While they are probably best known for having directed Captain Marvel, writer-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck show us what they can really do with the stylish, action-packed Freaky Tales. The film tells multiple stories that merge into one by the end, and while it doesn’t fully deliver on this premise or answer questions about its supernatural moments, it more than makes up for it with its high energy, grit, and characters that are easy to root for.

Freaky Tales’ Disparate Stories Play To Its Strengths

Freaky Tales is a historical drama based on true events written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. The film explores the real and often weird events that occurred in Oakland, California, in 1987 through four interconnected tales of the lives of those in the city – from music to romance and beyond.

It’s hard to find a film that ties together its multiple storylines with the same gusto that Freaky Tales does, and perhaps that’s what sets it apart. The film is split into four chapters, with the first three telling seemingly singular stories of Oakland youth who come from differing subcultures and a nearly retired henchman (Pedro Pascal) before bringing everything together by way of basketball player Sleepy Floyd (Insecure’s Jay Ellis). The final chapter is full of great action sequences and over-the-top scenarios that will have you grimacing and cheering at the same time.

More than that, though, it’s got finesse and style. Boden and Fleck get really creative with the narrative, especially. Amid rap battles and mystic fights with Nazis, the film’s visuals are tremendous, elevating the 1987 setting beyond callbacks and nostalgia. In one crucial scene, animation is used to convey a big basketball game between the Warriors and the Lakers, and it adds a touch of fun. That’s not the only instance the animation is used, but other imaginative flourishes bring us more fully into the narrative.

The story itself is indeed “freaky,” though it could have gone a lot further in that regard. Every character resists the skinheads that terrorize them, refusing to back down, and to that end, Freaky Tales brings a fighting spirit that grounds the story. Does the film tie all its stories together? Yes, but only loosely. There’s definitely more that could have been done to make the overarching narrative more cohesive, and the film sometimes gets lost in telling its separate tales without too much thought or depth.

Pedro Pascal & Ben Mendelsohn Lead A Cast That Channels Chaos

And yet, it succeeds nonetheless thanks to engaging characters and a strong cast. Pascal as the regretful henchman looking to do one last job, so he can focus on his wife and baby is, unsurprisingly, great, balancing softness with a rough-around-the-edges demeanor, and Mendelsohn exudes the right amount of creepy righteousness playing a perverted cop. But it might be Ellis who steals the show as Sleepy, the kung fu-fighting all-star basketball player. He’s equally charismatic and lethal. He gets less of a story compared to others, but he’s got a fantastic presence and makes the most of his time onscreen.

The rest of the cast — Jack Champion, Ji-Young Yoo, Dominique Thorne, and Normani Kordei Hamilton — are excellent and work well together to create a believable ensemble despite not everyone sharing most of their scenes together. Freaky Tales’ ensemble cast is memorable, and it’s nice that each actor gets their time to shine in well-executed scenes that highlight their energetic commitment to their characters.

The Film’s Supernatural Elements Don’t Fully Work

Freaky Tales employs a supernatural element, a mysterious green glow that emits from various characters’ eyes that seemingly gives them power and an energy that is somehow funneled by channeling the mind. It doesn’t amount to much of anything though, despite an opening narration explaining there’s something amiss in Oakland and that some cosmic energy is involved. Perhaps it’s meant to be vague so that the characters themselves can show how strong they are, but the green glow’s inclusion will leave you scratching your head more often than not.

It only really works at the end, when Ellis’ Sleepy fights a group of Nazis, because it’s the only moment where a supernatural aspect worked within the narrative’s framework. However, this doesn’t entirely deter the film itself, which sparks with a kinetic power and style that maintains its momentum to the end. Freaky Tales may not be a perfect film, but it will definitely leave a strong impression on you long after the credits roll.

Freaky Tales premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and is playing in theaters on April 4.