FREAKY (2020)

 

(Director/co-screenwriter: Christopher Landon. Co-screenwriter: Michael Kennedy.)

 

Review

When the Blissfield Butcher (played by Vince Vaughn), a taciturn serial killer ignorant about a mystical, Aztec dagger he’s wielding, attacks a new victim (Millie Kessler, played by Kathryn Newton), they body-swap. Now he’s running around in her body, thrilled to have further access to new high school-aged victims, and Millie─trapped in the body of a now-familiar-to-all serial killer─must find a way to switch them back without getting arrested or killed, either by well-meaning citizens or the Butcher.

This R-rated mix of Mary Rodgers’s 1972 novel FREAKY FRIDAY (later resulting in several Disney films) and FRIDAY THE 13th (1980) is a fun, fast-paced, emotionally involving, suspenseful and smart film. It was originally titled FREAKY FRIDAY THE 13th but concerns about possible lawsuits compelled the filmmakers to shorten its title.

Christopher Landon, who directed and co-wrote its script with Michael Kennedy, deftly mixes John Hughes-style coming-of-age humor and pathos, fresh slasher flick and body swap movie homages and suspenseful and gory kill scenes, making FREAKY an imaginative and progressive-minded take on these subgenres. It’s a breezy, often laugh-out-loud funny and gripping work, one that stands out in a worthwhile way.

FREAKY’s freshness is not surprising, considering that Landon─son of actor Michael Landon (I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF, 1957)─is the co-author and director of the entertaining, genre-mix films HAPPY DEATHDAY (2017), HAPPY DEATHDAY 2U (2019), and SCOUTS GUIDE TO THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE (2015), among others.

Its cast is excellent as well. Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn, during their body-swap scenes, effectively convey their counterpart’s natures─Butcher, psychotic; Millie, smart and energetic (Vaughn is especially hilarious when channeling Millie). Celeste O’Connor played Nyla Chones, one of Millie’s best friends. Misha Osherovich played Josh Detmer, her other best friend. Katie Finneran played Carol Kessler, Millie’s grief-stricken, alcoholic mother. FREAKY’s other actors also nailed their roles, but it’s a big cast, too many to list here.

Horror-genre fans may appreciate Landon and Kennedy’s nods to other films, including HALLOWEEN (1978), FRIDAY THE 13th PART 3 (1982), JENNIFER’S BODY (2009), SCREAM and SCREAM 2 (1996-7) and CHERRY FALLS (2000).

My only nit─and it’s really minor─is that the Aztec ritual dagger (called La Dola) is not given much explanation, a few lines at best. That said, I don’t mind too much that there was not a lot of background as it’s not vital to the events of FREAKY, and to give further time to La Dola’s history and nature might have unnecessarily slowed the rollercoaster pace of the FREAKY. Not only that, it leaves further intriguing, twist-promising room for a sequel to explore─although Landon has said that he sees FREAKY as a one-shot work. He has indicated in interviews that he’s ready to shoot the third DEATHDAY film, wrap up the dangling plot threads from HAPPY DEATHDAY 2U.

FREAKY is excellent, funny, suspenseful, and smart. Check it out!