Alex Lawther, Abigail Breslin, AnnaSophia Robb
Rising British star Alex Lawther stars in Trudie Styler’s acclaimed American teen drama, which premiered at the Berlinale last year.
Based on the novel by James St. James, it sees Lawther in the role of teeanger Billy Bloom, who lived a fabulous life in Connecticut with his equally fabulous mother, Muv (Bette Midler) before being unexpectedly shipped off to his father’s (Larry Pine) Southern mansion.
With a closet full of extravagant and flamboyant outfits, Billy is completely different from the cheerleaders, bible belles and hyper-masculine quarterbacks at his new school. But he ignores any pressure to assimilate. When others call him theatrical, he takes it as a compliment; when his classmates feel provoked by his drive to be different, it only motivates him further. “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down,” his father warns. But that doesn’t deter Billy from deciding to run for homecoming queen.
Somewhere in-between David Bowie, Lady Gaga, Freddy Mercury and Oscar Wilde, in the transgressive space of pop culture and dressed up as a high school comedy with wit, heart and a dazzling cast, Freak Show explores the violence of conformity and the power of self-determination.