This wild Pedro Pascal movie just got an HBO Max release date
Now, if you're like me, you've quite possibly not even heard of this movie. Which was surprising — it was a Sundance film, distributed by Lionsgate and stars a pair of actors I love in Pedro Pascal and Ben Mendelsohn. It even has a bunch of punks fighting Nazis!
In short, I should have been all over this movie. But somehow it escaped my notice and most everyone else's, because it reportedly only brought in $400K at the box office.
But those who have seen this wild comedy have loved it. It currently has an 89% "hot" rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, even though critics were a bit more muted in their praise.
You'll get to judge for yourself on Friday, Aug. 8, when the movie hits HBO Max. Or, if you're someone who prefers linear HBO to the streaming service, it'll air at 8 p.m. ET the next day (Saturday, Aug. 9) on the premium cable channel. In the meantime, here's what "Freaky Tales" is all about and why this wild comedy needs to be added to your watchlist.
The most important thing to know about "Freaky Tales" is that it doesn't follow a typical plot structure. Instead, there are four vignettes that are loosely interconnected, only really all coming together at the end. It's based on real events and real locations in 1987 Oakland, California.
The first chapter, "Strength in Numbers: The Gilman Strikes Back," focuses on a pair of young punks, Tina (Ji-young Yoo) and Lucid (Jack Champion), who are at an Operation Ivy concert that comes under attack from Nazi punks.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
HBO Max gives you tons of hit shows and movies, from HBO Originals to A24 movies and more.
"Don't Fight the Feeling" is the next story, picking up at the same point as the start of the first chapter, but instead focuses on Barbie (Dominique Thorne) and Entice (Normani), who perform as the hip hop duo Danger Zone. They don't go to the Operation Ivy show, but instead are roped into performing with the rapper Too Short.
"Born to Mack" is where Pedro finally arrives. He plays Clint, a career criminal who is looking to get out of the game. When he's asked to pull a job during a Warriors basketball game, that desire to leave crime behind is put to the test.
Finally, there's "The Legend of Sleepy Floyd." This is where the story finally starts to come together. Sleepy Floyd (Jay Ellis) is a star for the Warriors, and it's his house that Clint is supposed to rob. But instead, "The Guy" (Mendelsohn), sends the Nazi punks to rob it and things go horribly wrong.
As I mentioned earlier, audiences are loving this movie for the most part.
Critics are a bit harsher on it, and after combing through the reviews from both parties, this seems to come down to critics judging its (admittedly) loosely connected chapters failing to come together properly in the end.
Ultimately, if you want a wild comedy that doubles as an impressive period piece, then "Freaky Tales" seems like it's worth watching.
It doesn't necessarily stick the landing narratively, but the acting of its loaded cast is sublime, and its recreation of 1987 Oakland has been masterfully done by all accounts. Even Deadline praised the period elements of the movie in its review, saying, "What does work for 'Freaky Tales' is the film's gritty visuals immediately immerse the audience in the look and feel of late-'80s Oakland."
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.
