From the director of “The Veggie Masher” from V/H/S/94 (2021), Canadian sci-fi horror The Void (2016), and one of the best campy monster movies, PG: Psycho Goreman (2020), comes a movie that feels directly ripped out of the 1980s in the greatest way possible, Frankie Freako. Steven Kostanski’s latest movie is so twisted and unique — quite literally think foul-mothed, less family-friendly version of Small Soldiers (1998) meets “Ed the Sock” — that it is ready to change the minds and worlds of the audience, as well as those of the characters within the movie. Get ready for one of the most enjoyable, biggest surprises, and insane twists of insanity to grace the eyes of audiences this year.
Conor Sweeney as Conor in FRANKIE FREAKO. Photo courtesy of Shout! Studios.
The movie focuses on Conor (Conor Sweeney). He’s a stick in the mud workaholic, really has nothing to look forward to, nothing to do outside of work, and is just moving through day-by-day boring mundanity. Think of him sort of as the less attractive and more mundane version of Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) from Batman Returns (1992) — until he sees a tv ad. The provocative foul-mouthed cigar-smoking Frankie Freako (Matthew Kennedy) wants to PART-AY and PART-AY all day. Just give him a call and have your life changed. At first Conor thinks this is a fever dream, until he keeps seeing Frankie around outside of his house, and, thanks to his boss, Mr. Buechler (Adam Brooks) and his wife Kristina (Kristy Wordsworth), he finally takes the plunge into Frankie’s world and calls. Who knew that calling Frankie Freako and agreeing to party would have him unexpectedly drop by and change his life for better, or worse.
We quickly learn the backstory of Frankie and his cohorts including Dottie Dunko (Meredith Sweeney) and Boink Bardo (also Sweeney) as they have escaped their planet after President Munsch has taken over their planet in a Swackhammer (Space Jam) kind of way.
L-R: Matthew Kennedy as Frankie Freako, Conor Sweeney as Conor, and Meredith Sweeney as Boink in FRANKIE FREAKO. Photo courtesy of Shout! Studios.
What makes Frankie Freako work so incredibly well is the twisted mind of Steven Kostanski. Whether its behind the pen or the camera, Kostanski manages to shine in every way possible, crafting the world of absolute chaos and allowing his projects to breath, and Freako is no different. The low-budget attire of puppetry and metal-entranced puppets of Late Night brings a level of non-big budget lore and love to the forefront that creates a world for the audience to truly sink their teeth into and to nearly fall in love with these insanely ridiculous creatures. Something Kostanski continues to do well (especially with PG and now Frankie Freako) is take characters who should, by all means, be something the audience is afraid of, and turn them into something to be loved adored and cherished. Frankie Freako truly is a one-of-its-kind movie for the 2020s and yet feels so properly placed in ‘80s lore and attention that this just feels like a revamped unseen masterpiece — truly something not to be missed.
Conor Sweeney, who is no stranger to Kostanski’s work as they’ve worked together multiple times before, continues to prove why Kostanski trusts him time and time again. Playing the bored dude who gets simply aroused and enthused by the simple act of cuddling his wife, Conor is the everyman who is just a little too every-day. Truly playing the character flawlessly, breaking out of his mould when Freako and his crew show up on the scene, and creating a truly new character for the audience to follow, showing that sometimes we just need a little push to find our true selves. Matthew Kennedy (Manborg) and Meredith Sweeney (Manborg) as the foul-mouthed aliens are fantastic and create a world of intrigue and madness. Everyone in the cast comes together to make Frankie Freako a freaking good time.
Matthew Kennedy as Frankie Freako in FRANKIE FREAKO. Photo courtesy of Shout! Studios.
After seeing Psycho Goreman, I took a pledge to myself to always seek out whatever zany insanity Steven Kostanski has cooked up, and with his newest effort of Frankie Freako, that pledge stays strong. Blending ‘80s B-movie lore with such care and precision to make it feel authentic to the time period while combining things like Gremlins (1984) and Small Soldiers into his chaotic twisted tale of not being a boring dude, brandishes some brilliant comedic play and shines bright through the grime. Frankie Freako may beg the audience to get their freak on, but, in reality, all it will illicit is a giant grin and some hearty laughter from the audience enjoying the chaotic journey they’re on.
In theaters on October 4th, 2024.
For more information, head to the official Shout! Studios Frankie Freako webpage.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
Share this:
Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
Leave a Reply