Freak (1999) User Reviews

Quite surprising

[lisakeenan72 · 5/10 · 6 July 2011]

I bought a copy of this DVD in my local "Poundland". I figured if it was awful then I'd only lost a pound!

I was quite surprised at the fact that there was a relatively decent story. The acting is never gonna win any awards but it didn't hurt the feeling of the film.

After escaping whilst being transferred from one asylum to another, the 'Freak' of the title kidnaps one of two sisters and takes her to his childhood home. As the remaining sister and hospital orderly battle to save the kidnapped girl they begin to learn what Freak is capable of, and more horrifyingly what made him the way he is.

Don't let the low budget and mediocre acting put you off, there are far worse bigger budget horrors out there.

Utter nonsense, yet...!

[Redcitykev · 5/10 · 5 June 2011]

Firstly, I came across this film in a most unusual way for a film of this type (ie, slasher/horror). Every Thursday and Friday my local Salvation Army have a 'drop-in' where they sell cakes, coffee and brick-a-brack. On this occasion they had the usual pile of give-away DVDs (normally the kind given away by papers and magazines). I was looking through the usual dross (cheap Catherine Cookson based TV movies, etc) when I spotted a cheap looking plastic cover with a folded over cover which showed only this eye looking at me through a swathe of bandages and the legend "Freak, where Blair Witch meets Psycho". Well, with such a come-on how could I resist, and for nothing! It was not until I got the DVD home that I realised this was a 'proper' release and not a paper freebie! That evening I put the disc on and sat back to enjoy the film. It does start really quite nicely with a mysterious hooded youngster walking over a creepy old bridge towards a beat up old house, letting him/herself in via the cellar door only to be meet by a mother who then slaps him/her hard across the face. Mother then gives birth to a baby, which she then - well, that would be giving a possible plot line away! Basically the youngster kills the mother, at which point we cut to 9 years later and a women and her sister moving out of one house to go to a new life some four States away - a journey which will take them right though the area where the 'freak' comes from. At the same time the 'freak' is being transfered from one mental institution to another (for no apparent reason) and a young on parole mental health nurse is consigned to take him (we have learnt by now the 'freak' is a he!). Surprise surprise the route taken is identical to that taken by the couple moving! En-route the 'freak' takes an opportunity to escape - pretty obvious how! - hides in a truck and, when the chance arises, steals said truck and makes good his escape. Now at this point what had been an interesting film quickly develops into farce, and some very weird plot points soon crop up. One of the main of these being the following: We are told that the 'freak' was only 9 or 10 when he was found alone in the old abandoned house (no sign of the mother), and had spent the following 9 years in a near catatonic state in the mental institution, yet when he gets behind the wheel of the truck he can drive perfectly!! Where on earth did he learn to drive? Why was there only one nurse taking him to a new mental institution?, what on earth was the ferret doing in an unsealed box, etc etc. Surfice to say that the film quickly goes from an interesting look at the family unit - is the young sister his sister? - to a basic, and not very well done, slasher/he's behind you/is he dead or not? type film.

This is by no means the worst film I have ever seen - the good opening just about saves it from being that - but it is poorly done, too many plot holes, some dreadful acting and an ending which leads you to expect a big shock coda ala Halloween/Carrie etc but which... well, again, that would be giving the game away! For a cheap find in a Sally Army hall this made for a certain amount of entertainment, but I am sure pleased I didn't have to pay for it!!!

Slow Paced, Virtually No Gore and/or Victims

[JimSthers · 2/10 · 22 February 2002]

I rented this movie because the cover was cool looking, the first 15 minutes of the movie are okay and somehow interesting, but once the young woman and her little sister go on their trip everything goes to hell and the movie becomes boring.

a weird mix of "blair witch" and "igor and the lunatics"... ((this might be considered a spoiler))

[dementedforever · 3 November 2001]

mostly bland, with just enough scary parts to keep the viewer awake. the film's extremely low budget must not have allowed for makeup effects, however, since we never get to see the "freak"'s allegedly disturbing face (except on the video cover). nor do we ever find out what he did to the little girl that required her to be hospitalized. a promising concept that seemed to have been written and filmed in a hurry...indeed, one wonders why it was made at all.

If Looks Can Kill, You'd Be A Sleep!

[CMRKeyboadist · 2/10 · 12 August 2006]

Yawn, that is my reaction to this film. I was really hoping this would have been a good modern day slasher but it doesn't even fall into the category of slashers. Instead, it tries to be something it isn't, which is a psychological thriller, and it fails so miserably at this. Even the title "Freak" suggests that this might be interesting. Match this with the cover art on the DVD and you think "OK, maybe I will give this one a try". Not worth the time.

