10 Horror Movie Villains Who Were... Kind Of Right

8. Freaks (1932) - The 'Freaks'

Freaks Tod Browning 1932
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Tod Browning’s 1932 horror venture Freaks is a tough film to watch, and even more difficult to digest. This is for the sole reason that it has been misinterpreted ever since its release.

Freaks is barely a horror film, but rather a tragedy about how a strongman and trapeze artist, named Hercules and Cleopatra respectively, taunt and abuse their fellow performers, all of whom have varying disabilities.

Cleopatra and Hercules, a couple, plot to have Cleopatra seduce Hans, a wealthy performer with dwarfism, so that they can then run off with his large inheritance. Upon discovering the scheme, Hans’ fellow performers band together; they hunt down and disfigure the couple in recompense for their scorn and mockery.

Although the action taken by the performers is a drastic one, Freaks reads as a kind of cautionary tale for mistreating your fellow man. Again, an eye for an eye isn't necessarily justice, but watching it happen to a couple who had demonstrated such venom and hatred for the differently-abled is more gratifying than terrifying.

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Contributor
Contributor

Dan is a writer and actor originally from South Australia who now lives in a constant state of anxiety... and Los Angeles. Whether writing about movies, watching movies, or binging the Great British Bake-off, Dan approaches any endeavour with a steely resolve which is rivalled only by his ability to lie about his strengths. For professional inquiries, call Melissa Cropley - Dan's mum; she wishes he would call more often and you'd really be doing him a favour.