Director: Felix Binder
Cast: Cornelia Gröschel, Wotan Wike Möhring, Tim Oliver Schultz, Nina Kunzendorf, Ralph Herforth
Language: German available in English
When Wendy (Cornelia Gröschel) is given a typical provocative superhero costume by another superhero, she scoffs. She does not want to prescribe to the usual norms of how a female superhero should dress. She was after all living a ‘normal’ life till she discovered her superpowers… unimaginable physical strength. Her mundane life which consisted of a job at a diner and a laidback family takes a turn when she discovers the enormity of her powers. Wendy turns from a meek woman to someone confident as she finds out that there are others like her… people with enormous superhuman powers but are subsided by ‘them’. Wendy and others are being drugged by Dr. Stern (Nina Kunzendrof) due to instances of their ‘uniqueness’ that make them stand apart. She soon realizes her co-worker Elmar (Tom Oliver Schultz) also has superpowers. In a weird twist, Elmar turns rogue with wanting to let the world know of their superpower existence and things go for a toss for the newbie superhero.
Freaks – You’re One Of Us, a German movie streaming on Netflix, is all about finding the human in a superhero. The film starts with the usual superhero trope where ‘normal’ people come across their hidden powers, but without radioactive spiders or chemical compounds. Time and again, the perils of their powers are stressed by Marek (Wotan Wike) who loses his family due to his powers. But the young comic-book driven Elmar turns deaf ear and proceeds to carry out some cringe-worthy tactics. Wendy and the unfortunate superheroes want to get mainstreamed into the society. But is it as easy as it sounds?
There are some interesting elements in Freaks – You’re One Of Us. Even as the film concentrates on the ‘human in the superhero part’, it soon veers away into conspiracy theories and secret hospitals to satisfy the need for a ‘twist’. Cornelia Gröschel as Wendy does a good job as a timid cook transformed into a confident superhero. Wendy confronting some guys who tease her on her way home is one of the fun aspects of the film and makes you want to woot for the underdog who gets a win. Also appreciable is Tom Oliver’s Elmar who embraces the role of an immature superhero. The scene where Wendy mocks stereotypical roles assigned to female superheroes made me look up at the direction the film was taking. But it proceeds to another unnecessary twist and gets a soft landing.
With an interesting premise and a scope for a larger plotline, Freaks – You’re One Of Us had the potential of becoming something exciting. But it stops at being predictable.
Rating: 2/5
