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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

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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Steven F. @SteveGotScored 2d A very entertaining classic to say the least! See more Jack F @MovieFan111 Feb 13 In my opinion, it's not very scary. Is it a little disturbing? Yes, but not in the slightest terrifying. Crazy the "freaks" were real people. I thought the acting was great from everyone. See more To F @Frannko Jan 26 Esta interesante, pero se siente culero como tratan a los freaks. Aun así las actuaciones y la historia están muy bien hechas. See more Rich C. @Cordu0702 Nov 5 Really liked this film. See more Isaiah Y @zayman2 Oct 31 One of the most memorable horror films ever made See more DanTheMan 2 @DanTheMan2150AD 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 Read all reviews
Freaks

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Cast & Crew

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Tod Browning

Director

Wallace Ford

Phroso

Olga Baclanova

Cleopatra

Leila Hyams

Venus

Roscoe Ates

Roscoe

Harry Earles

Hans

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Freaks

Freaks (1932) Freaks (1932) View more photos

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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