Freaks Out (5 Stars)

This is the 14th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

The film is about four freaks who perform in an Italian circus in 1943. Fulvio is a strongman whose body is covered with hair. Cencio is an albino who can control insects. Mario is a dwarf who can make his body magnetic. Matilde is a 15-year-old girl whose body is electrified and shocks anyone who touches her. Their circus is forced to close when Germany invades Italy, because the circus is owned by a Jew.

There's a large German circus in Rome, the Circus Berlin, owned by a clairvoyant called Franz. He's had visions of Hitler's defeat, but he's also seen that there are four Italian freaks whose combined powers can save Germany. He tries to persuade them to join forces with the Nazis.

This is an amazing big budget production, partly a fantasy film, partly a war drama. The action is so exciting that I was glued to my seat. It's the best film I've seen in the festival so far, and it's also one of the best films of the year.