Freaks Out (2021) Review

On paper, straight away ‘Freak Out’ ticked a lot of my boxes. A travelling circus in Nazi occupied Italy with some unexpected Radiohead? Sign me the hell up.

From director Gabriele Mainetti, Freaks Out follows the uniquely talented stars of the ‘Mezza Piotta Circus’ who dazzle patrons nightly with their spectacular abilities that are a little more ‘X-Men’ than ‘Greatest Showman’. The fantastic four are comprised of the electrifying Matilde, Wolfman Fulvio who displays amazing feats of superhuman strength, magnetic clown Mario and ice blonde teen Cencio – who has the rather bizarre ability to control insects.

From the grungey tones to the heavy themes, Freaks Out draws a lot of parallels with Del Toro’s ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’. The modern soundtrack that slides into the narrative also elicits some of the magic of Baz Luhrman’s ‘Moulin Rouge’, with just a sprinkling of American Horror Story ‘Freakshow’ for good measure.

Despite the similarities, the result is something that feels undoubtably unique. Where it can sometimes feel overdone, the impressive use of CGI and abundance of explosions mixed with the compellingly emotional narrative culminates in a conclusion that seems to achieve what Marvel can only wish for.

The story is primarily driven by the compellingly complex characters, though I do wish there was more exploration of the fascinating antagonist Franz, a German pianist with six fingers on each hand who possesses powers of clairvoyance. Motivated by a premonition of Hitler’s suicide and the arrival of four beings with superhuman powers that could save the fate of the Third Reich, I feel like his fascinating story is deserving of a whole feature of its own.

Though the narrative is driven by the context of Nazi occupation, this feels more like the background to a unique story. The use of such a historical setting and event doesn’t feel exploitative, instead a touching tribute to the treatment of ‘difference’ throughout history.

Whilst there are nods to the camps, ‘Freaks Out’ deliberately doesn’t spell it out. Combined with the bewildering blend of then and now caused by Franz’ visions, ‘Freaks Out’ ends up with an oddly timeless quality that makes the viewer feel that the events could be happening anywhere at any time. And on reflection, this seems likely a deliberate take away from Mainetti.

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