We’ve seen Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden do a period piece before. With their Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Captain Marvel, they took the action back to the mid-1990s. Now, they’re going even further back with their new action-comedy Freaky Tales.

The film is set in Oakland in 1987 and follows a group of four short, inter-connected tales of life in the city. The stories are varied. The first tackles a group of punk enthusiast teens battling some Neo Nazi hecklers.

The second focuses on a pair of young girls who have aspirations to be rap stars. The third finds Pedro Pascal as an enforcer for a local crime boss who is ready to retire. When a tragedy occurs, it forces him to take stock of his life.

The fourth and final story, which kind of ties all the disparate characters together, involves a fictional take on NBA player Sleepy Floyd (Jay Ellis). It involves the actual playoff series that took place that summer between the Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers, too.

This is a stylized film. That’s one of the things that works for it. The film is shot in old-school boxed style, featuring a film stock and effects that take you back to the 1980s period. The look and feel match, too, as do other things like seeing VHS tapes and the clothes and cars.

The stories vary and your interest in them might vary, too. I was more sold on the ones that had good anchor performances. The third, which focuses on Pascal, was probably the most engaging. Both the story and the performances worked well. It also features a fun cameo from Tom Hanks, who is probably the highlight of the whole thing for me. I really enjoyed his character and that scene in particular.

The final story also works well thanks to Ellis and the wild nature of the story. It also features a heavy dose of Ben Mendelsohn, who appears in three of the four stories. He does well with his role and helps you buy in.

Those are the things I liked, but it isn’t all sunshine with this film. The stories are uneven, particularly the first two narratives. That makes it hard to get into the film. By the time you hit some more engaging fare, you’re more than halfway through the film. It’s also over-the-top all the way through, particularly when it comes to violence. That won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Still, there are a few moments that resonated enough to make it an interesting watch.

Overall, Freaky Tales won’t be on a Top 10 list, but for those that enjoy period pieces, some violence, and a fun dose of Tom Hanks, this will have its moments.

Freaky Tales opens in theaters on Friday, April 4.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.