Teenagers are a staple in horror movies and television shows — they’re young, usually attractive, and definitely dumb enough to get picked off one by one by a killer, ghost, or plague. Freakish is Hulu’s newest series, purchased from AwesomenessTV, and it follows a group of students locked in a high school after watching their town’s chemical plant go up like a tinderbox. As is the case with most similar situations in film and television, chemical plant + fire + toxic gas that rains through the town = a new kind of predator to run away from. But how scary is Freakish ?
Me, I love horror movies and a good fright. If you’re looking to get the pants knocked off of you, I’m not sure that Freakish would do it. It’s more creepy than deeply, hauntingly scary. Of course, it has its moments, especially in dealing with the fact that these students are trapped in their high school (that’s the scariest part for me. Yikes). Freakish is more in tune with the overall feeling of Stranger Things. There are unsettling, creepy elements to it, but you’re not going to be up all night wondering about chemically treated mutants (unless, of course, that’s something you already dream about).
That being said, Freakish isn’t similar to any of the other horror shows on television right now. In fact, it reminds me a lot of the scary movies of the 2000s, the ones where something is going on the town and the kids have to figure it out for themselves. If you’re into Freakish (and you should be, because it’s pretty fun and only ten episodes), you’ll probably love these throwback movies, too.
The Faculty
Robert Rodriguez of Sin City and Spy Kids (yeah, really) directed this cult classic about teens that realize that the principal and the teachers at their school are actually aliens, and they’re trying to invade the student body, too. Josh Hartnett, Jordana Brewster, Shawn Hatosy, Clea Duvall, and more team up to try and disarm the faculty before they can be infected themselves. It’s not the best horror movie in the world, but it’s certainly fun and thrilling.
Disturbing Behavior
Starring a pre-Cruise Katie Holmes, Disturbing Behavior finds a very young (and cute) James Marsden moving to the town of Cradle Bay. As most newcomers do, he realizes something is off about his classmates — they’re just a little too good. After his formerly misfit friend joins the popular ranks, Marsden searches, along with Holmes, for why everyone is so eerily perfect. Let’s just say it’s very Stepford Wives . Also, Holmes dances on top of a truck, so if you’ve ever wanted to see that, you should stream this movie.
Final Destination
This one may not have teens trapped in a building, but they are trapped — by Death itself, who is hella pissed that they escaped his clutches, and, now, he’s chasing after them, one by one. The original Final Destination is the best one — the sequels got more and more farfetched — as it also has Devon Sawa’s character being chased by the FBI. Can’t escape the man, and can’t escape the supernatural — not a good day for a teen.
Freakish is the next feature in a long line that has teens battling back to escape something scary — if you enjoy these films, you’re sure to love the series (and vice versa!). The best part? You’ll more than likely have a full night’s sleep after you watch.
Images: AwesomenessTV
