The film stars Jeffrey Combs as John Reilly, an American recovering alcoholic who inherits an Italian castle when a distant relative passes away.

John stays at the castle with his estranged wife Susan (Barbara Crampton) and blind daughter Rebecca (Jessica Dollarhide), but a freakish monster locked away in the basement (Jonathan Fuller) escapes and commits a series of murders.

Castle Freak went into production in 1994 after Gordon noticed art for the film in producer Charles Band's office.

The film was shot during a period when Full Moon Features was having financial issues and was released to little press on home video in November 1995.

Susan blames John for the death of their five-year-old son in a drunk driving crash which also cost their daughter her eyesight.

After killing and eating a cat, the disfigured Giorgio escapes by breaking off his own thumb to get out of the manacles which bind him.

John, still wracked with guilt about the death of his son, turns to drinking alcohol and hires a prostitute who doesn't speak English from the nearby town, angering Susan further for cheating.

The Duchess chained Giorgio up and tortured him all of his life out of spite because her husband abandoned her and their son for her sister (John's mother) and went to America.

While preparing to work on Space Truckers, director Stuart Gordon received the opportunity to develop Castle Freak.

[3] Gordon was in Charles Band's office and noticed a poster entitled Castle Freak, with a Quasimodo-like man chained to a wall being whipped by a woman.

"[3] Speaking about the film's influences, Daniele Massaccesi, who was part of the crew, stated that, "Castle Freak is full of Lovecraftian references [...] although the director may argue this point of view.

The story involves a man leaving his dungeon for the first time in years; everyone he meets flees in terror, and he eventually sees his own distorted body after finding a mirror.

[13] Castle Freak has received mixed to positive reviews from critics, although many have praised its disturbing feel and tight storyline.

[15] In their book Lurker in the Lobby: A Guide to the Cinema of H. P. Lovecraft, Andrew Migliore and John Strysik write: "Castle Freak is a solid, even near-classic horror movie.

[20][21] The movie was initially intended to release at the Chattanooga Film Festival on April 16, 2020, but instead debuted on video-on-demand on December 4, 2020.