Freaky is a 2020 slasher comedy that revolves around a teenage girl and serial killer waking up in each other’s bodies.
Honestly speaking, Freaky Friday the 13th sounds like a much better title. That small nitpick aside, Freaky is such a fun movie! Written and directed by Christopher Landon, who is best known for the Happy Death Day films, he has returned to make another slasher flick for Blumhouse Productions. This time, it’s rated R. Sorry, kids. It stars Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn in the lead roles, and you’re in for a really enjoyable genre feature that surprisingly does a good job in providing a new and engaging take on the body swap style of filmmaking. You have seen this premise done better plenty of times before, but it’s still worth seeing as a highly entertaining genre-bending slasher comedy.
Just like most features that take place in high school, seventeen-year-old Millie Kessler (Newton) is trying to survive her year at Blissfield High, especially because she doesn’t really fit in with the popular crowd. However, there’s a deadly serial killer known as the Blissfield Butcher (Vaughn) on the loose. Their first encounter with one another ends up horribly wrong when they wake up in each other’s bodies. They only have 24 hours to go back to their normal selves otherwise the curse will be permanent. It’s certainly not a good idea for Millie to look like a creepy middle-aged man for the rest of her life.
It’s important to give some worthy praise to Vince Vaughn who steals the show! When he’s playing Millie trapped in the Butcher’s body, it’s hysterical. You can’t stop laughing, because he’s that funny with his comedic timing. Newton also gives a good performance even though she’s mostly stoic as a teenage girl with the mind of a serial killer. They work well with one another, and it’s insanely entertaining seeing these two characters go after each other. Millie’s friends Nyla and Josh, played by Celeste O’Connor and Misha Osherovich, are great supporting characters. They add a lot of energy to the movie, while also being extremely likeable and charming.
Tonally speaking, it’s a bit messy. It’s a little all over the place when it comes to finding the right balance of slasher horror and comedy. When it wants to be intense, it’s actually pretty brutal with some well-executed kills. It’s interesting for the director to go from PG-13 Happy Death Day to R-rated Freaky in regards to showcasing the serial killer horror element. And when it wants to be hilarious, it’s quite humorous. It’s just that sometimes the two tones don’t mesh well together, but hopefully you’re able to let that go and just have a good time.
Freaky is nothing original, but it’s still ridiculously entertaining to watch. The flaws aside, it’s just another fun slasher comedy that you would expect from Christopher Landon who is clearly passionate about this particular style of genre cinema. It’s very amusing to see Newton and Vaughn play these characters, and you’re having a blast with this simple yet engaging premise!
FREAKY is available to own on digital January 26, 2021 and Blu-ray and DVD February 9th from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.