'Freaky' is what would happen if the body swap film genre drank a Blumhouse comedy-horror cocktail, and while the script is a little on the weak side, the idea is executed well enough for an entertaining final product.
Blumhouse struck gold with the 2017 film 'Happy Death Day', where comedy and horror met half-way. Well, if you enjoyed that, you'll be satisfied with 'Freaky'. Starring Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn, it's a slasher take on the classic 'Freaky Friday'.
While the studio is responsible for films with societal commentary like 'Get Out' and pure scares like 'Paranormal Activity', audiences should expect something a little on the cheesy side here, which is by no means a bad thing.
A film like 'Freaky' requires its actors to be able to play two characters, and luckily the two aforementioned leads are up to the task of 'swapping bodies' as it were. Kathryn plays tormented high school student Millie with the perfect amount of relatability, and Vince embodies the serial killer role convincingly enough. Then, later in the film, each is able to slip into the other's shoes with ease. Kathryn's constant death stare and puffed-up stance matched with Vince's feminine, clumsy demeanour mean you're never confused about who's who.
Meanwhile, the supporting cast in the likes of Katie Finneran (Millie's alcoholic, widowed mother), Dana Drori (Millie's sister), Celeste O'Connor (Millie's friend Nyla) and Misha Osherovich (Millie's friend Josh) are strong enough to push this film through to its conclusion, however the script they've been given doesn't give them much room to shine. It would have been interesting to see the body swap fleshed out a little more, or Millie's late father's death explored in greater detail.
Neither of those things happen, but it's okay. 'Freaky''s concept and cast are a successful enough combo that it's an enjoyable 101 minutes and a fun way to spend some time at the cinema.
★★★☆☆ ½.
