If you were a horror fan in the 1980s then you saw at least one VHS featuring some small creatures causing havoc. There were a couple of big hits, of course, but also many lesser-seen films that worked just as well for those working their way through the genre rental choices. I'm not going to start naming them. You know them. I know them. Steven Kostanski, the writer-director of Frankie Freako definitely knows them. And this is his attempt to make a fun little film that can easily sit alongside them.
Conor Sweeney stars as Conor, a workaholic yuppie who seems incapable of letting his hair down and having any fun. It's the 1980s, which would surely be the ideal time for workaholic yuppies to have some fun, but Conor seems to be the exception to the rule, much to the frustration of his wife, Kristina (Kristy Wordsworth). Left on his own for a couple of days, but planning to do some extra work for his boss, Mr. Buechler (Adam Brooks), Conor is tempted to call a party hotline that puts him in touch with the titular Frankie Freako. That's when Frankie and co. end up in his home, bringing a big dose of anarchy and destruction with them.
Incredibly silly and over the top from start to finish, Frankie Freako is also pretty perfect in achieving what it sets out to achieve. It feels like a film that could have easily been released in that mini-critter boom time between the late '80s and early '90s, and those who have the same nostalgic fondness for them that I do will find that this really hits a sweet spot.
The only real downside is the acting of the humans, but even that feels on par with what we used to put up with in these films. I wouldn't rush to call out anyone as bad, but they're all delivering very deliberately heightened performances. Sweeney plays his character so stiff that he could be 90% starch, which adds to the fun when Frankie and co. start to cause mayhem for him. Brooks is amusing as the standard boss with misdeeds to be covered up, and his name is a nod to one of the great practical effects maestros, John Carl Buechler. Wordsworth may have very little to do, but she's fine in her role, and gets to show a different side to her character before the end credits roll.
The puppets are the stars though, and they're delightful. Full of character, yet also amusingly "lo-fi" and limited in what they can do, Brooks uses a lot of the standard tricks we've seen many times before to keep them moving around as the camera tries to obscure their obvious limitations. There are three main characters to enjoy, but one sequence eventually shows us a few more, and they're very much related to some other creatures I would label "children of John Carl Buechler".
You will already have an idea about whether or not this is for you. I admit that I'd hoped for a bit more mayhem, and maybe some more modern spins on old ideas, but I soon settled in to enjoy the ride when I understood that this didn't want to reinvent anything. It just wanted to emulate the kind of film that we've not really seen for a good few decades now. Viewed in that way, it's an absolute success. Those who don't see the appeal in the concept should stay away though.
7/10
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