Written by You might not know the names Robby Rackleff and Alan Resnick, but you probably know their work, like This House Has People in It and Unedited Footage of a Bear. To those familiar with the alt-comics’ run on Adult Swim, it should come as no surprise that their feature debut, Dance Freak, is as nightmarish as it is funny — a surreal horror-comedy that knows exactly what it is and delivers.
What is Dance Freak about?
Dance Freak is set in a world where a dangerous experiment goes awry, unleashing a virus that infects people through dance (and not the good kind of dance). While it’s hard to explain the precise appeal of Dance Freak to someone who’s not familiar with the genre, the best way to describe it is that it’s like the stupidest David Lynch movie you’ve ever seen (complimentary).
Dance Freak Review
Like the best of alt-comedy, Dance Freak consistently feels quite random. Of course, there will be some who will claim that they have a deeper read of the film, especially considering that there are a few elements that are purportedly political, but everything about this feels like an absurdist throwing a bunch of ideas to see what sticks.
Thankfully, Resnick and Rackleff are mercifully tight with their writing, making the movie a relatively brief 96 minutes. One of the most impressive things about the film is how well it maintains its momentum throughout that runtime. Many filmmakers who start in comedy shorts and sketches really struggle to expand their style into a longer format, but the Unedited Footage of a Bear duo translated well.
You will probably know from the first few moments of the movie, when characters known as the “Salad Boys” are introduced, whether this film’s unique brand of absurdist humor is going to work for you. It’s the type of comedy where you are either 100% in on the joke or 100% out of it, which is likely to earn the movie as many detractors as it does fans.
That being said, for a premise that is as seemingly one-note as Dance Freak’s, Rackleff and Resnick do a great job of fleshing out this world. It feels like we are being thrown into some sort of parallel universe where everything that happens just makes sense. And if you are willing to go with the flow and enjoy the vibes, things will eventually start to make sense.
Rackleff plays the lead himself, and this is a bit of a subversion of the clichés of the writer-director. One normally expects writer-directors to play a character that’s at least a little flattering of themselves, but as the eponymous “Dance Freak,” Rackleff often makes himself the butt of the joke. But it works out, as he does a great job, making the character feel authentic through all the silliness.
And as is often the case with much of this genre, Resnick and Rackleff seem to have leaned on their network of funny friends to fill out the supporting cast. Cult-favorite comedians like Stavros Halkias, Sarah Sherman, and Conner O’Malley not only elevate the profile of the project but lend their own funniness to it. All of these people are fully committed to the bit, delivering turns that lean into their personas and talents quite well.
Dance Freak is also impressive from a technical standpoint, particularly if you know the limitations the filmmakers were working with. It’s purposefully lo-fi, so don’t go in expecting crisp polish. But the grainy, black-and-white cinematography and the retro-style special effects do a great job of emulating the look and vibe of early Lynch, which seems to be precisely what Resnick and Rackleff were going for.
Is Dance Freak worth watching?
Dance Freak is the type of underground comedy that seems tailor-made for a cult following. But unlike many films that seem to be trying for that vibe, this one actually works. With an all-star cast of alt-comedians and a lo-fi aesthetic that directors Bobby Rackleff and Alan Resnick pull off perfectly, this is one of the weirdest (and funniest) flicks of the year.
Dance Freak is screening at the 2026 Fantasia International Film Festival, which runs July 16-August 2.
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