‘Freaky’ Movie Review

Freaky is a slasher movie parody about a high school nobody named Millie (Kathryn Newton) who is stabbed by a legendary serial killer known as the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn). But, unbeknownst to both of them, the knife he uses is an ancient Aztec dagger used in blood rituals, and the enchanted blade causes them to switch bodies. Now, Millie (in the Butcher’s body) has just 24 hours to reclaim her own body and stop the Butcher from killing more people in his new disguise.

The film was directed and co-written by Christopher Landon, who previously brought us Happy Death Day and its sequel. Both of those films were pretty enjoyable, despite being a little bit too clean for a slasher series. Those films combined horror with a classic time loop comedy (e.g. Groundhog Day). This time around, Freaky is a hybrid of horror and body swap comedies like Freaky Friday (hence the title). I loved this movie! Kathryn Newton is still a bit of an up-and-comer, at least as a leading lady, and she’s very likable as the unlikely heroine (even though she spends at least as much time playing the villain as she does Millie). Vince Vaughn is absolutely brilliant in this film. People sometimes forget that he can be a very imposing guy (check out a movie called Brawl in Cell Block 99). He's tall, burly, and can give a pretty mean death glare. Don't let his involvement in Gus van Sant's totally dogsh*t remake of Psycho sour you on Vaughn playing a slasher villain, because it really works here. However, he spends more time than not playing Millie, which is truly hilarious. Since we are first introduced to him as the Blissfield Butcher, we already have him established in our minds as that character. This makes his switch to being a teenage girl so much funnier, because the change seems so drastic, and it provides Vaughn with a plethora of comedic opportunities. Because the movie not only plays off of slasher tropes, but high school movie tropes, as well, we also have the classic over-the-top gay friend (Misha Osherovich) and the token black friend (Celeste O’Connor). Both of them are able to shine in their respective roles, particularly Osherovich. Another great nod to classic high school movies comes in the form of the cruel wood shop teacher, Mr. Fletcher. In addition to being the classic mean teacher, but he’s played by Alan Ruck, a.k.a. Cam from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Not only was this a fun little nod, it was quite entertaining seeing Alan Ruck play such a complete bastard (who does, of course, meet with a bloody end).

One of the things that sets Freaky above Happy Death Day is the fact that Freaky is a hard R. The gore and F bombs are plentiful, and a major reason this is necessary is that this is a much more straightforward spoof than Happy Death Day. Not only are there multiple instances of Scream-style self aware humor, but there are also several direct visual references to everything from Halloween to The Shining, just to name a couple. One element that would ordinarily bother me is that Millie, the girl who is supposed to be a boring nobody, is incredibly attractive, despite her initially drab wardrobe. Part of the reason this wasn’t so ridiculous in Freaky is that Joshua, the gay friend, does actually mention that she is beautiful, she just needs to own it. While I suppose it could have all been accidental, the trend of even the dorks being beautiful in movie high schools was a bit more forgivable here. Plus, it’s a parody, so it might have even been a deliberate choice. One final thing to look out for is the names of three lecherous jocks in the film, as they are a very clever (and current) reference that, upon realizing all three names, had me absolutely dying.

Freaky is a smart, gruesome, and incredibly funny slasher spoof. It features a standout cast, led by Vince Vaughn in one of his best comedic performances to date, and some delightful gore that gives the movie a needed edge. Horror fans are sure to enjoy the numerous nods to some of the all-time greats, and the body-swapping concept makes for plenty of great gags.

SCORE: 4.5/5

TRIGGER WARNING: the film contains depictions of sexual harassment, but all those responsible do get their just desserts.