What’s it About
Seventeen-year-old Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton, Blockers, HBO’s Big Little Lies) is just trying to survive the bloodthirsty halls of Blissfield High and the cruelty of the popular crowd. But when she becomes the newest target of The Butcher (Vince Vaughn), her town’s infamous serial killer, her senior year becomes the least of her worries. When The Butcher’s mystical ancient dagger causes him and Millie to wake up in each other’s bodies, Millie learns that she has just 24 hours to get her body back before the switch becomes permanent and she’s trapped in the form of a middle-aged maniac forever. The only problem is she now looks like a towering psychopath who’s the target of a city-wide manhunt while The Butcher looks like her and has brought his appetite for carnage to Homecoming. With some help from her friends—ultra-woke Nyla (Celeste O’Connor, Ghostbusters: Afterlife), ultra-fabulous Joshua (Misha Osherovich, The Goldfinch), and her crush Booker (Uriah Shelton, Enter the Warriors Gate)—Millie races against the clock to reverse the curse while The Butcher discovers that having a female teen body is the perfect cover for a little Homecoming killing spree.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
Who could have thought that a horror version of movies like The Parent Trap, 13 Going On 30, or Freaky Friday (naturally) would be any good? It’s a simple concept that has been done many times, but only a few of those body-switching movies are good. Luckily, Freaky is one of the good. Correction. Freaky is one of those good ones IF you’re a fan of blood and gore. Typically, slasher films are all about the kill factor and nothing else. This movie actually has a decent story filled with kills, comedy, and above-average acting. Vince Vaughn as The Butcher was a great choice although, he’s a female teenager due to the whole body switching thing for most of the movie. The teenager he switches with is the usual dull, bully fodder that he turns into a suddenly hot, self-aware bad bitch. It seems to be a lot easier for a man to adjust to being a woman than the other way around. The only downside experienced by The Butcher as Millie was strength. The Butcher never got used to not being able to overpower people, which creates a lot of awkward and comedic moments. Millie, on the other hand, was adjusting very well to her new bigger and badder body. She could do a little bully payback, toss some people around or break through a wall. As a man, Millie was able to face all of her fears and become a better person. The Butcher, as a teenage girl, had anonymity on his side. This, along with a school filled with kids, is another reason Freaky was a great film. Overall, There’s nothing particularly new in Freaky as it uses just about every high school stereotype from jocks to mean girls. Even our heroes are a running joke consisting of a White girl (Millie), a Black girl (Nyla), and a gay guy(Josh). So if you liked Happy Death Day, Escape Room, or Countdown, you should definitely add Freaky to your list.
OUR RATING – A BODY SWITCHING 7