You've probably been hearing about Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s return to their indie roots for a while now. It’s been a minute. Since they directed Captain Marvel, people wondered if they’d ever go back to the gritty, hyper-local energy of Half Nelson. Well, they did. Freaky Tales is that return. It’s a wild, four-chapter anthology set in 1987 Oakland, and honestly, the hype from Sundance was massive. But finding where to watch Freaky Tales has been a bit of a moving target for most people because of how Lionsgate handled the rollout.
It’s frustrating.
You see a trailer with Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, and Normani, and you assume it’s just going to pop up on Netflix or Max. That isn't how this one worked. Because it’s an idiosyncratic, stylistic period piece with a very specific "Bay Area" soul, the distribution strategy was focused on a theatrical window followed by a very specific digital path. If you missed the limited theatrical run that started in late 2024 and bled into early 2025, you're looking at home viewing options.
The Best Ways to Stream Freaky Tales Today
Currently, your best bet for where to watch Freaky Tales is through Premium Video on Demand (PVOD) platforms. We’re talking about the heavy hitters you already know.
Apple TV (the iTunes Store) and Amazon Prime Video are the primary hubs. Because Lionsgate distributes the film, they’ve kept it on the "buy or rent" tier for a significant duration before moving it to a "free" streaming service. Expect to pay around $19.99 for a high-definition rental or $24.99 to own it digitally. It sounds steep, but for a film with this kind of visual texture—shot on 16mm film to catch that 80s grain—the 4K digital transfers on these platforms are actually worth the extra few bucks.
Vudu (now Fandango at Home) also has it. If you’re a stickler for bitrate and want the best possible digital image, some people still swear by Apple’s ecosystem for these kinds of indie-heavy releases.
👉 See also: The Entire History of You: What Most People Get Wrong About the Grain
Is it on a subscription service yet? Not quite.
Usually, Lionsgate movies have a "first pay window" deal with Starz. If you’re waiting to watch it as part of a monthly subscription you already pay for, keep an eye on the Starz app. Historically, these titles land there about five to seven months after the initial theatrical release. Since we are now in early 2026, we are right in that sweet spot where a Starz debut is imminent or has just occurred depending on the exact week. After Starz, it often bounces over to Peacock or occasionally Roku Channel, but that's much further down the line.
Why This Movie Is Making People Scour the Internet
Most movies are easy to find. This one felt different. It’s an anthology, which is always a hard sell for big streamers who prefer "bingeable" series. But Freaky Tales has a cult energy that makes it sticky.
The film is split into four distinct stories that eventually collide. You’ve got punk rockers fighting skinheads, a legendary rap battle featuring Too $hort’s influence (he’s an executive producer, by the way), a world-weary debt collector played by Pedro Pascal, and an underdog basketball story. It’s a love letter to Oakland. People want to see it because it doesn’t feel like a "product." It feels like a movie made by people who actually lived in the East Bay.
If you’re looking for a specific vibe, this is it. It’s gory, it’s funny, and it’s deeply weird.
✨ Don't miss: Shamea Morton and the Real Housewives of Atlanta: What Really Happened to Her Peach
The Physical Media Situation
For the collectors out there, the question of where to watch Freaky Tales usually ends with a disc. Lionsgate has been surprisingly good about supporting physical media lately, especially for their more "prestige" or cult-leaning titles.
A Blu-ray release is scheduled to follow the digital window. There have been rumors of a boutique label like Magnolia or even a Criterion-adjacent treatment because of the directors' pedigree, but for now, the standard retail Blu-ray is the path. If you want the physical copy, check retailers like Amazon or Walmart. The physical release usually includes some pretty solid "making of" featurettes that explain how they recreated 1980s Oakland without a massive Marvel-sized budget.
They used real locations. They used local talent. They worked with the community.
Technical Hurdles and Regional Restrictions
Now, if you are outside the United States, finding where to watch Freaky Tales gets a bit murkier. International distribution deals for indie films are a patchwork quilt.
In the UK, it might land on a different service entirely, like Sky Cinema or potentially a direct-to-digital release on Google Play. If you find that the movie is "unavailable in your region" on Amazon, it’s likely because a local distributor hasn't triggered the release date yet.
🔗 Read more: Who is Really in the Enola Holmes 2 Cast? A Look at the Faces Behind the Mystery
Some people use a VPN to access the US storefronts of Apple or Amazon. While it works, it’s often a hassle with payment methods. Honestly, if you're in a region where it isn't out yet, waiting a few weeks for the local digital premiere is usually better than fighting with a VPN and a foreign credit card.
Final Practical Steps for Viewers
Don't just keep refreshing Netflix. It isn't there. It likely won't be there for years, if ever.
- Check the Starz App first. If you have a subscription (or a Hulu/Amazon add-on for Starz), search for it there. This is the most likely "free" home for the movie right now.
- Go the PVOD route. If you want to see it tonight and don't care about the $20, just go to Apple TV or Amazon. It’s the cleanest, highest-quality way to see the film’s unique grain.
- Set a JustWatch alert. If you're patient, use a tracking service like JustWatch. You can set an alert for "Freaky Tales" and it will ping your phone the second the price drops or it hits a new subscription service.
- Support local. If you live in a city with an independent "second-run" theater, check their listings. Sometimes these films get a "cult classic" midnight screening run shortly after the digital release. Seeing it with a crowd—especially the rap battle segment—is a completely different experience than watching it on your laptop.
The movie is a rare bird in today’s cinema. It’s a mid-budget, high-concept, original story that doesn't rely on a multiverse or a pre-existing superhero IP. Finding where to watch Freaky Tales might take an extra click or two compared to the latest blockbuster, but for fans of the "old" Sundance vibe, it’s a mandatory watch.
Stop scrolling through the "Recommended for You" section on Disney+ and head over to the digital storefronts. The 1987 Oakland punk scene is waiting.