Freaks (1932)
Directed by Todd Browning
Hans is a circus dwarf, who is in love with a trapeze artist named Cleopatra. Cleopatra originally shows no interest, focusing more on the strong man Hercules. But when Cleopatra discovers that Hans is heir to an incredible fortune, she and Hercules decide to use Hans attraction to steal the fortune. Cleopatra marries Hans and begins to slowly poison him. But when the other sideshow freaks learn of Cleopatras deception, they plan their terrible revenge.
Freaks is a bit tamer that most of the films on this list. But the film itself host a cast of actual freaks, such as conjoined twins, a bearded woman, and even the human torso. While the film may be seen as silly today, it still has an incredible plot of love and deception, while still retaining a small bit of shock value. It includes many memorable scenes, such as the initiation cermony and the terrifying chicken woman. While this film isn’t one that will scare you, it is still a great film for the Halloween season.
