Writer/director Steven Kostanski created a cult favorite in 2021 with the release of PG: Psycho Goreman. His latest, Frankie Freako, appears headed for the same level of success. If you can imagine Gremlins having a torrid one-night stand with Drop Dead Fred, this would be their love child.
Conor (Conor Sweeney) is the ultimate square. His idea of a hot night in bed is holding the hand of his girlfriend Kristina (Kristy Wordsworth). He’s also got a boss, Mr. Buechler (Adam Brooks), who’s looking to make him the patsy for his own illegal behavior at work. When left home alone for a few days, Conor calls a 1-900 number he keeps seeing ads for on TV. That triggers the titular demon and his two companions – who resemble the creatures from 1987’s The Garbage Pail Kids Movie - to show up at his house, where they proceed to wreak havoc, much to their unwitting host’s displeasure.
It's the production ethic that makes Frankie Freako stand out. The point is to look good but not too good. Frankie and pals are impressively grotesque puppets that become genuine presences in the story, even though you never forget that they are indeed puppets. Visual effects in key scenes have an intentionally retro look that’s fun to see, but clearly meant to be humorously cheesy. In other words, the movie is designed to mine humor from its off-kilter vibe.
And it generally does. There are many laughs in the picture, some because the jokes are clever and others because they’re dumb (on purpose). Watch carefully and you’ll spot visual references to box office hits, including Home Alone, whose traps Frankie recreates in Conor’s home. The wall-to-wall unrepentant silliness – including one character getting glued to the floor for the majority of the film – is presented with such good spirits that it’s difficult not to succumb to it. Hilarity hits its peak when Conor pays a visit to the freak’s home world. Your eyeballs are not prepared for what they’ll see.
You can certainly enjoy Frankie Freako by yourself, although it’s best with a group. This is in every way a “party movie.” There’s zero substance, just a ton of inspired goofery and a humorous message about embracing your inner freakiness.
out of four
Frankie Freako is rated R for adult language and violence. The running time is 1 hour and 25 minutes.
© 2024 Mike McGranaghan