Freaks (1932)

Freaks (1932) is a haunting, old‑Hollywood shocker set in a traveling circus where the line between spectacle and humanity collapses. The plot follows Hans, a kind, naive little person who falls for the glamorous trapeze artist Cleopatra; unknown to him she’s carrying on with Hercules and plans to marry Hans for his inheritance. When Hans’s fellow sideshow performers — real circus “curiosities” played by actual vaudeville performers — learn of the betrayal and a plot to poison him, their loyalty turns to a fierce, unsettling revenge that upends who the real monsters are. If you watch Freaks you’ll experience a slow‑burn mix of melodrama, pathos and raw horror. Early scenes cultivate sympathy and tenderness for the tight‑knit troupe; the film then pivots into shock and moral indignation at cruelty and exploitation, culminating in a disturbing, cathartic climax in which the outcasts reclaim dignity by making Cleopatra pay for her treachery. Visually it’s stark black‑and‑white, claustrophobic and intimate, with carnival music and close‑ups that heighten both compassion and revulsion. Themes of otherness, loyalty, revenge and the corrupting power of greed run throughout. Controversial on release for its frank use of disabled performers and brutal final act, Freaks can be confronting for modern viewers but remains a powerful, provocative piece of cinema — equal parts sympathetic drama and transgressive horror — that forces you to question who the real “freaks” are.

Actors: Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams, Olga Baclanova

Director: Tod Browning

Runtime: 64 min

Genres: Drama, Horror

8.2 /10 80 /100 7.8 /10 8.0 /10