Freaky Tales (2025) is written and directed by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck. It stars Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Dominique Thorne, Normani, Too $hort, Ji-young Yoo, Jack Champion, Keir Gilchrist, Dan Marotte, Sedrick Cabrera, Angus Cloud, and Tom Hanks. The film takes place in 1987 Oakland, and tells four interconnected tales. The first tells the story of local punk rockers who are forced to defend their beloved club against a group of local skinheads. The second follows two down-on-their-luck female rappers (Thorne, Normani) who are finally given the opportunity to prove themselves. The third revolves around a morally conscious debt collector (Pascal) on the verge of retirement, who, after experiencing a tragedy, vows to make things right. Lastly, we follow NBA superstar Sleepy Floyd (Ellis), who, after a legendary performance on the court, sets out to take revenge on a group of criminals who attempted to steal his priceless art collection.

The cast seems to fully understand the film’s niche tone, providing compelling performances that range from cartoonishly goofy to disarmingly sympathetic. Granted, these wildly different performances don’t always gel, but they work more often than they don’t. I was pleasantly surprised that Pedro Pascal, who has been overexposed to an annoying extent in recent years, delivers one of his more emotionally resonant performances. Surrounded by such over-the-top personalities, he succeeds in grounding the film by providing a character who’s recognizable as a real-life human being. 

In terms of the film’s zanier performances, Ben Mendelsohn is the clear standout. Yes, we’ve seen him play creepy villains countless times before, but rarely are they the kind that allow him to go this far. Whether he’s absurdly racist or a total sexual deviant, he stays compelling simply due to his villainous audacity. 

The film is essentially an equal mix of crude goofiness, hyper-stylized violence, and 80s sci-fi. These elements aren’t unheard of, but in combination with the fact that the film seems intended as a love letter to the city of Oakland, they create a tone that feels extremely niche. The film frequently references a supernatural green aura that hovers over the city and its inhabitants. As an outsider, I’m still not sure whether this is a reference to a real Oakland myth or if it’s entirely made up. I understand it as a metaphor for people tapping into their repressed greatness, but that isn’t specific to Oakland. People all over the world have greatness that they struggle to tap into, so it seems odd to imply that the people of Oakland are somehow special in that way. 

Each vignette is unsurprisingly basic in terms of its story arc, but they do come together in a satisfying and cohesive way. I wish each story contributed equally to the climax, but they all have their place nonetheless. The problem is, the cumulative effect of these stories doesn’t fully justify how basic they are on an individual level. If they had led to themes and ideas that were a bit more profound, it would have been worth it. Unfortunately, the film leaves the viewer with more questions than answers. The only clear message the film provides is that nazis suck. Most people, including myself, agree with that and have for a long time, so why feel the need to make that the entire message? Trust me, anyone who disagrees with anti-nazi sentiment is a lost cause anyway. It won’t change any minds and will only feel stale for those (the majority) who agree. I’m saying this is a theme that shouldn’t be here, but isn’t fresh or interesting enough to carry the film on its own. 

Overall, this is an odd, wild, and oftentimes unexplainable film, featuring countless, unlike influences that range from Magnolia (1999) to Scanners (1981). True to its title, these tales are effectively freaky, but they’re also surprisingly entertaining. Unfortunately, the script struggles to convey its various themes, including how the city of Oakland informs them. It also features a tone that will likely alienate a large portion of viewers. Other than that, there’s a lot of fun to be had. It feels like the filmmakers threw everything at a wall and, instead of waiting to see what stuck, forced it all to stick. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t, but I always appreciate the occasional risk. Coincidentally, this is a film I don’t love, but do appreciate – flaws and all. That being said, I can’t recommend it to anyone who isn’t an Oakland native. It’s just a little too freaky. C+