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      Freaks

      Released Feb 20, 1932 1 hr. 4 min. Horror List
      95% 58 Reviews Tomatometer 88% 10,000+ Ratings Audience Score 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." Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered May 07 Buy Now

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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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      Audience Reviews

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      Dayne R This is not a horror movie, it feels like a tragic drama and it can be quite disturbing if you're not used to grotesque scenes such as the ending scene (No spoilers) This was truly a special story by Tod Browning about "circus freaks" or as I would say disabled kind people. It's truly done in a humane way towards these unique individuals and shows their daily life. Schlitzie stole the show with his incredible personality and you can tell her really enjoyed filming. Hans and Frieda were also brilliant in their performances alongside Cleo and Hercules. This was raw talent at its finest. Prince Ramdian does an incredible thing as well with a cigarette. Every unique person in this film shined and even the people who had no disabilities. The ending was quite disturbing however, I personally didn't find it too disturbing because, I've seen way worse lol The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 1 was more disturbing than this. I could see some people who would find this disturbing and might not be used to grostesque gory films or shows. It's a great film overall and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is willing to see it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/05/24 Full Review Alec B It is disappointing that we will never get to see the original uncut version but what is there is still beguiling and dramatically satisfying. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/10/24 Full Review Christian K A good an shockingly earnest look at a group of circus performers, for the era it doesn't feel exploitative at all. Awesome last 10 minutes. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/03/24 Full Review Steve D Exploitive and gross. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 12/28/23 Full Review Paolo Florindo G Semplicemente bellissimo e che fa pensare molto, in alcune scene anche divertente. Chi è un mostro lo è dentro, non esteriormente. Non capisco perché sia stato inserito nel settore horror. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/24/23 Full Review Wayne K Back when Hollywood hadn't yet adopted the Hays Code, you could get away with so much on film that would be unconscionable for close to 3 decades, and that's where Freaks come in. Given the title, and rather unappealing line from the poster ‘Can a full grown woman truly love a midget?', you'd be forgiving for thinking this was just a piece of cheap exploitation, the cinematic equivalent of wandering through a circus in the early 20th century and being encouraged to gawk at all the people on display because they ‘don't look like us.' But no, it's nothing like that. Freaks has been reappraised in later years as being very empathetic and generous in its depiction of people with deformities, especially considering when it was made. It's a message that clearly went over most people's heads at the time, as it bombed at the box office and effectively killed the director's career. The titular freaks are hampered but their deformities, but they're not defined by then. They aren't the enemy, they're just people trying to make a living. The able-bodied performers are the ones who concoct the schemes, who prey on those they see as less than themselves. The film is a mirror that's held up to society to expose its true ugliness, the one that's staring them in the face when they see their own reflection. But another thing it gets right is its unwillingness to venerate the disadvantaged simply because of who they are. They can be jealous, abrasive and dishonest, just like everyone else, and its similar to 2021's CODA in that regard. For me, the horror elements don't really come into play until the end, when the story briefly becomes about a bloody revenge. The filming techniques, as well as the visual and audio quality have aged considerably, but it's messages about tolerance and self-reflection likely never will. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/07/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Joe Morgenstern Wall Street Journal [Boasts] some of the most terrifying scenes ever consigned to film. Sep 28, 2015 Full Review Mark Kermode Observer (UK) 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. Rated: 4/5 Jun 14, 2015 Full Review Tom Huddleston Time Out One of the most powerful films ever made about the need for humanity and solidarity in the face of cruelty and oppression. Rated: 5/5 Jun 8, 2015 Full Review Michael Nordine Film Occasionally 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. Oct 24, 2023 Full Review Douglas Davidson Elements of Madness 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. Oct 17, 2023 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy An astounding film. Rated: 4/4 Oct 14, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

      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
      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
      Sound Mix
      Stereo, Mono
      Aspect Ratio
      35mm, Flat (1.37:1)
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