'Freaks' Trailer: Emile Hirsh & Bruce Dern Star In TIFF Standout Thriller With Shades Of Horror And Sci-Fi

There’s a long history of horror-thrillers with the basic premise that parents are trying to protect their children from the horrors that lurk outside their front door. On the surface, that what “Freaks” appears to be. But as you see in the new trailer, there’s way more going on in this thriller than the simple premise indicates.

The new trailer for “Freaks” begins as many horror trailers do — a man tries to save his little kid from the aforementioned evil that is outside. Hell, there’s even a freaky ice cream truck thrown in for good measure. However, as the footage continues, you realize that “Freaks” is about to take a hard left into the realm of sci-fi as supernatural things begin to occur, with certain folks perhaps showing special abilities.

READ MORE: ‘Freaks’ With Emile Hirsch & Bruce Dern Is A Horror With Sci-Fi/Thriller Dimensions [TIFF Review]

We saw the film at its premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Our review says, “‘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.”

The film stars Emile Hirsch, Bruce Dern, Grace Park, Amanda Crew, and Lexy Kolker. “Freaks” is written and directed by the duo of Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky. This is the first feature film by the two directors, but after releasing this film, they went on to direct the recent “Kim Possible” film for Disney.

“Freaks” will hit theaters on August 23.

Here’s the synopsis:

In this science-fiction thriller, a disturbed father (Emile Hirsch) locks his bold 7-year-old daughter (Lexy Kolker) in a house, warning her of grave dangers outside. But the mysterious Mr. Snowcone (Bruce Dern) convinces the girl to escape and join him on a quest for family, freedom, and revenge.