Freaky is by far from the first high-production body swap movie. But this one is definitely the most adult: it’s serious, silly, scary, and even in it’s diabolical gore, it somehow manages to balance them all.
This latest remake of the story comes with a horrific twist: it’s homecoming weekend at the local high school on Friday the 13th. When a serial killer (Vince Vaughan) comes on the loose, he steals a mystical dagger from a house he’s attacked.
But when he tries to claim his next victim, a teenage girl named Millie (Kathryn Newton), something, well, freaky happens. When they both wake up the next morning, they’ve switched bodies. Now there’s only 24 hours to switch back before the swap becomes permanent.
Freaky capitalizes on the tropes of teen slasher comedies more than it tries to subvert them. But the killer/victim body swap twist does create some inventive and terrific scenes.
Vaughan and Newton are both committed and versatile as both halves of their characters. They also play off each other extremely well, both equally convincing as both the serial killer and the heroine trying to take him down....or, the hero trying to take her down? Those switches are what ramp up the fun.
When the movie turns ultra-violent, however, is when it’s weakest. When it’s funny, it’s effectively humorous for all ages (of which this film is appropriate), but the radical and grisly on screen murders don’t hold back. In just the eight-minute opening prologue, four teenagers are brutally murdered in ferociously gory ways.
The only confusing thing is why we’re seeing this movie NOW. I understand the marketing team decided to release it on Friday the 13th to tie into the film’s plot. But this would’ve made a lot more sense as a Halloween movie a few weeks ago.
Now that it’s November, audiences may not be in the mood for a fast-moving slasher flick. Even with its strange release timing, it’s a great night out for anyone who can stomach the 5-7 cumulative minutes of horror when the killer strikes.
Maybe the current affairs of COVID-19 makes it easier to see the morals of ignoring clear evidence when there’s a deadly threat. How can we avoid the worst? And once we’re victims, how do overcome the danger? This obviously wasn’t the line director wanted to make when shooting the film, but it’s clearer now nonetheless.
Don’t try to take things too seriously and you’ll have a good time. It’s a clever idea that's scarily entertaining, even when the story is more freaky than fun.
Freaky
6 out of 10
14A, 1hr 42mins. Horror Thriller Comedy.
Co-written and Directed by Christopher Landon.
Starring Vince Vaughan, Kathryn Newton, Celeste O’Connor, Misha Osherovich, Uriah Shelton, Kelly Lamor Wilson and Katie Finneran.
Now playing at Film.Ca Cinemas, Cineplex Winston Churchill & VIP and Cineplex Oakville & VIP.
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