Dance Freak

Bluesky

Some films are made to seduce viewers, some to puzzle and intrigue. Some opt simply to bludgeon them over the head, in the hope that those who stick around will be the ones who really appreciate the artistic ambition behind the project. Dance Freak, screened as part of Fantasia 2026, falls into the latter category. Its scratchy black and white images are accompanied by enormously elevated incidental sound, and it plunges us directly into one bizarre scenario after another, with minimal context to help us understand what’s going on. Whether or not it should be viewed as high art will very much come down to individual discretion, but what it does deliver is a surprisingly heartfelt ending. The emotional punch is the one you won’t see coming.

We follow Obie (Robby Rackleff), a man who has recently taken up the hobby of making bird houses, as he is attacked by birds and makes his way through a series of difficult encounters on his way into the city. Fleeing an uncomfortable sexual proposition, he inadvertently stumbles into the territory of the Salad Boys with their bags full of fresh vegetables. Nothing here is safe or easy, but posters on walls and lamp posts promise change. ‘Vote Dorty!’ they say. Dorty (Megan Koester), a small woman who carries a large wooden club, is Obie’s girlfriend, whom he is on his way to meet; but their relationship is heading for the rocks.

As hapless heroes go, Obie seems particularly hard done by, also having trouble at work and then finding himself a suspect in a murder investigation. To top it all, he has mysteriously acquired a double – one with some stylish yet unorthodox moves that are getting everyone’s attention. “We made something that looked just like you, but it got out and it destroyed the laboratory,” says Dilly Gorgul (Sheila Mears), a scientist from a top secret government facility. “We just called it the dance freak, because sometimes it danced in really freaky ways.”

With the dance freak on the loose, civilisation is under threat. Reality begins to warp. You will believe a man could explode. Obie is asked more than once if he believes in parallel dimensions. He’s scared, but he also recognises this as an opportunity to win back Dorty’s love.

Everything is in your face, moving at a hundred miles an hour. The acting is strong but the characters are wildly unpredictable – except for Dorty, who never misses a chance to try to win over a voter. You will feel healthier if you eat your greens. Dance Freak will make you question your sanity. Everything has to look like something, but this is something singular.

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