Freaks Out

When Rome is under Nazi occupation, four circus performers with strange powers end up stranded after their foster father is taken by soldiers. Each of them has an odd gift and a fragile bond with the others, and they try to protect one another while figuring out how to rescue the man who raised them. The story follows their attempts to survive in a city cracking under wartime cruelty, mixing moments of danger with flashes of wonder as they use their abilities to hide, fight, and plan. The film keeps its surprises, focusing on the characters' relationships and the moral choices they face.

Released in 2021, Freaks Out was written by Nicola Guaglianone and directed by Gabriele Mainetti. The cast includes Claudio Santamaria as Fulvio, Aurora Giovinazzo as Matilde, Pietro Castellitto as Cencio, Giancarlo Martini as Mario, and Giorgio Tirabassi as Israel, giving the movie strong performances across its leads.

Detailed box office figures aren't widely reported, but the film opened theatrically in Italy and reached international audiences through festival screenings and specialty releases. It found a solid niche with viewers who follow European genre cinema, rather than a mainstream blockbuster crowd.

The movie left a mark with its striking mix of period detail and fantastical elements, and its memorable visual set pieces have been singled out in reviews and discussions. Its imagery and the oddball troupe of protagonists have popped up in conversations about modern Italian cinema that blends genre with history, helping the film stand out among recent European fantasy dramas.

Critics and audiences have generally responded positively, reflected in a solid 7.3/10 user score from nearly a thousand votes. Reviewers praised the film's ambition, production design, and emotional core, while some pointed to uneven pacing and an overload of ideas. Central themes include loyalty, otherness, the cost of survival, and how wonder can coexist with brutality, all anchored by strong performances that make you care about these outsiders.