Freyr (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

No one is “normal.” Or, is everyone “normal?” I suppose that depends on your definition of the term, or how you feel about others, or how you feel about yourself. I guess there’s really no way of knowing who is and isn’t normal, or if that word has any real meaning. We can assign that word to whoever or whatever we’d like, but much like the idea of Pauli Exclusion Principle, I suppose the more we attempt to qualify “normal,” the stronger the pushback. 

While this may initially feel like a bunch of scientific mumbo jumbo, Freyr does an exceptional job of simplifying its message, while radiating brilliance and existentialism in the best ways. 

Freyr is the story of two unlikely friends, Frank (Luthersson) and Tom (Benairen Kane). Frank has a third hand growing out of his chest, and Tom is clinically ugly. As their friendship experiences the ebbs and flows of life, Frank’s death forces Tom to speak to the meaning of their bond and the importance of being normal. 

Writer Tommy Orange and Writer-Director David Telles possess a knowledge of science and the existential that lends itself to exceptional script development and just as impressive a delivery of such topics. Freyr opens to a profile view of Tom, Kane’s face inundated by wonky prosthetics (so much so that it reminded me of something you might find on a subpar Star Trek episode). Immediately I turned up my nose to this film, and questioned the production value and the validity of what Orange and Telles would bring to life. Those expectations are quickly subverted, as they envelop viewers in a world that is so wonderfully typical, yet so uniquely different. Both Frank and Tom’s presence in Freyr is enough to drive space between reality and what can be seen on screen. 

Telles and the trio of composers, Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach, Kjartan Dagur Holm, and Sindri Már Sigfússon double down on the otherworldly element present, injecting a score full of synthetic sounds to amplify what can already be seen. Through the visuals and the score, viewers’ senses are tantalized, and the beauty of what Freyr has to offer grows exponentially throughout. 

Brilliantly, however, this team of musical connoisseurs juxtaposes the early electronic tones with something acoustic and far simpler. This quickly shifts the narrative in a direction that introduces stronger emotions and better speaks to the human side of the audience. As Freyr becomes more grounded, it reels viewers in further, continuing to entice them, but in a new, more visceral fashion. Every step of Freyr is expertly calculated; a masterclass in narrative development—and the accompanying score only elevates the prowess of everyone involved. 

Freyr was on the shortlist of films that qualified for Oscar consideration at the recent Academy Awards. This short film ultimately didn’t make the cut, not even receiving a nomination from the Academy. This tells me more about the Academy than it does about the film itself. Grounded, immersive, titillating; Freyr is one of the more honest films that I’ve seen in some time. It’s everything you want in a film: it will break your heart, it will make you hopeful. It will make you laugh, and cry, and contemplate the meaning of the universe. Ignore the powers that be; not only did Freyr deserve a nomination, it deserved to be strongly considered to win Best Live-Action Short. 

Directed by David Telles. 

Written by Tommy Orange & David Telles. 

Starring Benairen Kane, Luthersson, Krista Hedins, etc. 

9.5/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW