Firstly, I came across this film in a most unusual way for a film of this type (ie, slasher/horror). Every Thursday and Friday my local Salvation Army have a 'drop-in' where they sell cakes, coffee and brick-a-brack. On this occasion they had the usual pile of give-away DVDs (normally the kind given away by papers and magazines). I was looking through the usual dross (cheap Catherine Cookson based TV movies, etc) when I spotted a cheap looking plastic cover with a folded over cover which showed only this eye looking at me through a swathe of bandages and the legend "Freak, where Blair Witch meets Psycho". Well, with such a come-on how could I resist, and for nothing! It was not until I got the DVD home that I realised this was a 'proper' release and not a paper freebie! That evening I put the disc on and sat back to enjoy the film. It does start really quite nicely with a mysterious hooded youngster walking over a creepy old bridge towards a beat up old house, letting him/herself in via the cellar door only to be meet by a mother who then slaps him/her hard across the face. Mother then gives birth to a baby, which she then - well, that would be giving a possible plot line away! Basically the youngster kills the mother, at which point we cut to 9 years later and a women and her sister moving out of one house to go to a new life some four States away - a journey which will take them right though the area where the 'freak' comes from. At the same time the 'freak' is being transfered from one mental institution to another (for no apparent reason) and a young on parole mental health nurse is consigned to take him (we have learnt by now the 'freak' is a he!). Surprise surprise the route taken is identical to that taken by the couple moving! En-route the 'freak' takes an opportunity to escape - pretty obvious how! - hides in a truck and, when the chance arises, steals said truck and makes good his escape. Now at this point what had been an interesting film quickly develops into farce, and some very weird plot points soon crop up. One of the main of these being the following: We are told that the 'freak' was only 9 or 10 when he was found alone in the old abandoned house (no sign of the mother), and had spent the following 9 years in a near catatonic state in the mental institution, yet when he gets behind the wheel of the truck he can drive perfectly!! Where on earth did he learn to drive? Why was there only one nurse taking him to a new mental institution?, what on earth was the ferret doing in an unsealed box, etc etc. Surfice to say that the film quickly goes from an interesting look at the family unit - is the young sister his sister? - to a basic, and not very well done, slasher/he's behind you/is he dead or not? type film.
This is by no means the worst film I have ever seen - the good opening just about saves it from being that - but it is poorly done, too many plot holes, some dreadful acting and an ending which leads you to expect a big shock coda ala Halloween/Carrie etc but which... well, again, that would be giving the game away! For a cheap find in a Sally Army hall this made for a certain amount of entertainment, but I am sure pleased I didn't have to pay for it!!!
This is by no means the worst film I have ever seen - the good opening just about saves it from being that - but it is poorly done, too many plot holes, some dreadful acting and an ending which leads you to expect a big shock coda ala Halloween/Carrie etc but which... well, again, that would be giving the game away! For a cheap find in a Sally Army hall this made for a certain amount of entertainment, but I am sure pleased I didn't have to pay for it!!!