Freaks

1932 • 62 minutes

About this movie

Fictional film based on the true life experiences of circus sideshow freaks made in the 1930s. The film was edited for American distribution and banned in England for over 30 years. However, recently, it has taken on cult status for its campy plot and the real circus entertainers who appear in the film. Directed by horror film master Tod Browning.

Ratings and reviews

This is a brilliant and beautifully filmed depiction of how the real freaks in society are the ones who think they're physically perfect and downgrade others who were born with "defects" that make their lives a daily struggle. I wish the original longer ending had not gotten cut and lost; the "chicken woman" scene is not worthy of the work of genius that leads up to it. The film won't "shock" you unless you have been blessed with great health and cursed with a limited vision of life and empathy.

The pro: the film is great. The con: the movies was very obviously chopped down from it's original run time. The film ends pretty much right when the climax of it begins. We don't get to see what happened to Cleopatra before she gets turned into a bird. And we have no idea what happens to the strong man. I understand censorship. But a film must have a beginning, middle and end.

Great movie, a lot of unknown actors in this one but well worth checking out. The characters Hans and Frieda are actually siblings, they both played in the Wizard of Oz as well. There are a lot of natural born "oddities" in the film but it is easy to find a warm spot in your heart for each one once you notice each of their quirks.