Freaky Tales 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Freaky Tales 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 7, 2025

Note: June's releases from Lionsgate Limited offer another eclectic trio, including the boutique imprint's second Vestron Video Collector's 1080 release in a row (this month it's All of Me), as well as what I at least thought was going to be their stock in trade, 4K/1080 combo releases in SteelBook packaging (this month it's The Way of the Gun 4K). The third release is this particular film, which in the context of Lionsgate Limited is an interesting example of a relatively recently exhibited film getting its first 4K and 1080 discs courtesy of the etailer (as of the writing of this review, it does not appear that Lionsgate is offering a standalone 1080 release). Lionsgate, long known for its limited edition SteelBooks whether or not Lionsgate Limited releases them, provides a more "vintage" collector's packaging here, as described below.

Captain Marvel put so-called multi-hyphenates Anna Boden and Ryan K. Fleck on the veritable A List in a way neither of them probably ever expected, and like many people who suddenly find incredible fame and fortune in their film careers, they decided to follow up that gigantic box office blockbuster with a more "personal" film. In this case, however, that didn't mean the expected extravagant budget and a bucketful of marquee stars (though there are at least a couple on display here). Instead, Freaky Tales is the culmination of literally decades of "wishing and hoping" on the part of Fleck in particular, who had long wanted to somehow craft a film around a song that I suspect relatively few outside of Bay Area music fans will have much acquaintance with, namely the eponymous "Freaky Tales" by Too $hort, the Oakland hip hop star who is both an actor and a character (portrayed by Demario "Symba" Driver) in an interwoven structure that is a modern day update on a portmanteau or anthology effort.

There's a certain Magnolia-esque conceit underlying Freaky Tales, wherein (in this case) four "separate" stories turn out to have tethers to each other. This is certainly not as complex as the Paul Thomas Anderson outing (which may be a good thing for some), and it might also take a while for Boden and Fleck to completely weave together the disparate elements into a supposed whole. For those reasons, Freaky Tale may be a prime example of one idiomatic expression, "its reach exceeds its grasp", while also perhaps comically being the "flip side" of another idiom, in that here the sum of Freaky Tales' parts may well be greater than the whole.

There is an intentional specificity to both time and place in Freaky Tales which may explain in part why the film hasn't seemed to attract significant attention. While not perhaps completely pertinent to the film's lack of renown, it may be salient to note it actually premiered at Sundance in January of 2024, but only got a brief limited theatrical exhibition more than a year later, due at least in part to some of the corporate wrangling and acquisitions that show up here courtesy of both Lionsgate and eOne mastheads. In any case, as a text crawl opening the film makes clear, this is Bay Area-centric in terms of locale and firmly set in 1987. That said, there's an almost magical realist take on supposedly "historical" events, as evidenced by information imparted in that text crawl alluding to some kind of supernatural presence in the area which is affecting both people and events, in what might be thought of as a quasi-McGuffin of sorts.

The film then unfolds four interlocked "chapters" that deal with a host of issues ranging from racism to Hip Hop culture to (as bizarre as it sounds) meditation. The film's cartwheeling style is indicated not just by changing aspect ratios and recreations of different supposed film stocks, but by a repeated trope utilized in both the opening here and a lot of the supplements, whereby ostensibly "distressed" older video suddenly transforms into modern day digital perfection. That may also suggest that the "nostalgia factor" undeniably part of this enterprise is as time specific as the film itself. Despite all of these perceived "limiting" factors, the film typically delivers on all cylinders in terms of performances, and in my humble estimation Ben Mendelsohn walks away with this film with his absolutely appalling but enjoyably gonzo take on a character known only as The Guy.

Note: My colleague Brian Orndorf was evidently able to catch the film during its brief theatrical run, and may have enjoyed it even more than I did. You can read Brian's thoughts here.

Freaky Tales 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package.

Freaky Tales is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in a variety of aspect ratios, as noted above. As also noted above, this is the simultaneous debut of the film on 1080 disc, and since there is no standalone 1080 release as of the writing of this review, I'll kind of do a "combo platter" comparison for those interested, especially since those interested in this film who don't yet have 4K UHD setups may be considering getting this for the 1080 disc. Both the 1080 and 4K UHD presentations are stellar in their own ways, with (relevant to their format/resolution) fantastic reproductions of the Arri Alexa captured imagery, which according to the IMDb had a 4K DI. I have been on record as not always liking the look of Arri captures (at least when compared to other cameras), but this is a really gorgeous looking presentation in both 1080 and especially 4K UHD, where HDR adds measurable energy to some already vividly saturated hues. The 4K presentation probably only makes the obvious 16mm-ish look of the opening chapter more obvious, but this is a pretty commendable example of how digital tools can achieve an at least relatively "filmic" appearance without looking digital. The 4K presentation also ekes out some surprising highlights toward both the red and blue ends of the spectrum in several scenes, including some club material but also a late sequence featuring a robbery. As can be seen in some of the screenshots, there are a number of whimsical animated moments (I suspect the basketball game was done due to budgetary restraints), as well as a couple of The Thomas Crown Affair-esque split screen effects. The "video" aspect mentioned above in terms of style is actually part and parcel of the presentation here, and some of the "broadcast" material looks intentionally degraded.

Freaky Tales 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

I watched the 1080 disc in this package first and when I saw the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio option, I wondered if perhaps Lionsgate was going to go "Disney" and have an Atmos track on the 4K UHD disc, but it is in fact the same Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track on that disc as well. While there might arguably be more surround wonderment achievable with an Atmos rendering, this 7.1 track is completely immersive from the get go, with effects zinging around the soundstage, and I was actually very pleasantly surprised throughout this offering, given what was evidently a very small budget, as to nicely layered the sound design is. It might be joked that any Atmos track would have missed the sonic "point" of a lot of the musical moments in this film, which are decidedly focused on the lower frequencies, and in that regard there are some floorboard rumbling bass-y sections at various junctures that have fantastic fidelity despite being "turned up to 11". Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout.

Freaky Tales 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Both the 4K and 1080 discs in this package sport the same slate of supplements:

• Audio Commentary with Writers / Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, and Actors Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Ji-young Yoo and Dominque Thorne


• These are the Tales, the Freaky Tales (HD; 11:52) offers Boden and Fleck in some kind of hilarious interchanges discussing the genesis of the project. A number of other aspects are featured, like the differences in acting approaches between Pedro Pascal and Ben Mendelsohn.


• Design of a Decade (HD; 9:05) is a look at production design.


• Art + Soul: The Tune of the Tales (HD; 5:28) focuses on scoring (and diagetic) choices.


• Gag Reel (HD; 3:09)


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:09)

As mentioned above, this particular release comes in distinctive packaging echoing the old clamshell days of "deluxe" VHS offerings. This one measures approximate 9" high by 5.5" wide by 1" deep, so appropriate shelving space will need to be found. The 4K and 1080 discs are housed together on a spindle inside (I frankly had a heck of a time getting them off the spindle). Stickers and a digital copy are also enclosed.

Freaky Tales 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A lot of Freaky Tales delivers, at least in individual moments, and you have to hand it to a film that manages to secure Tom Hanks to play a video store owner. Lionsgate Limited continues to defy easy "branding" qualities, especially now that they're branching off into standalone 1080 releases like the Vestron Video series, but this is uniquely packaged and offers both secure technical merits and enjoyable supplements. Recommended.