The story actually starts up a bit interesting with a poor deformed child with bandages wrapped around his head being chained up by his fat Mother. She yells at him and probably beats him since in one scene we see her actually slap him for no reason. After all this, he decides he has had enough and smashes her face in with (I believe) a rock. Present day, he is now in insane asylum and is being transfered. On his way he breaks out of the van he is in and escapes. Introduce also the 2 leads characters, a little girl and her older sister. They are moving and hit the road. So most of the movie is them riding around in the car talking amongst themselves. But, the bandaged "Freak" is now on the loose and is about go on a rampage of grueling murder! (This is me being totally sarcastic)

I can't believe how boring this movie turned out to be. The budget was on the smallest ever with absolutely no special effects and the dialog I could just care less about. This is one of those movie where the packaging is better then the flick itself. And to compare this to Halloween?! Rubbish! I am not even a fan of the the Halloween series (except the 3rd one) but Halloween is far superior than this. At least with Halloween we have a great score and some genuinely creepy moments. With this, there is virtually no music except some piano here and there and there is nothing creepy about this movie. Maybe this movie would have fared better if it had a solid score because even the worst of movies are tolerable if the music is good.

Well, that is just my opinion on the movie. I thought it was just a complete waist of time and money. But, since the movie has over a 4/10 rating on IMDb, there must be people that like this movie. I am not one of those people. 2/10

"NOT one of us! NOT one of us!"

[Coventry · 2/10 · 3 March 2006]

The title, although singular, will undoubtedly remind real horror fans of Tod Browning's immortal classic about a troop of circus freaks and how they were misunderstood by the outside world. I can assure you, however, that this "thing" has absolutely nothing to do with "Freaks" or even with the art of professional film-making in general. This movie was recommended to me, supposedly because it's raw, disturbing and thought provoking despite the low budget production values. Yeah right… The person who recommended it to me may now consider himself to be my personal foe! The low budget factor is correct, but that about sums it up. "Freak" is dreadfully slow, poorly made and every character that gets introduced is downright insufferable…and that includes the freak too. Two siblings on their way to a new life encounter a deformed mental patient who escaped from the transport truck to another hospital and heads back to the house where he killed his mother at age 9. This could have been an interesting slasher with good isolated filming locations but, instead, Tyler Sharpe decided to make it boring and pointless family drama. The lead actress' attempts to look emotionally devastated are pretty laughable and the total lack of suspense and action can hardly be blamed to the limited budget. Total failure!

Effective in parts

[wellthatswhatithinkanyway · 7/10 · 16 June 2005]

STAR RATING: ***** Unmissable **** Very Good *** Okay ** You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead * Avoid At All Costs

A young boy with a hideously deformed face murders his abusing mother, unbeknownst to the authorities, and spends the majority of his adult life in a catatonic state in a mental institution. However, after a momentary bout of incompetence at the hands of an asylum transport driver, he is free and roaming about, stalking a sister and her younger sibling to his childhood home for a brutal final confrontation.

This cruelly titled little horror flick does seem to bear a slight resemblance to John Carpenter's original horror masterpiece Halloween. But then, arguably so have many others. There are some unique touches to this one that make it slightly above average in comparison to the many other video duds like it. There is an eerily quiet soundtrack to it, as well as a wobbling delivery to the voice-overs provided by Amy Paliganoff in the lead role. I'm not sure if this was meant as a student feature, though it does have that kind of presentation in a way. Plus the 'freak' himself does have a kind of scary, un-nerving presence to him in the few scenes where he shows himself. Not quite a masterpiece, but certainly a lot more pleasing than a lot of other video horrors of it's ilk. ***

Good horror flick

[kevin-phillips · 10/10 · 20 May 2001]

This movie kind of reminded me of the horror movies I saw as a kid in the 70's and 80's. It's definitely creepy and "suspenseful" as it says on the box, a bit low-key in spots (which isn't all that bad a problem, I guess) but picks up for a good "chop em' up" finale at the end. Good acting from the unknown cast, especially from the two sisters and the wicked mother from the opening. And I also like that guy who played the orderly. Beware of that head bashing scene in the open--it's pretty brutal!!

Impressive.

[Snake-666 · 6/10 · 14 November 2004]

Following the death of her parents, Staci (Amy Paliganoff), an aspiring young artist, begins a move across four states to start a new life with her little sister, Jodi (Andrea Johnson). Little does she realize the terror that she and her sister will soon encounter at the hands of a recently escaped mental patient.