Here's what he's been watching lately:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
What ‘The Materialists' Got Wrong (And Right) According To The Ultimate Matchmaker
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 08: Dakota Johnson (L) and Pedro Pascal are seen filming "Materialists" in ... More Tribeca on May 08, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images) Dakota Johnson's 'The Materialists' has put a spotlight on New York City matchmaking. The film follows Johnson's character, Lucy, a New York City matchmaker that goes to great lengths to please her affluent clients in trying to find them their perfect matches with near impossible criteria across looks, education, income and lifestyle. All the while Lucy finds herself in a love triangle torn between a wealthy finance man and a broke, aspiring actor. The movie's director herself was inspired to to bring this to life after having her own experience with matchmaking, but did the film accurately portray real New York City matchmaker experiences? The Ultimate Matchmaker, Jennifer Donnelly, shared her honest opinions on what movie got wrong and right about her industry. As a high end matchmaker that caters to millionaires and billionaires, she did find that the character, Harry, was similar to some of her real life clients as affluent families tend to hire her to find matches for their children just as Harry's mother was pushing him to get married. More obvious similarities include interacting and approaching strangers, attending clients' weddings and receiving inundating questions about the profession. Jennifer Donnelly helps high net worth indviduals find love across the globe. The demographic Donnelly mainly serves are ultra-wealthy individuals with a client base of about 60% males and 40% females. With her rates ranging from $150,000 to $500,000, her success rate is conservatively 97%, she shared. 'My clients have built extraordinary careers, achieved financial success, and cultivated rich, dynamic family relationships. What they're truly seeking isn't just access—it's deep alignment. And they want to find that connection without putting themselves through the spotlight of a public search process,' she explained on why clients are willing to pay for her premium services. However, there were way more differences than similarities. The way Lucy, Johnson's character, was interacting with clients was not an accurate representation. 'In the movie Lucy makes friends with clients in addition to stating that she 'hates' her clients while talking unkindly about them. This would never happened at my agency. Everyone, including myself, signs an agreement to enforce no outside friendships. Ee genuinely respect clients and absolutely enjoy working with them,' she explained. Lucy smoking is another professional behavior that Donnelly said would deter clients, as many high-end clients do not want to be around smokers. Jennifer Donnelly, founder of the Ultimate Matchmaker. As far as the actual process of helping clients find love, in the movie, clients are on dating apps but that would never happen in real life. Donnelly shared that her clients wouldn't even consider it due to their status, privacy, and limited time to dedicate to dating. The mindset around understanding what the client needs and deserves is also more of a conflict in the movie. Lucy arranges 10 bad dates in a row and believes people just want to settle, so she doesn't give them exactly what they want, and believes the client is fully responsible for making the relationship work. 'At The Ultimate Matchmaker our clients are so well understood;we don't set up pairings that would result in bad dates. Additionally, we execute an intensive screening process in an effort to do everything possible to make sure we give the client exactly what they want—they don't have to settle. The $500k investment allows me to help as much as needed during the relationship. I am on the same team as my clients and I want them to win,' she explained. Other small differences include employees taking frequent breaks to celebrate every successful client date in the movie, but at The Ultimate Matchmaker, success is expected and the celebrations with incredible gifts are saved for the big wins like engagements and marriages. Donnelly also noted that matchmakers at her agency make much more than Lucy's $80,000 salary. The Materialists is now available for streaming on Amazon.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
'Happy Gilmore 2' star Haley Joel Osment makes first red carpet appearance since arrest
"Happy Gilmore 2" star Haley Joel Osment made a rare red carpet appearance months after his April arrest made headlines. The former child star, now 37, walked the film's red carpet Monday, July 21, at Lincoln Center in New York City. He wore a floral shirt, and white pants for the affair, pairing the look with a matching jacket and slip-on suede loafers. "The Sixth Sense" star appears in "Happy Gilmore 2" (released Friday, July 25 on Netflix) — the brainchild of comedian Adam Sandler — as new character Billy Jenkins in the sequel to the beloved 1996 golf comedy. Osment's appearance at the premiere marked his first major public outing since he was arrested this spring and charged with disorderly conduct for public alcohol intoxication and possession of cocaine at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area resort in Mammoth Lakes, California. 