'Freaks' With Emile Hirsch & Bruce Dern Is A Horror With Sci-Fi/Thriller Dimensions [TIFF Review]

The title “Freaks” conjures images of Tod Browning’s 1932 classic of the same name, and its cavalcade of unforgettable sideshow performers. So it may come as a surprise to learn that the first feature from Canadian directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein is not a horror flick. Instead, “Freaks” is a thematically ambitious, well-acted thriller that suffers a bit from over-familiarity but succeeds as solid genre entertainment. Making its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, “Freaks” represents the type of small-scale effort that can garner strong festival word-of-mouth and real appreciation.

Its debts are a little too obvious — there are moments that recall everything from “X-Men” and the “Terminator” series to M. Night Shyamalan and, most clearly, “Stranger Things.” There are even moments when “Freaks” ventures into territory best described as Spielbergian. It is perhaps fitting, then, that Lipovsky and Stein met as contestants on the Steven Spielberg-produced reality show “On the Lot.” Like Spielberg, the filmmakers have a clear fascination with the collision of the extraordinary and the ordinary.

At the film’s center is Chloe, played by an extraordinary young actor named Lexy Kolker. She lives with her dad in a decaying suburban home — a fascinating, ramshackle thing, all rotting wood, hanging bed sheets, and dirty pots and pans. Chloe’s father (Emile Hirsch) will not allow her outside, for reasons that soon become clear. They practice memorizing their fake identities and spend ample time preparing for … something. Young Chloe aches for her brief glimpses of the outside world. She sees a young neighbor, and, intriguingly, an ice cream truck with the name “Mr. Snowcone” on its side.

One of the film’s successes is its ability to subvert expectations. Yes, that starts with the title. But more than that, it’s the progression of the story. The first stretch of “Freaks” feels like standard horror — a possibly crazy father, a barricaded house, a little girl with no access to the outside world, a grimy ice cream truck staffed by an unkempt elderly man, just visible through the window. Once Chloe enters the outside world — not a spoiler, considering how much of the film takes place outside of the home she shares with her father — “Freaks” shifts out of horror and into the sci-fi/thriller genres. As it does so, the plot moves in unexpected directions.

It is during her first, tentative steps outdoors that she encounters Mr. Snowcone himself, played by the great Bruce Dern. He knows Chloe, and what makes her so special. Chloe has supernatural abilities. She and those like her have a name: “freaks.” Her mother was one, says Mr. Snowcone, a man whose connection to Chloe is unexpectedly direct. Soon, he has convinced her to join him on a dangerous quest. But first, Chloe must learn some shocking truths about herself, her father, her late mother, and the world that considers folks like her to be abnormal. The film’s middle section is its most gripping and surprising; the interest level dips as the conclusion draws near.

However, even when the plot grows tiresome, the acting elevates the material. High among the film’s pleasures is the presence of Bruce Dern. It’s been a busy few years for the venerable actor, highlighted by (of course) his Oscar-nominated turn in “Nebraska,” his supporting role in “The Hateful Eight,” and his performance as Joseph Kennedy in “Chappaquiddick.” His work in “Freaks” is loose, funny, and appropriately unhinged. Emile Hirsch is solid, as usual, yet he suffers a bit when compared with the scene-stealing Dern. The most memorable performance here, however, is not given by Dern. Instead, it is young Lexy Kolker who stands out. She’s the film’s anchor, and directors Lipovsky and Stein deserve kudos for directing her to a believable, natural, emotional performance.

“Freaks” is a fine example of doing a lot with a little. Capable actors, an interesting script, and assured direction can compensate for a lack of high-caliber effects and unique locations. In this way, Lipovsky and Stein call to mind another directing duo, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. They, too, began with a small-scale winner (2012’s “Resolution”) before moving onto more ambitious fare (2014’s “Spring” and last year’s “The Endless”). The next step for Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein is Disney’s “Kim Possible.” That is perhaps a surprising choice. If “Freaks” is any indication, ‘Kim’ could turn out to be an unexpected treat. [B-]

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