HBO Max is adding new movies all the time, and next month, it's adding "Freaky Tales."
Now, if you're like me, you've quite possibly not even heard of this movie. Which was surprising — it was a Sundance film, distributed by Lionsgate and stars a pair of actors I love in Pedro Pascal and Ben Mendelsohn. It even has a bunch of punks fighting Nazis!
In short, I should have been all over this movie. But somehow it escaped my notice and most everyone else's, because it reportedly only brought in $400K at the box office.
But those who have seen this wild comedy have loved it. It currently has an 89% "hot" rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, even though critics were a bit more muted in their praise.
You'll get to judge for yourself on Friday, Aug. 8, when the movie hits HBO Max. Or, if you're someone who prefers linear HBO to the streaming service, it'll air at 8 p.m. ET the next day (Saturday, Aug. 9) on the premium cable channel. In the meantime, here's what "Freaky Tales" is all about and why this wild comedy needs to be added to your watchlist.
What is ‘Freaky Tales’ about?
The most important thing to know about "Freaky Tales" is that it doesn't follow a typical plot structure. Instead, there are four vignettes that are loosely interconnected, only really all coming together at the end. It's based on real events and real locations in 1987 Oakland, California.
The first chapter, "Strength in Numbers: The Gilman Strikes Back," focuses on a pair of young punks, Tina (Ji-young Yoo) and Lucid (Jack Champion), who are at an Operation Ivy concert that comes under attack from Nazi punks.
"Don't Fight the Feeling" is the next story, picking up at the same point as the start of the first chapter, but instead focuses on Barbie (Dominique Thorne) and Entice (Normani), who perform as the hip hop duo Danger Zone. They don't go to the Operation Ivy show, but instead are roped into performing with the rapper Too Short.
"Born to Mack" is where Pedro finally arrives. He plays Clint, a career criminal who is looking to get out of the game. When he's asked to pull a job during a Warriors basketball game, that desire to leave crime behind is put to the test.
Finally, there's "The Legend of Sleepy Floyd." This is where the story finally starts to come together. Sleepy Floyd (Jay Ellis) is a star for the Warriors, and it's his house that Clint is supposed to rob. But instead, "The Guy" (Mendelsohn), sends the Nazi punks to rob it and things go horribly wrong.
Audiences are loving 'Freaky Tales'
As I mentioned earlier, audiences are loving this movie for the most part.
Critics are a bit harsher on it, and after combing through the reviews from both parties, this seems to come down to critics judging its (admittedly) loosely connected chapters failing to come together properly in the end.
Ultimately, if you want a wild comedy that doubles as an impressive period piece, then "Freaky Tales" seems like it's worth watching.
It doesn't necessarily stick the landing narratively, but the acting of its loaded cast is sublime, and its recreation of 1987 Oakland has been masterfully done by all accounts. Even Deadline praised the period elements of the movie in its review, saying, "What does work for 'Freaky Tales' is the film’s gritty visuals immediately immerse the audience in the look and feel of late-’80s Oakland."
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Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.
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