'Happy Gilmore 2': The wildest celebrity cameos, from Travis Kelce to Ken Jennings Earlier this year, Osment apologized for his use of a slur in a statement shared with People and the New York Post April 18 after his arrest footage surfaced. The footage, shared by Page Six, shows Osment calling an officer a "Nazi" and hurling an antisemitic slur about Jewish people. "You'll wish you treated me nicer," Osment said to the officer. As he was escorted into the jail in handcuffs by two officers, the actor said, "Good luck." Osment told the outlets that "I'm absolutely horrified by my behavior. Had I known I used this disgraceful language in the throes of a blackout, I would have spoken up sooner." He added that "the past few months of loss and displacement have broken me down to a very low emotional place." Osment continued: "But that's no excuse for using this disgusting word. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize to absolutely everyone that this hurts. What came out of my mouth was nonsensical garbage - I've let the Jewish community down and it devastates me. I don't ask for anyone's forgiveness, but I promise to atone for my terrible mistake." Contributing: Saman Shafiq
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Box Office: ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps' Clobbers $57 Million Opening Day — Second-Biggest of the Year
'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' stretched its arms around $57 million from 4,125 theaters across Friday and preview screenings. Per Disney's numbers, that's the second-biggest opening day of the calendar year, ranking just behind 'A Minecraft Movie' ($57.11 million). The film is playing Imax and other premium large format auditoriums. It also just edges out Marvel Studios' comic book banner rival, DC Studios' 'Superman,' which began with a $56.1 million opening day just two weeks ago. It'll be a close call on whether 'Fantastic Four' can keep pacing ahead to beat the $125 million three-day opening of 'Superman.' More from Variety 'Fantastic Four' Credits Scene Confirms Franklin Richards' Role in 'Avengers: Doomsday,' but It's a Big Risk Pedro Pascal Downplays Reed Richards Becoming the New Leader of the Avengers in 'Doomsday': 'That's a Little Bit of a Mislead' Box Office: 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' Makes $24.4 Million in Previews, Beating 'Superman' for Biggest of 2025 It's the best first day kick-off for a Marvel Cinematic Universe entry since 'Deadpool & Wolverine' dominated the box office 12 months ago. And like that R-rated smash, 'Fantastic Four' is based on Marvel characters that were acquired by Disney after the studio's acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019, demonstrating some value to that $71 billion merger. Three previous big-budget 'Fantastic Four' entries were produced at Fox, from 2005 to 2015. (There was also an unreleased 1994 feature, spearheaded by Roger Corman as a means to retain film rights for German producers. It circulates among diehards.) With a story that has little connection to other Marvel Cinematic Universe entries, 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' has presented itself as a relatively fresh entry point to audiences. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who lead the film as Marvel's first family, are all MCU newcomers. 'First Steps' also has the benefit of strong reviews and good audience sentiment (pollster Cinema Score turned in an 'A-' grade among ticketbuyers). At a production cost of $200 million, plus much more to market and distribute, the film will need to hold as one of the biggest grossers of the year to turn a profit in theaters. Marvel's two previous 2025 releases, 'Captain America: Brave New World' and 'Thunderbolts*,' launched to $88.5 million and $76 million respectively. Both ended up losing money theatrically. Disney hopes to gain some momentum with the Matt Shakman-directed 'Fantastic Four,' ahead of the studio's extensive hiatus from superhero films. Marvel is producing 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' the fourth Tom Holland-led entry set to release July 2026. But Sony is distributing that film. Disney will have nearly a year and a half to plan for its next MCU installment, the mega-team-up 'Avengers: Doomsday,' set for December 2026. Second place goes to Warner Bros.' 'Superman,' which added $7.1 million on Friday. It's down 57% from its daily total a week ago, now competing with a newer superhero spectacle. The cinematic universe-rebooter should fly to a $289 million domestic total after its third weekend, which will put it ahead of 'Sinners' ($278 million) to have it rank as the fourth-highest grossing North American release of the year. Universal's 'Jurassic World Rebirth' is sliding to third in its fourth weekend, adding another $3.6 million on Friday. The seventh entry in the dinosaur series is projecting $13 million for its fourth weekend, which would be another good hold at a 45% drop. Total domestic gross is expected to pass $301 million through Sunday — only the third release of 2025 to get into the triple hundreds. Fourth looks to go to 'F1.' Warner Bros.' release of Apple Studios' racing thriller added $1.8 million Friday, down just 37% from its daily total a week ago. At a production cost of $250 million, theatrical profitability is a questionable prospect at best for the Brad Pitt-led feature. But it has put up strong holds since debuting a month ago. The film looks to hit a $165 million domestic total through Sunday. Paramount's IP revival 'Smurfs' rounds out the top five, adding $1.72 million on Friday and projecting $5.6 million for its second weekend. After a low opening, that's a 49% second-weekend drop, showing some relative staying power as the only new animated offering to families. Domestic total will hit $22.9 million through the first 10 days — a disappointing result against a $58 million production budget. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples
