Strangely stylish and inexplicably sentimental, with a humanist vibe. That's the feeling Freaks Out left me with. There's a really nostalgic feel to this film. It captures a fading world of colourful carnivals and the dubiously named, freak shows, under threat from a Fascist ideology that rejects anyone who is "different". Its underlying message is one of tolerance, forgiveness and acceptance, tempered by the need to protect the vulnerable from persecution. Special effects are superb, the story's suitably off beat and affectionately zany and the action is polished. An eccentric super hero tale, that's definitely worth a look.

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