Three years ago, I gave Blumhouse Productions credit for taking a chance on small budget films in creatively bankrupt and now aggressively woke climate in Hollywood. When Happy Death Day was released, I put the film over to the moon. When Happy Death Day 2U was released last year, I gave it credit for not skipping a beat and maintaining the same charm as the first one.

The trend of small budget slasher comedies has run its course and Freaky is the official end of this party. Freaky is the story of a small-town terrorized by a serial killer known as the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn). During one of his killing sprees, he steals an ancient dagger known as La Dola and attacks a young teenager named Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton). When the Butcher stabs Millie, it causes their bodies to switch putting the murderer in the body of a teen girl and Millie into the body of a 50-year-old man. Millie has just 24 hours to switch back or else they will be stuck permanently.

Freaky is a movie that lives on the strength of its two leads actors. Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton do a solid job keeping the film afloat with comedic timing. The film is obliviously an alternative take on the “freaky Friday” films which has its moments but that is where the praise ends.

Characters are underdeveloped with important details such as Millie’s relationship with her family left in the dust. The secondary characters are abysmal, no personality outside of being the black and gay tokens of “OMG” culture. One of the big things that worked in Happy Death Day’s favor was how well written their supporting characters where and how they enhanced the story. Writer/Director Christopher Landon simple can’t recreate this magic.

Freaky doesn’t bring the horror, the funny, or the charm to make this anything more than an attempt to salvage box office coin in the era of COVID. Freaky had potential but it becomes a victim of terrible execution.

 

2/5

 

 

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