Freaks
A sheltered girl discovers dangerous psychic abilities and joins her fractured family in a tense fight to free her imprisoned mother.
Overview
A young girl discovers her extraordinary powers while seeking the truth about her family.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- eerie
- intimate
- indie film night
- science fiction double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film to be a clever, inventive science fiction and horror hybrid elevated by strong performances, especially Lexy Kolker’s.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Seven-year-old Chloe discovers the outside world and her own dangerous abilities through a limited, sheltered understanding.
Mind control and flight emerge within a housebound family drama involving parental fear, isolation, and rescue.
Chloe’s father keeps her isolated because he believes the outside world is dangerous, creating the film’s central domestic tension.
Mr. Snowcone approaches Chloe from an ice cream truck while withholding the significance of his identity and motives.
Films like Freaks, and why
Midnight Special
Shares intimate science fiction, family secrecy, unusual abilities, and a child-centered suspense structure.
The Innocents
Shares a guarded child protagonist, persecuted superhuman abilities, government pursuit, and emotionally grounded genre storytelling.
10 Cloverfield Lane
Shares domestic isolation, psychological tension, hidden powers, and a slow-burn science fiction premise.
Room
Shares a vulnerable young protagonist, oppressive confinement, escape-driven suspense, and emotionally intense family dynamics.
Movie Details
- Directors
- Adam Stein, Zach Lipovsky
- Release Date
- 2019-09-12
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (1342)
Cast
- Emile Hirsch
- Bruce Dern
- Grace Park
- Amanda Crew
- Lexy Kolker
- Ava Telek
- Michelle Harrison
- Matty Finochio
- Aleks Paunovic
- RJ Fetherstonhaugh
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Screambox Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Freaks about?
- A sheltered girl discovers dangerous psychic abilities and joins her fractured family in a tense fight to free her imprisoned mother.
- What is Freaks like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Freaks as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Freaks violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Freaks as mild.
- What did critics think of Freaks?
- Critics broadly found the film to be a clever, inventive science fiction and horror hybrid elevated by strong performances, especially Lexy Kolker’s.
- Which films are like Freaks?
- Films with a similar feel include Midnight Special, The Innocents, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and Room.
- How long is Freaks?
- Freaks runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Freaks?
- In United States, Freaks streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Screambox Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus.
