this does not occur.

However, the character does get horny with her husband when she rediscovers her powers (which lay dormat since childhood) and she continuously displays amazing feats of strength and power, although somewhat disappointingly, she cannot fly. The viewer sympathizes with her as an everyday 'working class' woman, rather than adulates her as, say, a member of The Seven. There's also a great Arnold Schwarzenegger reference if you look carefully for it.

There are only two other superpowered characters in the movie. One is Marek, a man who became homeless after losing his family, and whose power is invulnerability. The second is Elmar (whose name in German means "famous weapon"), a comic-book geek who loves to beat off to sexy valkyries in German superhero comics. He fashions himself a spandex costume as "Electro-Man" (so, yes, he is almost exactly like Electro), and although he starts out as kind of a hero, his sexual obsession with Wendy follows his descent into a manic form of supervillainy. You'll see what he does if you watch the film.

There is one exceptional peril scene in the movie, where Wendy is captured by Dr. Evil Psychotherapist, deprived of her powers via the blue pill, and then Wendy struggles very emotionally and angrily, but she cannot break free. In fact, in many ways, it is very similar to the Mom's peril scene in the other Freaks movie. Also, the way in which superpowered beings commit brutally chaotic-evil acts in both movies is a trope from previous movies like Brightburn.

Must be the zeitgeist again!



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I'd give both of these around a 7. They are not groundbreaking in any way but they are worth your time if you want to see action and superpowers. Freaks 2018 is a bit more serious and grim, while Freaks 2020 leans more towards the campy elements. Both of them have valid premises which could have easily led towards a sequel or a franchise, but I doubt either of them will: Freaks 2018 was a huge flop stateside, barely cracking $350K in theaters, while the German one never got a theater release over here, and is probably running on fumes over on the streaming service.

I hope you've discovered two new, fun movies here. See what you think!

[Maskripper]

I watched the trailer for the new, german movie and was pretty much ashamed of what my country has produced in the attempt of making something with superheroes in it.
But ok, that was just the trailer, perhaps, after reading your review.....I should give it a try.
In germany there are tons of crime-movies and comedys. There are only some good movies from other genres that are known internationally.
When it comes to action movies ....germany is a third world country. More or less....