FilmSnobReviews

Title: Freaky
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Christopher Landon
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Celeste O’Connor
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins

What It Is: Millie (Newton) is a somewhat unassuming young lady. She’s the school mascot and generally quite meek. When a killer known as the Blissfield Butcher (Vaughn) begins another spree of murder Millie almost becomes a victim. What The Butcher hadn’t planned for was that the dagger he used (which he stole) was cursed. Upon stabbing Millie he and her swapped bodies. Resulting in the giant of a man now residing in the body of our teenaged protagonist.

What We Think: I think a guy like Vince Vaughn is the only one who could’ve pulled this off. He’s a mountain of a dude that is just funny enough to make the often treaded Freaky Friday concept utilized here, work. This is pretty standard fare for anyone who’s seen Happy Death Day or its sequel. That’s likely because Christopher Landon directed those as well. I think Kathryn Newton is going to be huge in the coming years. There are moments of weird timing and tone that stick out like a sore thumb. Those moments drag and stagger a film that works because of the loose pacing.

Our Grade: C+, Much like Landon’s previous films this isn’t EXACTLY my wheelhouse. I have to give credit where credit is due. This is a pretty funny and fun piece that makes for an easy watch. The horror/slasher vibes are fun. I can recommend this for a really fun date night. It’s available on VOD right now so checking it out is a simple process. I do hope Christopher Landon’s next works are very dissimilar for fear that he’ll be pigeonholed as someone who only makes a certain type of film. This happened to Joe Dante…but his films are by and large legendary classics of their subgenre.