Freakout Review: B-Movie Mayhem

This is far from a movie for the squeamish. Those easily offended or with stringent moral qualms with anything out of the mainstream, then “Freakout”, the first full length movie directed by famed Internet critic Brad Jones won’t work. A cinematic experience for those with tastes for the… different, this flick pushes boundaries.

Based upon the real life story of the last night in the life of notorious killer, Dean Corll, it’s not a spot-on retelling. There are some liberties taken with the details, such as the time period and the location, but the base story remains intact. Set in the late ’70s in the Midwest, “Freakout” features Brad Jones as Dean Corll, a reclusive electrician, who secretly pays Tim (Nick Foster) and David (Buford Stowers) to bring young men and teenagers, which meet horrific and unfortunate ends by his hands.

Done on a small budget, with no professional actors, you won’t expect much, at first. Not many of them, with the notable exception of Brad Jones, are naturals. The lighting can be overly dark, the camera isn’t always in focus, and the voice work can be a bit muddled and difficult to hear. However, don’t let that fool you. This is a very intense movie, especially in the last 10 to 15 minutes. In spite of the financial and technological limitations, “Freakout” works. The dialogue is especially solid, a great sign of things to come with Mr. Jones’ future projects.

Corll is legitimately intimidating and scary, especially psychologically. He is a serial killer, who tries to take the torture of his victims into an art form in itself, desiring to always be creative and innovative. He shows himself to be both unstable and highly intelligent.

A very fun part of this movie is in its soundtrack. According to Mr. Jones’ introduction, he changed the setting of the movie from the early ’70s to the late ’70s just so he’d have an excuse to throw in a swinging ’70s disco soundtrack. And it honestly works. The disco music works well as a backdrop to the constant drug use and overall thematic tone utilized in this picture.

As duly noted before, this is not a movie for the easily offended. It depicts graphic drug use, constant strong language, as well as scenes of torture and rape. This is not a film for those with standard sensibilities. But those who yearn for the unconventional may find a bit of gruesome delight in “Freakout.”