Freak Show is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed by Trudie Styler and written by Patrick J. Clifton and Beth Rigazio, based on the novel of the same name by James St. James. The film stars Alex Lawther, Abigail Breslin, AnnaSophia Robb, Ian Nelson, Celia Weston, Laverne Cox and Bette Midler. The film had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 13, 2017. It was released on January 12, 2018, by IFC Films. The film had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 13, 2017. Shortly after, IFC Films acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film. It was released on January 12, 2018. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 56% based on 18 reviews, and an average rating of 6.2/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 54 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews"