The Reel Review
This unique comedy/horror mashup of the Freaky Friday and Friday the 13th films has Millie, a nerdy high school girl (Kathryn Newton), discovering she’s swapped bodies with a serial killer after he stabs her with a Mayan dagger loaded with magical powers. Now trapped in the body of the killer (Vince Vaughn), Millie has just 24 hours hours to stop the killer’s rampage among her classmates while in her body, and reverse the curse before it becomes permanent.
The premise is a cute, clever one, as we see Newton (Blockers) and Vaughn each get to play big both the sweet young ingenue and the big bad serial killer, The Butcher, at various parts throughout the film. Newton’s transformation from good girl to red leather jacket-clad serial killer is particularly fun, as the sexier, murder-minded killer wreaks blood-splattered mayhem on a teacher and slew of school bullies, and Vaughn clearly looks like he’s having a blast as a teenage girl. Gore aficionados will delight in some of the creative and gruesome kills, as will fans of the iconic 1996 horror classic Scream, which gets a big nod in the film.
The story from writer/director Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day) is fun, zipping along at a brisk pace with a steady stream of chuckles. He gives his main character Millie enough heart to make her relatable. The film would have been even better, however, had he taken full advantage of the premise and contained even more clever moments instead of relying on a lot of predictable clichés. Still, Freaky is a bloody good time.
REEL FACTS
• Originally Freaky was going to be called Freaky Friday the 13th. It was released on Friday, November 13th.
• Freaky was filmed at Georgia’s largest high school, Denmark High School, in Alpharetta, just north of Atlanta.
• Alan Ruck (shop teacher Mr. Bernardi) was Ferris’ best friend Cameron in the iconic 1986 comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
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