"Given the prominence of both properties and the shared word in their titles, it's surprising that no one attempted to combine Freaky Friday and Friday the 13th before 2020's . It's also probably for the best, since someone else might have put together a weak comedy sketch rather than the clever and surprisingly affecting horror movie from director and co-writer Christopher Landon. Released five years ago today, Freaky offers a fresh take on the body-swap comedy that's also a solidly constructed slasher movie."
"Landon cheekily opens the movie with a giant "Wednesday the 11th" graphic, indicating that he and co-writer Michael Kennedy know what horror-movie conventions they're playing with. Naturally, that's followed by a group of teenagers sitting around a fire telling spooky stories about the Blissfield Butcher, a serial murderer who's allegedly been slaying high schoolers during their town's homecoming since 1977. The Butcher appears as soon as the teens split up, complete with a very Jason Voorhees-looking mask, and begins his latest murder spree."
"So far, so basic. Landon and Kennedy have an ear for snarky dialogue, and the Butcher's earliest executions are creatively gruesome. But what really kicks Freaky into gear happens the next day, when the Butcher (Vince Vaughn) attacks awkward high school student and beaver mascot Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton) following the big football game. Thanks to an ancient, cursed knife he swiped from the previous murder scene, the Butcher inadvertently switches bodies with Millie, and they have only 24 hours before the swap is permanent."
Freaky imagines a mashup of body-swap comedy and slasher horror, directed and co-written by Christopher Landon. The film opens with a giant "Wednesday the 11th" graphic and a campfire sequence of teenagers telling stories about the Blissfield Butcher, a serial killer who has struck during homecoming since 1977. The Butcher attacks high schooler and beaver mascot Millie Kessler after the football game, and an ancient cursed knife causes the two to swap bodies. Vince Vaughn plays the Butcher and Kathryn Newton plays Millie; they have 24 hours before the swap becomes permanent. The swap allows the teens to subvert slasher conventions and unite against their enemy while balancing snarky dialogue and gruesome kills.
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