Movie Review: “Frankie Freako” is an affectionate low-fi throwback to movies like “Ghoulies”

MOVIE REVIEW: FRANKIE FREAKO

Your enjoyment of the new horror/comedy “Frankie Freako” may be partially dependent on whether or not you have a fondness for 80s cult classics like “Ghoulies.” As it happens, I do. True, for a movie about mischievous little creatures crossing paths with unsuspecting humans, the strange but fittingly low-fi vibe at the heart of “Frankie Freako” is more akin to something like “The Garbage Pail Kids Movie” then “Gremlins” but I certainly don’t say that as a knock. On the contrary, that’s part of this movie’s bizarro charm.

“Frankie Freako” weaves its story around Conor (Conor Sweeney), a clueless workaholic  who sort of lives his mundane life by the book. He has a decent enough job, he has a drop dead gorgeous soulmate (Kristy Wordsworth), and he has everything in the world going for him except for one thing; A clue. To call this clean-cut yuppie oblivious would be quite the understatement. It’s also clear that Conor is having a bit of an existential crisis and ultimately, what he really needs is a little bit of adventure in his life alongside a good swift kick to the ass. Well, he eventually gets both of those things after calling a party hotline that leads him to a demonic little goblin called, you guessed it, Frankie Freako. After conjuring Frankie and bringing he and his trouble-making cohorts into the world of humans, all sorts of hijinks ensue. 

“Frankie Freako” was written and directed by Steven Kostanski, the wonderfully creative effects man behind “The Void” and “Psycho Goreman.” As was the case with “Psycho Goreman” in particular, there’s a kind of childlike sense of glee that Kostanski brings to this movie. It’s rambunctious, irreverent, weird, and left of center but at the same time, it’s oddly charming. Funny, too. It should also be noted that while “Frankie Freako” doesn’t look to have an official rating yet, it’s clearly more along the PG-13 rated lines of the 80s movies that inspired it.

Kostanski’s old school practical creature work is a lot of fun here and again, from a style standpoint, this movie evokes the spirit of those 80s and 90s Empire productions (think the “Ghoulies” and “Puppet Master” franchises) more than anything else. Kostanksi even goes so far as to name one of his lead characters Mr. Buechler (Adam Brooks), named after the late, great John Carl Buechler, a makeup effects man and creature creator of the 80s who would go on to direct “Troll,” “Ghoulies Go to College,” and the underappreciated “Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood” (say what you will about this divisive entry in the over bloated franchise, but it gets bonus points for bringing Kane Hodder into the fold as Jason and for delivering the ultimate “Friday” kill in the form of death-by-sleeping-bag.)

Look, “Frankie Freako” isn’t going to be a movie for the masses but if you like those aforementioned low-fi creature films of the 80s, this one is likely to bring a smile to your face. It certainly did for me. I loved the goofy humor and further still, even though Conor is kind of an insensitive, oblivious, and altogether clueless dumb-dumb for much of this movie’s runtime, I still really liked the guy.

Also, at the risk of going into spoiler territory, I really loved that Kostanski doesn’t turn Conor’s love interest Kristy (played by a very likable and easy on the eyes Kristy Wordsworth) into a shrill bitch with a hidden agenda. There’s a strange but sweet authenticity to their relationship and I really responded to that. Likewise, the bond that develops between Conor and the hell-raising goblins at the center of this movie is a heartfelt and good-natured one. Call me a freak if you want to but I had a really fun time with this film!

Shout! Studios is set to give “Frankie Freako” a limited theatrical release on October 4th. If you happen to reside in the Southern Utah area, you’ll have an opportunity to see a special screening of this wildly entertaining movie on the evening of Thursday, October 17th during the 2024 HorrorFest International Film Festival. For more details, go to fmasu.com/horrorfest.