Freak Show

Freak Show centres on Billy Bloom, a teenager who has spent years refining a flamboyant personal style and has no interest in blending in. When his wealthy father enrolls him at a strict, traditional high school in a small American town, his clothes, hair and makeup make him an immediate target for classmates who treat his difference as an offence. Bullying escalates to the point where he is badly beaten, and his closest friend Flip cannot shield him from it. Rather than retreat, Billy decides to enter the school's homecoming queen contest.

The film was directed by Trudie Styler, the second of the three features she has directed, following The Sweatbox and preceding Up Against It. Patrick J. Clifton and Beth Rigazio wrote the screenplay, and Styler produced alongside Ember Truesdell and Charlotte Ubben. Alex Lawther plays Billy, with Ian Nelson as Flip, AnnaSophia Robb, Celia Weston, Abigail Breslin and Bette Midler among the cast. Released in January 2018, it runs 91 minutes.

On IMDb the film holds a 6.7 rating from 136 votes, while its critics' rating stands at 5.7 from 43 reviews.