SIFF 2023: 'Circus Of The Scars' Capsule Review

To viewers of a certain age, the Jim Rose Circus Sideshow holds an infamous spot in our collective memory. For many ‘90s kids, it was our introduction to an updated carnival geek/freak show. Corey Wees’ documentary, Circus of the Scars, offers an in-depth time capsule of this specific cultural phenomenon and era.

[Related Reading: 'Razing the Bar' Movie Review]

Split between archival footage and modern-day interviews with the key players, this never veers from the rise-and-fall docu-formula. What begins as a perfect storm of outsiders and weirdos progresses to the money, fame, clashing egos, and typical strife these things so often engender. The end result is a fairly standard chronicle of an extraordinary and  singular oddity. [Grade: B]

 

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