Movie Review: Freak Dance

The Matt Besser written musical comedy Freak Dance was released on DVD on July 10 of this year.  The film was co-directed by Besser and Neil Mahoney and is based on an Upright Citizens Brigade stage show.  Featuring past and present UCB members, Freak Dance tells the tale of Cocolonia (Megan Heyn), a teenager who is destined to dance despite her mother's (Amy Poehler) belief that "hips should never be hopped."  When Cocolonia joins a dance crew led by Funky Bunch (Michael Daniel Cassady), the crew is forced to save their precious Fantaseez Community Center the only way they know how... through dancing!  The film parodies dance musicals such as Step Up. 

Not being a huge musical fan, I was skeptical going in, but I knew that as a comedy fan I was safe in the hands of Besser, who has created an over-the-top, witty, and chuckle-inducing comedy with some heart.  I admit that Freak Dance takes a good 20 minutes to really get going, but by the end I couldn't get enough.  This movie is much funnier than it has gotten credit for, and I laughed a lot more than I expected to. Even the dancing is pretty entertaining!

Also, expect some swell comedic appearances from the likes of Tim Meadows, Horatio Sanz, Andrew Daly, Casey Wilson, Paul Rust, and more.

Freak Dance is not for everyone, but true comedy fans will find that there is a lot of funny in this movie. 

6/10 Freak Dances