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Freaks

Play trailer Poster for Freaks 1932 1h 4m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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95% Tomatometer 59 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
When trapeze artist Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova) learns that circus midget Hans (Harry Earles) has an inheritance, she marries the lovesick, diminutive performer, all the while planning to steal his fortune and run off with her lover, strong man Hercules (Henry Victor). When Hans' friends and fellow performers discover what is going on, they band together and carry out a brutal revenge that leaves Hercules and Cleopatra knowing what it truly means to be a freak.
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Freaks

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Critics Consensus

Time has been kind to this horror legend: Freaks manages to frighten, shock, and even touch viewers in ways that contemporary viewers missed.

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Critics Reviews

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Joe Morgenstern Wall Street Journal 09/28/2015
[Boasts] some of the most terrifying scenes ever consigned to film. Go to Full Review
Mark Kermode Observer (UK) 06/14/2015
4/5
Browning's sympathies are clear; if there are "freaks" on display here, they are not the versatile performers to whom the title seems to allude. Go to Full Review
Tom Huddleston Time Out 06/08/2015
5/5
One of the most powerful films ever made about the need for humanity and solidarity in the face of cruelty and oppression. Go to Full Review
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews Nov 7
3/4
...an erratic endeavor that grows more and more compelling (and involving) as it unfolds... Go to Full Review
Michael Nordine Film Occasionally 10/24/2023
That such a daring, transgressive film was made by a major studio in the early ‘30s remains a marvel (thanks, Irving Thalberg); that it irreparably harmed the career of its director is disheartening if not surprising. Go to Full Review
Douglas Davidson Elements of Madness 10/17/2023
Each one, by nature of the period in which they were released and how audiences responded to them, have a legacy that must be explored, mulled over, and come to terms with if cinema is going to tell honest stories without exploitation. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Rich C. @Cordu0702 Nov 5 Really liked this film. See more Isaiah Y Oct 31 One of the most memorable horror films ever made See more DanTheMan 2 Oct 3 Despite its eleventh-hour butchering by Irving Thalberg, Tod Browning's Freaks does everything in its power to create a sense of community, offering a surprising tenderness and mingling with moments that seem superficial. Still, by the end of the film, one begins to catch their mood, a calm, cold combination of guignol and eerily matter-of-fact. Part of the film's brilliance lies in the fact that the lines between normal and abnormal, us and them, and even morality and immorality, are constantly blurred and reversed. If there are "freaks" on display here, they are not the versatile performers to whom the title seems to allude. Its status as a horror film is dubious at best; a holdover from its contemporary release and disgusting reception, it's more of a character study than anything else. While it does contain some rather horrifying sequences, the film's heart lies in its respect and empathy for such a marginalised group. A genuine rarity about all that is both ugly and beautiful about being human. Something which tragically seemed to have cost Browning his reputation in the process, effectively ending his career. It's disheartening if not at all surprising, given this was an extremely daring and ultimately transgressive film released to an audience from the early 1930s. Combined with Browning's beautifully sympathetic direction and the utterly heart-wrenching performances of Harry Earles and Daisy Earles, Freaks may be one of the most compassionate movies ever made, enough to bring a tear to the eye. See more Tonatiuh C Sep 3 Tengo la impresión que Freaks es una referencia de culto para los directores de culto, la iconográfía no debería sorprenderme ya con ese status debería haber sido replicada muchas veces en películas, videos musicales e imágenes de todo tipo, el desarrollo de la película es hasta cierto punto aburrido ya que es un poco convencional (para nuestros tiempos), encuadres muy sencillos y el desarrollo de un drama más o menos convencional sólo que con fenómenos de circo hasta que llegan las escenas finales y se nota la diferencia de producción en los efectos de sonido, la posición de la cámara, los planos son más detallados, la escena más memorable para mi fué una que definitivamente fué homenajeada por… Toy Story, mi yo niño habría quedado impactado por la escena final. See more Zeferino P. @Z6fP6ral6s Aug 13 It wasn’t what I would consider Horror It wasn’t bad It just wasn’t my cup of tea See more Arid S Jul 16 I thought it was ok, plot was not the most entertaining, less about 'freaks' more about some annoying drama. See more Read all reviews
Freaks

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Movie Info

Synopsis When trapeze artist Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova) learns that circus midget Hans (Harry Earles) has an inheritance, she marries the lovesick, diminutive performer, all the while planning to steal his fortune and run off with her lover, strong man Hercules (Henry Victor). When Hans' friends and fellow performers discover what is going on, they band together and carry out a brutal revenge that leaves Hercules and Cleopatra knowing what it truly means to be a freak.
Director
Tod Browning
Producer
Tod Browning, Dwain Esper, Hildegarde Stadie, Irving Thalberg
Screenwriter
Al Boasberg, Willis Goldbeck, Leon Gordon, Edgar Allan Woolf
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 20, 1932, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 18, 2010
Runtime
1h 4m
Sound Mix
Stereo, Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Flat (1.37:1)
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