Undoubtedly, 'Freak' owes a lot to movies such as 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' (1974) and John Carpenter's classic 'Halloween' (1978). However, 'Freak' retains enough of its own power to make the open-minded viewer refrain from cries of 'rip-off' and concentrate on the movie, which is certainly not without its own charms and horrors. Perhaps a stylistic influence for the following year's harrowing shocker, 'Scrapbook', relatively new director, Tyler Tharpe, displays directorial ability that could make him a huge name in the future. His use of location is powerful and the near-deserted, desolate back-roads of Fort Wayne, Indiana (although the setting is supposed to be Ohio) coupled with an isolated, decaying and mouldering house reminiscent of those seen in such films as Tobe Hooper's classic 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' and the more recent 'The Blair Witch Project' both provide shocking, repugnant and unsettling visual elements. Through this wonderful use of locations and settings, Tharpe is able to take full control of his film and create a haunting atmosphere equivalent in malevolence to some of the most renowned and revered horror films. Considering the budget and limitations, 'Freak' is almost a visual masterpiece.

Of course, the film is not without flaws. The acting performances range from mediocre to simply adequate and the film takes a few minutes longer to end than it really should. It is also likely that some viewers will find the truly brutal, barbaric and traumatic opening to be something of a red-herring when eventually considering the rest of the film's content. Following this beginning, there is also a ten or fifteen minute lull which may turn some viewers off, but may also attract some viewers to the film more so than other, similar efforts. One of the main criticisms that many have with the horror genre is the continual lack of character-development in such movies. However, Tharpe withdraws from the horror aspect for a short period of time to develop his characters and we learn enough about them to eventually care about them to some extent. Although Tharpe is not entirely successful in what he attempts to accomplish, one learns to care about the characters slightly more than they would while watching similar films. This, quite aptly, leads to some moments of truly heart-pounding later in the film when the protagonist's almost idyllic journey is shattered and the horror begins. This all leads up to a fantastic, nerve-wracking climax as the elements of horror truly combine to create a surprisingly memorable finale!

Although not without flaws, 'Freak' is an entertaining, modern, low-budget horror film that acts more as homage to its inspirers, rather than simple plagiarism of the classics. The poor performances are far less distracting than in similar movies due to Tharpe's surprising abilities in the director's chair. Perhaps not as violent and gory as one would expect following the opening, 'Freak' still manages to become an immensely suspenseful, haunting, disconcerting and thus enthralling movie if predicitable in a few places. Recommended for low-budget, horror fans. My rating for 'Freak' – 7/10.

very impressed with this film

[hyann3444 · 22 May 2001]

Being an aspiring filmmaker, I watch tons of lower budget films to find out what I'm up against (That's really an excuse. I watch them anyway.) When I watched FREAK, it wasn't what I expected, because it turned out to be a rather serious film. It didn't have any exploitive elements like most of the films I've been watching. And thank god, none of the characters spouted off any one-liners-- NOTHING kills a movie faster. I don't set my expectations high for any of the movies that I rent and I was very impressed with this film.

Captures small town America quite well

[udar55 · 6/10 · 11 October 2014]

A mongoloid boy in a mask is kept in a dilapidated house by his mother. When she gives birth and tries to burn the child alive, he kills her. Ten years later, the mute boy is in a mental institution and sticking to having his face covered in bandages. He is scheduled to be transferred and, of course, he escapes from his driver Jason (Travis Patton). This is bad news for Staci (Amy Paliganoff) and her adopted 10-year-old sister Jodi (Andrea Johnson), who are traveling from Ohio to Virginia and cross paths with the boy. This is done pretty much in the mold of HALLOWEEN (1978) and doesn't offer anything really new to the genre in terms of plot. There are hints of something deeper going on here (is Jodi the killer's baby sister he killed his mom for?), but Tharpe never really expands on them. I'm not sure if I can credit it to calculated or inept scripting. Where Tharpe succeeds though is in his depictions of small towns, empty fields and isolated farmhouses. Shot on 16mm, the film captures tons of creepy locations and small town life. This would be on even greater display in Tharpe's second film RETURN IN RED (2007).

Good Midwestern Chiller

[johnoakdalton · 8/10 · 12 September 2002]

Solid, tidy little thriller with a "Halloween"-type vibe has masked killer escaping from inattentive hospital attendant and going on a modest killing spree through a bleak midwestern landscape. Nice cinematography, good use of sound, and solid performances (especially from the two leads, one being a kid) make it a good rental.

'While this 'Freak' aint unique, it still might be worth a peek!

