Following in the tradition of other anthologies comes the entertaining, if not entirely engrossing Freaky Tales. Set in Oakland in 1987, we follow four separate stories that happen to weave in and out of one another in one way or another. The goal is to capture the serendipitous connection and zeitgeist of a long forgotten place and time. Writer director duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck flex a strong talent for storytelling. However the film lacks the bravado with its various Freaky Tales to connect the pieces into a unified whole.

The Narrator (Symba) guides us through the film and chapter breaks, 4 in total. It seems that a green glow has settled on Oakland only to surface at the most auspicious times. A flash of green lightening, a neon green teardrop falling from an eye, in each story we are asked to connect the visual cue of green with a greater story that never really surfaces.

In “The Gilman Strikes Back,” we watch as coy lovebirds Tina (Ji-young Yoo) and Lucid (Jack Champion) attempt to grapple with the skinheads that repeatedly attack their punk rock refuge, The Gilman. Despite the rough-edged music, a sign outside of the punk music club demands ” No Racism, No Sexism, No Homophobia, No Drugs, No Alcohol, No Violence.” (was Homophobia a word in 1987?) Yoo and Champion have a lovely chemistry here as teens in love, forging their own rebellious path.

In “Don’t Fight the Feeling,” Barbie (Dominique Thorne) and Entice (Normani)  exit a movie theater only to be recruited by Lenny G (Jordan Gomes) to bring their rap act Danger Zone to a rap battle. Shirking the flirtatious advances of a smarmy detective/cop (Ben Mendelsohn) at their day job, the two push through and face Too $hort (Symba) in front of a ravenous club.

As the stories go on, they get a lot more interesting. “Born to Mack,” features Clint (Pedro Pascal) as a high-paid bay area hit man on the cusp of retirement. After a wonderfully shocking tragedy, Clint must navigate the perils ahead to save his loved ones and finally escape a blood soaked career.

Lastly, in “The Legend of Sleepy Floyd”, a basketball legend  Sleepy Floyd (Jay Ellis) an historic game as The Guy (Ben Mendelsohn) orchestrates a crime that will lead to tragedy. Floyd, however, has his revenge in the most strange and ethereal way.

Boden and Fleck have an irrefutable talent for plot and conflict. In each of the stories we meet likable characters from desperate origins who are fighting to exist peacefully. Some are looking for redemption, others are looking for validation, and some seek justice. Ultimately they are looking to be.

I wanted to love Freaky Tales but the finesse just wasn’t there. What universal truth existed in Oakland in 1987 that we needed to know about? I am sure it existed. But Boden and Fleck’s script can only reference a green glow to offer a cohesive theme.

If you just enjoy it on the surface, Freaky Tales is a stylish, retro, tour of late-80’s Oakland. But it lacks the resonance and universal message that would make us wish we were there.