Freaks (1932)
91%RT Audience Score: 88%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Time has been kind to this horror legend: Freaks manages to frighten, shock, and even touch viewers in ways that contemporary viewers missed.
Freaks is a classic horror film that will make you feel all sorts of emotions. From terror to sympathy, this movie has it all. The story is about a group of “freaks” who are actually the most human characters in the film. The director, Tod Browning, did an amazing job of creating a sense of community among these characters, despite their differences. The performances are strong and the tenderness in the film is surprising. If you’re looking for a horror movie that will make you think, Freaks is the one for you. Just be prepared for some shocking and unsettling moments!
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures, Skydance Media, Jerry Bruckheimer Films,
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
TV-14
Year of Release
1932
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:16:9 HD (remastered)1.33 : 1 (original broadcast)
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Runtime:1h 4m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States, Canada
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 20, 1932 Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 19, 2009
Genre(s)
Horror
Keyword(s)
Horror, Freaks, Tod Browning, Al Boasberg, Willis Goldbeck, Leon Gordon, Edgar Allan Woolf, directed by Tod Browning, produced by Tod Browning, Dwain Esper, Hildegarde Stadie, Irving Thalberg, starring Wallace Ford, Olga Baclanova, Leila Hyams, Roscoe Ates, Harry Earles, Henry Victor, reviewed by Joe Morgenstern, Mark Kermode, Tom Huddleston, Variety Staff, Dave Kehr, Geoff Andrew, Brian Eggert, Mike Massie, Tim Dirks, Josh Larsen, Rob Gonsalves, Jonathan Hatfull, MPAA rating, 1932, box office performance, budget, horror legend, trapeze artist, circus midget, inheritance, lovesick, diminutive performer, strong man, brutal revenge, “freak”, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Olga Baclanova – Cleopatra
Leila Hyams – Venus
Roscoe Ates – Roscoe
Harry Earles – Hans
Henry Victor – Hercules
Director – Tod Browning
Producers – Tod Browning, Dwain Esper, Hildegarde Stadie, Irving Thalberg
Writers – Al Boasberg, Willis Goldbeck, Leon Gordon, Edgar Allan Woolf
Director(s)
Tod Browning
Writer(s)
Al Boasberg, Willis Goldbeck, Leon Gordon, Edgar Allan Woolf
Producer(s)
Tod Browning, Dwain Esper, Hildegarde Stadie, Irving Thalberg
Film Festivals
Toronto
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (56) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (53) | Rotten (3)
[Boasts] some of the most terrifying scenes ever consigned to film.
September 28, 2015
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
TOP CRITIC
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.
June 14, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Mark Kermode
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
One of the most powerful films ever made about the need for humanity and solidarity in the face of cruelty and oppression.
June 8, 2015 | Rating: 5/5
Tom Huddleston
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Freaks is sumptuously produced, admirably directed, and no cost was spared. But Metro failed to realize that even with a different sort of offering the story still is important.
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
If the heart of the horror movie is the annihilating Other, the Other has never appeared with more vividness, teasing sympathy, and terror than in this 1932 film by Tod Browning.
September 24, 2007
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
It has now achieved deserved recognition as a masterpiece.
January 26, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
A genuine rarity about all that is ugly and beautiful about being human
March 2, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
It isn’t so much about scares as it is a character study for a little person lead.
July 27, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Freaks (1932) is a shocking, bizarre and unsettling horror film, but a durable cult favorite. Tod Browning directed the unusual, creepy, and gothic horror film with real-life side-show “freaks” – it was one of his best works…
September 29, 2019 | Rating: A+
Tim Dirks
Filmsite
…despite its gruesome conclusion, the movie seems to do everything in its power to create community.
November 17, 2015 | Rating: 3/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
Browning locked in some of horror cinema’s most indelible images.
October 15, 2015 | Rating: 5/5
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
With strong performances and a surprising tenderness, Freaks more than deserves its towering reputation.
June 18, 2015 | Rating: 5/5
Jonathan Hatfull
SciFiNow…
Plot
It’s the 1980s and at McKinley High, there’s two different groups of teenagers, the Freaks with cool and charismatic Daniel Desario and tomboy Lindsay Weir and the Geeks with Lindsay’s shy younger brother Sam, gentle Bill Haverchuck, and self-proclaimed ladies’ man Neal Schweiber. The show chronicles the normal teen/adolescence problems any teenager goes through including acceptance, drugs, drinking, and bullying.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of Freaks includes real-life sideshow performers with deformities, adding to the authenticity and unsettling tone of the film.
Tod-Browning.jpg