[Weirdling_Wolf · 7/10 · 18 February 2022]

Writer/director Tyler Tharpe's noble attempt at fashioning an earnest, extremely low-budget shocker, while somewhat flawed, is executed with a certain amount of skill. Rarely mentioned, I would say that the film's obscurity is not due to poor film-making, as Tharpe's 'Freak', while suitably ugly, is professionally mounted, and the zesty performances are credible enough, with especially sympathetic work from the likeable Amy Paliganoff, who energetically makes for an emotionally engaging Final Girl, one horribly beleaguered by the sinister shenanigans of this demented wretch! Staci (Amy Paliganoff) & younger sister Jodie (Andrea Johnson) have their lengthy road trip crudely interrupted by the violent terror tactics of a recently escaped mental patient, a menacingly mute, bloodily bandaged freak on a seemingly arbitrary cross-county rampage!

'Freak' is not an undiscovered nil-budgeted B-Horror classic, and no super entertaining, crud-packed trash-fest, but a stolid, competently made, if curiously bloodless B-slasher that proved edifying even with the pointed absence of gore. Perhaps not for everyone, but the film has an oppressive, palpably bleak, off-beat atmosphere that appealed to me, and the starkly abusive scene between the crippled boy 'Freak' and his bovine, plainly psychotic mother that eerily recalled Fat Ethel in cult Grindhouse classic 'Criminally Insane'. In 99% of modern horror films I am more than happy to see the persistently plastic, self-absorbed phone-drone'd protagonists die, but I was definitely rootin' for Staci, Jodi, and her funky ferret 'Slider'! Right on!!!!!!!

A great cure for insomnia

[anxietyresister · 10 June 2005]

A girl and her adopted daughter drive cross-country to their new house in another state, while an escaped mental patient stalks them both.

"Wow, what an original storyline" you must be thinking and yes, we get all the usual tricks..like ominous shadows being cast and strange noises at night. But sadly, rather than being frightening, these little gimmicks smack of desperation on the part of the director. Worse, rather than follow these cheap tricks up with blood and gore he chooses instead to concentrate on his character's boring conversations. This is a big mistake as these tedious, one-dimensional people wouldn't hold our interest at a bus stop for five minutes, let alone a 90 minute movie.

If you're expecting this film to deliver in an explosive climax, you'll be disappointed too there I'm afraid. There's lots of running around, tons of screaming and crying, plenty of spooky music.. but because it is so ineptly acted and directed, you'll probably either be staring at the screen in disbelief or be rolling around on the floor laughing your head off.

Basically, the whole thing is a complete waste of time, and the low budget is no excuse for its awfulness.. I've seen pictures which cost less than the price of a packet of crisps to make which are far more effective than this atrocity. Heck.. even I could do better if you lent me your camcorder and gave me the afternoon off. So how about it, Spielberg?? 0/10

Ignore the negativity.... This is pretty damn good.

[brandoncruze · 8/10 · 7 June 2023]

Firstly, this is a low-budget affair, clearly influenced and inspired by Halloween 1978. Having said that, this is probably the best Halloween homage I've seen. I love Halloween 1978, its one of my favourites & Freak is just as creepy and tense in my opinion. The acting by unknown leads Travis Patton (who is also very HOT) and Amy Paliganoff are very both good and the killer looks very creepy and reminiscent of Michael Myers from the garage scene in Halloween 4. The murder scene at the beginning is very graphic & jarring. Overall I enjoyed this small horror gem & I recommend it to horror fans.

A masked killer hunts his blood sister ... sound familiar?

[Richard_Harland_Smith · 15 February 2000]

In telling the story of a masked psychopath (institutionalized since childhood for the murder of his abusive mother) pursuing his blood sister, director Tyler Tharpe (who plays the adult "Keller boy") borrows more from John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN and its first sequel than he is able to adequately repay. His closing shots even ape the dénouement of John Carpenter's landmark killer-on-the-loose film - and it's this derivative approach that ultimately does FREAK in; still, Tharpe manages some effective moments, particularly his upsetting opening. Tharpe gets good use out of his stark Midwestern settings, but in styling FREAK so heavily after HALLOWEEN, Tharpe ultimately cheats his story of depth. For those looking for cheap and bloody thrills, FREAK doesn't offer those either - which makes one wonder who Tharpe made this film for after all.

Homing Instinct...

[azathothpwiggins · 10 December 2021]

FREAK is a low-low-budget horror film about two sisters on a trip / move to Virginia from Indiana. Along the way, the two bond while enjoying the scenery.

Meanwhile, a murderous maniac escapes his transport van and heads out on a killing spree. Fate and destiny intervene, bringing the sisters and this madman together for the creepy climax.

This is a throwback / homage film that does a pretty good job of mimicking the feel of the early 1970's.

While simple and fairly non-gory (except for the horrific prologue), FREAK manages to sustain an atmosphere of dread throughout its running time. So, if you love the horror movies of the 70's, then this should fill you with nostalgia...