Freaks
Year: 1932
Country: United States
Type: Feature
Form: Narrative
Often considered the grandfather of disability horror, Freaks is a groundbreaking - yet still divisive - film that features a predominantly disabled cast. The story centres on a circus troupe, or “freak show” (a form of entertaiment that remained popular until the 1940s), who band together to seek revenge after discovering that one of the disabled performers is being poisoned and manipulated by the troupe’s non-disabled trapeze artist, Cleopatra.
Highly controversial upon release, the film was banned in the UK for more than thirty years. Today, however, it can be recognised as an early example of empathetic crip cinema that foregrounds and celebrates disabled people.
Letterboxd