A teenager awaits word on whether he has been accepted to the University he applied for. We watch him and two of his friends – the freaks – embark on an eventful night on the town.
Going into this one I was sold mainly on the idea that it was going to be a film about British teenagers in 1990. This would be something I could relate to having been one then and having very fond memories of it. So I was up for a bit of that. Unfortunately for me, We Are the Freaks turned out to be movie that didn't feel very 'early 1990's' at all. Despite a few pointers such as Margaret Thatcher's resignation, a chunky car phone and some music references this could easily have been set in the present day. There was no soundtrack to give the feel of the times; all we got on that front was some utterly pointless references to pop bands of the day.
Sadly, pointlessness is a good way of describing We Are the Freaks in general. There are many scenes that go absolutely nowhere and moments that happen for no overall purpose. It heavily feels like a film that is trying to 'be different' at all times, like it's too cool for school. The fourth wall is obliterated within the first few minutes and it's rammed to the gunnels with post-modern techniques that continually remind you that you are watching a movie. All of this would be okay in the right hands, as a skilled film-maker can use these devices to great effect. But We Are the Freaks is pretty poorly made and conceived. The writing is particularly terrible with a script that tries hard to be funny and clever but hardly ever is. The acting seemed under par as well but this may very well be a result of the awful script and the fact that all the characters have no depth to begin with. It's not a term I use much but this is a very self-indulgent movie. In fairness to it it's fast paced and visually interesting at times. But in the main it was a bit annoying to tell the truth.
