“[it] will have you crying, laughing, wincing, and smiling
as it tells its epic story of belonging and embracing your weirdness”
— Kat Hughes, THN
“A Shoah-reversing fantasy of liberation and revenge,
like a superheroic spin on Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds”
– Anton Bitel, Projected Figured
“Delightful and spectacular, a deserved crowd pleaser”
— Ard Vijn, Screen Anarchy
“A gutsy mix of historical drama and off-kilter science fiction thriller…
[that] feels like a superior X-Men film without the costumes and
with a much stronger narrative.”
— Rob Aldam, Backseat Mafia
SYNOPSIS
During World War II in occupied Rome a group of circus performers endowed with supernatural powers band together to fight the oppressive Nazi regime’s occupation of Italy in FREAKS VS. THE REICH, a fantastical historical action-adventure, the sophomore effort from They Call Me Jeeg director Gabriele Mainetti.
Looking to flee the Nazi menace for the shores of America are four super-powered circus performers: there’s beautiful, young, electrically-charged Matilde, Cencio, an albino with the ability to control insects, Mario, a dwarf graced with magnetic powers, and Fulvio, a strongman covered from head to toe with hair. On their heels is the psychotic Franz, an ether-addicted, six-fingered Nazi who runs the nearby circus and believes that the supernaturally gifted quartet will help him turn the tide of the war, delivering the ultimate victory for Hitler and the Reich. Will the “freaks” be able to escape the grasp of the brutal Nazis or will their incredible powers be harnessed in a way that could change both their destinies and the entire course of history forever?
At the recent 2022 David di Donatello Awards, the film, the sophomore effort from They Call Me Jeeg director Gabriele Mainetti, was nominated for 16 Awards, winning 6, including Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Make-Up, Best Hair Design/Styling and Best Producer. It also captured three Silver Ribbon Awards for Best Production Design, Best Costumes and Best Editing. FREAKS VS. THE REICH was entered in the main competition at the 78th Venice International Film Festival and garnered numerous awards including the Leoncino d’Oro Award, The Pasinetti Prize (awarded by the National Union of Italian Film Journalists SNGCI) and the Bisato d’Oro to Franz Rogowski for Best Actor. The lavishly appointed epic also won the Audience Award at the 2022 Rotterdam Film Festival.
SELECT FILM FESTIVALS
- Venice Film Festival (2021)
- Fantastic Fest (2021)
- Busan International Film Festival (2021)
- Sitges Film Festival (2021)
- Rotterdam International Film Festival (2022)
- Göteborg Film Festival (2022)
- Palm Springs International Film Festival (2023)
