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Freaky Tales (film)

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Freaky Tales
Directed byAnna Boden
Ryan Fleck
Written by
  • Anna Boden
  • Ryan Fleck
Produced by
  • Anna Boden
  • Ryan Fleck
  • Jelani Johnson
  • Poppy Hanks
Starring
Narrated byToo Short
CinematographyJac Fitzgerald
Edited byRobert Komatsu
Music byRaphael Saadiq
Production
companies
Distributed byLionsgate
Release date
  • January 18, 2024 (2024-01-18) (Sundance)
Running time
106 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Freaky Tales is a 2024 American action comedy film written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. The film stars Pedro Pascal, Boden and Fleck's longtime collaborator Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Dominique Thorne, singer Normani in her film debut, Jack Champion, and Angus Cloud in his final role.[2][3]

Premise

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The film depicts four interconnected stories taking place at real locations and during real historical events in 1987 Oakland, California.

Cast

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Production

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It was announced in August 2022 that Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck would be writing and directing the film. It is based on Fleck's memories of growing up in Oakland, California in the 1980s, and be a celebration of the city's culture. Oakland musician Too Short served as an executive producer.[4] In November, Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn and Jay Ellis were among the cast announced for the film, which also included multiple notable figures from the Oakland area.[5][6] Ji-young Yoo would join the cast the following month.[7]

Filming began on November 14, 2022 and wrapped on January 12, 2023 in Oakland, with production taking place on Telegraph Avenue.[8][9]

Release

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The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2024.[10] Shortly before the premiere, Deadline Hollywood reported that Lionsgate had distribution rights to the film following their acquisition of Entertainment One, who financed the film, although there was still a possibility that another interested distributor could acquire it.[11]

Reception

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On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 67% of 43 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 6.2/10, earning it a "Fresh" score. The website's critics consensus reads, "Bold, funny, and overall entertaining, Freaky Tales is a vibrantly well-acted period piece that makes up in style what it lacks in narrative substance."[12] On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 58 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[13]

Valerie Complex of Deadline Hollywood praised the film's visuals, makeup, costumes and soundtrack that "immediately immerse the audience in the look and feel of late 80s Oakland." She also wrote positively about "the magnetic performances by its all star cast", in particular of Pascal's. However, she criticized the narrative, writing that it "struggles to weave these stories into a satisfying whole and without these talented players embracing the commitment required, the film would crumble under its own ambition."[14]

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Variety & Golden Globe's Breakthrough Artist Awards 19 January 2024 Breakthrough Award Normani Honoree [15]

References

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  1. ^ "Freaky Tales". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  2. ^ "Sundance 2024: the biggest films to look out for from this year's festival | Sundance 2024". The Guardian. January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  3. ^ "10 most-anticipated movies from Sundance 2024". EW.com. January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  4. ^ Kroll, Justin (August 30, 2022). "Captain Marvels Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck To Write And Direct Freaky Tales For eOne, Macro". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  5. ^ Kroll, Justin (November 16, 2022). "Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis And Jack Champion Among Those Joining Ensemble Of eOne And Macro's Freaky Tales From Ryan Fleck And Anna Boden". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  6. ^ "Freaky Tales Sets Leading Cast with Stars Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, and Jay Ellis from Entertainment One and Macro Studios". Entertainment One. November 16, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  7. ^ Kroll, Justin (December 5, 2022). "Sky Is Everywheres Ji-Young Yoo Joins eOne And Macro's Freaky Tales'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  8. ^ Gentile, Dan (November 26, 2022). "Movie inspired by iconic Bay Area rap song 'Freaky Tales' filming in Oakland". SFGATE. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  9. ^ "New film Freaky Tales being shot in Oakland through January; Film sets impact small businesses". KABC-TV. November 17, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  10. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 6, 2023). "Sundance Unveils Packed 2024 Lineup That Includes A.I., Pedro Pascal, Kristen Stewart, Satan, Devo & Steven Yeun". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  11. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr (January 18, 2024). "Sundance 2024 Hot List: Lotta Snow, But Deal Flurry Forecast More Elusive". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  12. ^ "Freaky Tales". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  13. ^ "Freaky Tales". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  14. ^ Complex, Valerie (January 18, 2024). "'Freaky Tales' Review: Magnetic Performances Temper Uneven Oakland Anthology – Sundance Film Festival". Deadline. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  15. ^ Earl, William (January 11, 2024). "Variety and the Golden Globe Awards Announce Party at Sundance Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
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