Written and directed by Steven Kostanski, workaholic yuppie Conor is in an existential rut until one night he catches a bizarre ad for a party hotline hosted by a strange dancing goblin: Frankie Freako. Could this be just the recipe to spice up his boring life? Starring: Conor Sweeney, Adam Brooks, Matthew Kennedy, Meredith Sweeney and Kristy Wordsworth.
It’s always an interesting experience to dive into a film which you already know is going to be bizarre, strange and probably a little gross and violent, they’re difficult things to get right but Steven Kostanski does a great job with Frankie Freako. He immediately taps into the classic offbeat feel, it’s undoubtedly inspired by 1980s horror and especially family-themed horror and fantasy, because it’s highly reminiscent of 1986’s Troll and its sequel. There’s plenty that’s weird but it’s never truly uncomfortable, it’s not crossing the line into exploitative or sexualised, a mistake that is often made by filmmakers trying to achieve a similar vibe.
Having that strong influence of the 1980s pretty much makes the foundation, both aesthetically and thematically, absolutely solid. Frankie Freako creates something that perfectly plays with the idea of being a square and how they relate to sex, fun and getting wild. It also has a nicely old-fashioned sense of humour, it can be quite silly and tongue-in-cheek or downright childish at times, and it’s really enjoyable. The design of its freaky little friends are also well done, again they’re totally throwback, there’s something simple about them that’s classic puppetry which is surprisingly satisfying to watch.
Conor Sweeney leads the way well, he takes a sledgehammer to creating that nerdy, naïve persona and the level of exaggeration is right on the money. So, to watch his reluctance to any sort of spontaneity or devil-may-care attitude being slowly chipped away by these bonkers puppets, is a lot of fun. Sweeney has that sort of presence that he could give us either side of the coin, he could be the good guy or a serial killer, but whatever he’s going to do, he’s going all in.
Frankie Freako might not even be as freaky as you’re expecting but it’s a good time. Steven Kostanski creates a strong throwback to 1980s cinema, one that horror fans in particular will really enjoy. Conor Sweeney makes for a really fun protagonist, he dives headfirst into this role and it definitely pays off. It’s weird but not too weird, silly but not too silly, it’s hitting the right amount of comedy and strange to create an entertaining blend of fantasy and comedy with a hint of horror.
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