“X-Men” & “Fantastic Four” in World War II: Franz Rogowski in the German trailer for the fantasy action movie “Freaks Out”

“An Italian superhero blockbuster with more than enough quirks to interestingly stand out from the significantly higher budgeted US competition” – that’s how we summarized “Freaks Out” in the conclusion of our FILMSTARTS review. In one of the main roles, as a sinister SS officer, Franz Rogowski (“Victoria”, “Transit”), who in recent years has become one of the most respected and busiest mimes from Germany, can be experienced.

The film already had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September 2021. After being screened in seven German cities at the Fantasy Filmfest in 2022, “Freaks Out” will finally be released on Blu-ray and DVD in Germany on June 23, 2023. Both formats with FSK-16 approval can already be pre-ordered from online providers such as Amazon:

As a bonus, the discs each contain extras in the form of a making-of, cut scenes, outtakes and a featurette about the extensive special effects.

This is the second feature film by Rome-born director Gabriele Mainetti, following the sci-fi/action comedy They Called Him Jeeg Robot. In addition to Franz Rogowski, there were also Claudio Santamaria from the James Bond adventure “Casino Royale”, Pietro Castellitto (“The Treasure of the Duce”), Giorgio Tirabassi (“At the End of the Day”) and Belgian Eric Godon (“ The Young Karl Marx”) in front of Mainetti’s camera.

“Freaks Out”: That’s the story

Rome, 1943: Mussolini has been deposed and Italy has withdrawn from the fighting of World War II. However, large parts of the country are now occupied by the troops of the formerly allied Third Reich.

Ethnic minorities and all kinds of other fringe groups therefore have a much more difficult time than under the rule of the local fascists. This also applies, of course, to circus artists such as the short, magnetic Mario (Giancarlo Martini), the extremely hairy Fulvio (Claudio Santamaria), Albino Cencio (Pietro Castellitto) or the electrically charged Matilde (Aurora Giovinazzo).

When their Jewish ringmaster (Giorgio Tirabassi) is taken to a concentration camp by the Nazis, Franz (Franz Rogowski) enters their lives. The fanatical SS man with six fingers on each hand has visionary powers. Plagued by visions of German defeat, he is now looking for super-powered individuals to ensure ultimate victory…

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At the end, here is a longer trailer in Italian language that offers several scene clips in part:

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