Freaks / The Unknown / The Mystic (Tod Browning) (Criterion Collection)

This is a most excellent DVD set of three Tod Browning carnival-themed movies! A frequent collaborator with Lon Chaney, middle-class bred Tod Browning ran away with the circus at just 16 (if only it were still an option!) and poured everything he learned during that storied time into some of his most memorable art.

This DVD set includes the silent films The Mystic, The Unknown (featuring a lovely Joan Crawford and a gut-wrenching ending), and Freaks, a movie which derailed Browning's career but has since become a beloved, cult classic.

I recommend watching the movies in the order listed, as the stakes seem to rise with every flick!