Freaky

Director - Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse)

Starring - Vince Vaughn (Brawl in Cell Block 99, Dragged Across Concrete), Kathryn Newton (Supernatural, Pokémon Detective Pikachu), and Celeste O'Connor (Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Wetlands)

Release Date - 2020

Genre - Comedy/Horror

Tagline - "Basic switch.  Killer new look"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Back last year Blumhouse and Universal released the horror comedy Freaky theatrically around the time the world shut down.  Everything quickly became a mess and a lot of people started avoiding crowded places as they should.  Covid is no fucking joke.  Theaters were one of the industries that got hit the hardest which is understandable.  I wanted to watch Freaky, The Hunt, and The Invisible Man but I didn't want to risk exposing my family to Covid so I never went.  Since then most of these films has received a physical release.  A few weeks back I received the press release for Freaky and I was really fucking excited.  I reached out to them and they hooked me up with a Freaky care package with a shirt, scarf, flashlight, and a few other awesome items.  Thanks Universal and Blumhouse for hooking me up.

     The film follows high school student Millie (Newton) who finds herself waiting on her mother late at night after a football game.  However, her mother passes out drunk leaving her standed at the football stadium.  Lurking in the shadows is the local legend The Butcher (Vaughn) who has his sights set on killing Millie with an ancient dagger he just found.  Things do go as planned and the two find themselves swapped in each other's body.  Now they have 24 hours to find The Butcher in Millie's body before 24 hours or up or the swap becomes permenant.  

     I figured Freaky would be a fun one time watch that I would never give a second viewing to.  I was dead fucking wrong.  I absolutely loved this movie and I can't stop watching it.  I'm almost obsessed with it.  I think it's safe to say that Christopher Landon has become one of my favorite directors of the modern era.  His movies are just so much fun and Freaky is probably the most entertaining.  The acting in this one is great.  Vaughn delivers what I would consider my favorite performance of his.  Most know him for his comedic roles but these films, aside from a couple, are movies that I don't really care for.  It was until I saw Brawl in Cell Block 99 that I considered him to be a serious actor.  This film takes the comical roles that he is known for and meshes it with the more serious films he has taken in recent years.  It's funny but not a role I would associate with him. Seeing Vaughn priss around as a teenage girl is fucking hilarious but he also delivers a solid slasher performance as well.  The same can be said about Kathryn Newton.  Her dual performance mirrors Vaughns.  She's an innocent teen fighting for her life before flipping and is turned into a ruthless killer limited by her age and gender.  It was fun watching these two interact with each other and copy mannerisms.  The supporting cast is great as well with some memorable characters  that are brought to life but these two carry the film.  The story for this one is a slasher spin on Freaky Friday which is not a surprise to any film fan.  The title and story both are inspired by Freaky Friday but this slasher spin really makes it fun.  The film starts out with a bang, does slow down in the middle, and then the ending picks up the pace yet again.  The humor hits hard, the horror elements do miss its mark at times, and the slasher storyline is a little cliched but all this works in the film's favor.  Finally, the film has some seriously brutal and gory deaths.  The slasher aspect of this one rings lound and clear at times with some memorable deaths with unforgettable practical effects.  The most stuck up horror snobs would really appreciate these kills.  Overall, Freaky is an absolutely blast.  It's just fun.  It doesn't try to be a serius horror film and it doesn't go over the top with the comedy.  It finds a fine line and walks it.  I fucking loved it and if you are open to you I'm sure you will as well.  I highly recommend this one.