Shadows on the Wall | Freaky Tales

Freaky Tales

dir-scr Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
prd Jelani Johnson, Poppy Hanks, Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
with Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, Ji-young Yoo, Angus Cloud, Keir Gilchrist, Jordan Gomes, DeMario "Symba" Driver, Natalia Dominguez, Tom Hanks
release US 4.Apr.25,
UK 18.Apr.25
25/US eOne 1h46

SUNDANCE FILM FEST

Is it streaming?

An homage to 1987 Oakland, this multi-strand adventure is shot in period style with snarky attitude and lurid colours. Four intersecting chapters are set over the same 24 hours, unfolding with an intense sense of rough justice and tinged with cosmic intervention for the underdog. It's sharply well-made, skilfully written and directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, taking on big issues with a snappy sense of humour.

After a movie, Lucid (Champion) and Tina (Yoo) attend a raucous music gig that's attacked by neo-Nazi thugs. So the clubbers fight back, launching an epic street battle. Entice (Normani) and Barbie (Thorne) contend with a sleazy cop (Mendelsohn) at work, then are set up in a rap battle, expertly taking down the misogynist star (Driver). Retired shakedown man Clint (Pascal) is on a mission after a violent attack. And during a basketball game, self-actualised star Sleepy Floyd (Ellis) doesn't know that he's been targeted by Travis (Cloud) in a robbery that goes badly wrong.

Infused with a superb song selection, some of which are performed live, the film is further livened up by animated flourishes and blood that spurts right off the screen. So while everything has a certain comic book wackiness, it also feels fresh and bold, especially as it touches on things like police corruption, racism and sexism. Seen through the prism of the period, it's easy to see how relevant this story is today.

The large ensemble cast creates a series of fascinating characters who pull us in, some to cheer for and others to root against. With the deepest emotional moments, Pascal exudes pain as a tough guy who no longer has a reason to hold back. By contrast, the beefy Ellis makes the equally angry Sleepy Floyd an instrument of the gods. Mendelsohn's despicable cop, who is simply called "the guy" and acts as an intersection for all of the ugliness on display. And Hanks is hilarious as an enigmatic video store clerk.

These are stories of horrible confrontations and tragedies that take turns in unexpected directions. Intriguingly, each incident involves a subversion of vengeance, and the climactic hyper-grisly sequence has deliberate echoes of Tarantino in its unstoppable rampage of revenge. All four strands weave together in intriguing ways that add a variety of twists in each tale, each celebrating the inherent power that comes to those who are on the right side of things, even against all odds.

themes, language, violence 18.Mar.25

R E A D E R R E V I E W S

Still waiting for your comments ... don't be shy.