‘Freaky Tales’ Review: Pedro Pascal Stars In An Energetic But Overstuffed Bay Area Anthology Loveletter [Sundance]

While “Past Lives” got nominated for Best Picture and Best Screenplay, there were many who were hoping to see even more love given to Celine Song’s breakout drama. Even still, you can’t help but applaud the young director for her incredible debut feature.

Looking was a hit show on HBO that shed light on LGBTQ+ characters and featured a star-studded cast including the likes of Jonathan Groff, Russell Tovey and more. It turns out that it could have also starred Pedro Pascal!

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director SPOILER ALERT: This story hints at a major cameo in the Sundance Film Festival premiere “Freaky Tales,” which debuted on opening night. Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s electrified the opening night of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival with “Freaky Tales,” a genre-driven anthology movie that tells four interconnected stories in 1987 Oakland, California. The movie is a return to indie filmmaking for Fleck and Boden, who made a name for themselves as the directors of indie hits like “Half Nelson” before they jumped into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Captain Marvel.” “It was great to come back to the indie film world in a lot of ways,” Boden said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible.

lifeless “Captain Marvel,” their latest movie has, um, flecks of the supernatural heroism and urban vigilante justice that we associate with the comic book genre. Running time: 106 minutes. Rated R (strong bloody violence, language throughout including slurs, sexual content and drug use).However, unlike many of those bland caped behemoths, “Freaky Tales,” which had its world premiere Thursday night at the Sundance Film Festival, also boasts enough forceful, nerdy personality to fill the San Francisco Bay.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Taking a one-for-us victory lap after one-for-them studio smash “Captain Marvel,” indie duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden blow a big, self-indulgent kiss to the late-’80s East Bay with “Freaky Tales.” Berkeley-born Fleck was all of 10 years old in early 1987, when this nostalgia-fueled anthology film is set, which explains the wide-eyed way he romanticizes the defining subcultures of the time (with Boden presumably doing her best to broaden the film’s incredibly specific, “you had to be there“ appeal). In four distinct but intertwining chapters — populated mostly with fresh faces, plus grizzled-but-gorgeous Pedro Pascal — “Freaky Tales” melds wildly different sectors of the city: There’s the rowdy-yet-respectful Gilman Street punk crowd; the revolutionary Oakland hip-hop scene (including Too $hort, whose raunchy rap anthem gives the film its name); the Warriors’ historic victory over the Lakers, in which local basketball legend Eric “Sleepy” Jones scored a record-setting 29 points in the fourth quarter; and a disturbing spike in neo-Nazi-linked hate crimes, which strangely serves to tie everything else together.

Sundance soaked up the sun on Thursday’s opening day. With plenty of powder to lend an idyllic backdrop to selfies and social media updates, the festival crowd was buzzing in line for the day’s largest film opening: “Freaky Tales,” taking the coveted early evening spot at the Eccles Center.

Sundance revved up with the premiere of Freaky Tales tonight, a debut met with rousing applause, including at the film’s last title card that read, “In loving memory of Angus Cloud.”

Oakland’s freaky side emerges in Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s ambitious yet tonally uneven new anthology film Freaky Tales starring Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Ben Medelsohn, Jack Champion, Ji-Young Yoo, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Too $hort’s, and Lenny G. The directors spotlight diverse local subcultures against the backdrop of Too $hort’s hit of the same name. The film intertwines four tales linked by unfolding events and a puzzling supernatural emerald glow permeating the city. Though the gritty visuals and soundtrack immerse in the look and feel of 1987 Oakland, the narrative struggles to weave these stories into a satisfying whole.

Normani and Dominique Thorne are all smiles while stepping out for the premiere of their new movie Freaky Tales held at Eccles Theatre on Thursday (January 18) in Park City, Utah.

The sling was off as The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal made his way through the red carpet for the Sundance Film Festival premiere of his movie Freaky Tales on Thursday.

Pedro Pascal‘s arm sling has been the subject of a lot of online discourse lately among The Last of Us fans.

William Earl Variety is returning to the Sundance Film Festival this year with its annual Interview Studio, presented by Audible, the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling. Throughout the festival, videos from the interview studio will be distributed across Variety.com as well as Variety and Audible’s social media channels (Instagram: @audible, @Variety; Twitter: @audible_com, @Variety; TikTok: @audible, @VarietyMagazine).

Pedro Pascal brought a special guest at the 2024 Emmys. He was accompanied by his sister Lux, with both looking stunning and elegant as they walked the red carpet. Emmy Awards 2024: Best red carpet looksEmmy Awards 2024: Complete winners listA post shared by HOLA! USA (@holausa)Pedro and Lux took photographs on the red carpet as they held on to each other, with Lux holding on to his arm.

Pedro Pascal put Kieran Culkin on blast!

Pedro Pascal joked that Kieran Culkin is the reason why his arm is in a sling at the Emmys.While presenting the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the event on Monday (January 15), Pascal attempted to explain the reason behind his injury.“A lot of people have been asking about my arm, and it’s actually my shoulder. And I think tonight is the perfect night to tell everyone that Kieran Culkin beat the shit out of me,” Pascal joked in the bleeped out speech (via CBS).This comes after Culkin jokingly told Pascal to “suck it” after beating him to win Best Actor for Succession at the Golden Globes last week.

2024 Emmys Awards on Monday, the “Last of Us” star, 48, came on stage to give an award.But while he was speaking, he was censored after taking a jab at the “Succession” actor, 41.Pascal, who has been sporting a sling in recent weeks, presented the accolade for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.“A lot of people have been asking about my arm,” he began.“It’s actually my shoulder. And I think tonight is a perfect time to tell everyone that Kieran Culkin beat the s – – t out of me,” Pascal said, as the ceremony censored him.The telecast then showed the “Father of the Bride” star, who looked unamused … until moments later when he cracked a smile.The “Wonder Woman 1984” actor’s fake feud with Culkin began at the 2024 Golden Globes earlier this month.At the Jan.

, The Last Of Us star Pedro Pascal explained why his arm was in a sling. It's due to a shoulder injury he sustained when star Kieran Culkin “beat the shit out of [him].”In the audience, Culkin played along, staring blank-faced at Pascal with evil in his eyes.

Pedro Pascal is full of jokes at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards!

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Pedro Pascal got his revenge on Keiran Culkin at the 2023 Emmy Awards by joking that his recent shoulder injury was because “Keiran Culkan beat the shit out of me.” The Emmys audience erupted in laughter while the broadcast cut to Culkin in the audience looking stone-faced serious. Pascal has attended several awards shows in recent weeks wearing a giant sling because of a fall.