I stumbled across 'Freak dance' just because of the cast involved. I had mixed to low expectations - but from the very beginning I was hooked. This is an absolute blast!
'Freak dance' is well and truly a comedy musical in the purest sense. While there is a good actual plot on hand, every scene is first and foremost an excuse for exaggerated, fantastical song and dance. The whole cast is extraordinarily talented in both arenas, and over the top as all the characters are, they give wonderful performances, bringing out whatever nuance the writing may give them.
Even as the feast for our eyes is first and foremost, there's a strong element of parody, reflecting popular movies of recent years about street dance (and a tertiary riff on 'The Warriors,' just because). Themes, and therefore jokes, revolve around class, race, privilege, and municipal bureaucracy, and further poke fun at various film tropes. Dance in the world of 'Freak dance' is tantamount to crime, sin, and treason, but is also akin to superpowers; reproductive organs are tools that aid in one's dance ability. Amazingly, the movie is also stringently, if sarcastically, anti-drug.
Costume design and makeup are outstanding, nearly just as essential to the picture. Set design and decoration looks swell, and sound throughout the picture is pristine, letting us hear every beat and lyric as clear as day. And, once more - while the exquisite dance choreography is most important of all here, the songs themselves are infectious.
There are a few points when jokes become a bit much, but even then, the practiced direction of Matt Besser, filming his own screenplay, smooths out even the roughest of edges. The high-functioning production level of the Upright Citizens Brigade is on full display in 'Freak dance,' and it's a gift to any viewer with an appreciation for features like this. Moreover, though I'm repeating myself - the cast is superb. Star Megan Heyn gets the most time on screen, but is matched or exceeded in her skills by the likes of Sam Riegel, Angela Trimbur, or Michael Daniel Cassady - who also composed the original music herein.
I'm not sure what more to say. Words can hardly describe the songs or the dance sequences that fill 'Freak dance,' and seem hardly enough to really capture just how funny, brilliant, and endearing the whole movie is. Anyone who doesn't like musicals won't find anything to like here, either, but if you're open to the genre - and comedy that's silly and sometimes crude - then is all but a must-see.
I began watching with deep suspicion, but fell in love almost immediately. 'Freak dance' is a complete joy!
