63
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 86The VergeTasha RobinsonThe VergeTasha RobinsonIn a world packed with information, it’s outright exciting to know so little about where a story is going, or how far it’s willing to go to get there.
- 80Film ThreatAlex SavelievFilm ThreatAlex SavelievFreaks subtly subverts the superhero formula under the guise of a hallucinatory, cautionary tale of paranoia, delusion and extreme parenthood.
- 75The Film StageJared MobarakThe Film StageJared MobarakEvery little detail — straight down to a smiling child holding out a melting ice cream without caring that it’s pooling atop her hand — carries weight. Not a second is wasted.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweThe Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweAlthough in the early going the convoluted plot sometimes struggles to maintain interest, Stein and Lipovsky have such a clear vision that they keep developments confidently on track until subsequent revelations engage in full-throttle action mode, leading to a climax suggesting they likely have future plans for these characters.
- 67The PlaylistChristopher SchobertThe PlaylistChristopher SchobertOne of the film’s successes is its ability to subvert expectations.
- 63Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreThe final act isn’t as interesting as the first two were to me. But Hirsch impresses, as usual, as a man losing his wits and Dern always gives fair value as a canny old coot who knows more than he’s letting on.
- 60CineVueChristopher MachellCineVueChristopher MachellWhile it may be a little better in concept than in execution, there’s enough energy, imagination and innovation here to satisfy any genre hound suffering fatigue from the endless wash, rinse, repeat cycle of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, et al.
- 60Screen DailyTim GriersonScreen DailyTim GriersonLipovsky and Stein’s first feature as collaborators exudes a grungy, second-hand feel, and the movie doesn’t have the confidence or vision to breathe new life into its narrative clichés. Instead, the pair lean on the sincerity of their storytelling, crafting a paean to broken families and exploring how children process unspeakable loss.
- 60VarietyAndrew BarkerVarietyAndrew BarkerThe only problem is that it’s easier to be impressed by the ingenuity of the staging and the architecture of the screenplay than it is to stay invested in the characters.
- 50IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichThe fatal flaw of Freaks is that Lipovsky and Stein’s tantalizing approach gives way to mundane results, as the questions raised by their screenplay are considerably more interesting than any of the answers that follow.