Josh: “You’re black! I’m gay! We are so dead!”
If you’ve ever wanted to see what Freaky Friday mixed with Friday the 13th would look like (outside of a Wheel of Fortune ‘Before & After’ category), then you’re in luck, as 2020’s Freaky, which deftly mixes horror and comedy, is for you.
Co-written and directed by Christopher Landon, Millie (Kathryn Newton) is a senior in high school. . . a girl struggling with her depressed, alcoholic mother, Paula (Katie Finneran) – who is recently widowed, a group of manipulative female bullies, a prick of a teacher, Mr. Bernardi (Alan Ruck – channeling his inner Mr. Rooney), and going seemingly unnoticed by her crush, Booker Strode (Uriah Shelton). . . plus it doesn’t help that she is known as the school’s beaver – no, this isn’t some sort of hussy-infused sexual slang, she is actually their mascot (the majestic, often Canadian associated buck-toothed rodent). In fact, if it wasn’t for her two besties, Nyla (Celeste O’Connor) and Josh (Misha Osherovich), she’d be completely lost.
Now, of course, I’m getting ahead of myself a bit. . . for the night previously – Wednesday the 11th (also the film’s opening scene), four fellow schoolmates were brutally murdered by who many assume to be the local serial killer who has never been caught (falling into urban legend) – known as the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn). A strong, middle aged man, there is really no rhyme or reason to his mantra, he’s just a wacko who gets a kick out of spilling other people’s blood.
Grabbing an ancient Mayan dagger after committing the above mentioned murders, when he attempts to use it on Millie, the pair swap bodies, the teen now a stinky, five o’clock shadowed, freakishly tall beast of a man with a tallywacker (a surprise for her), and he becomes a demure, fashion faux pas leaning blonde teen girl. Only having until midnight before the change is permanent, can the now male Millie somehow reverse the spell and return to her body? Could this freaky flip actually help Millie with some of her highschool societal problems? Or is the true horror of this film the idea of being a middle aged white male in the year 2020?
A fun if simple take on the horror genre, its linear, quite predictable story is simply the vehicle for its actors, as well as the story’s gags/kills. Not your prototypical Vince Vaughn role, he knocks it out of the park – finding quirky comedy and a female side never shown before in the genre swap. Likewise, Newton is equal to the challenge, starting as a fragile teen and transforming into a red leather jacket wearing murderer. Landon, understanding the sources he’s pulling from, develops a number of ludicrously over the top kills (that both thrill and spoof) that build to an epic crescendo at the film’s climax. And, speaking of crescendos, Bear McCreary’s score matches the visuals onscreen, furthering the crazy concept with engaging audio touches.
A colourful, cinematographic film that plays with comedy and horror from cinematic past as well as modern culture and its oh so different perspectives that deviate from these types of flicks, Freaky is the type of non-serious watch needed for this 2020. Saying that, I was the only person in the theatre on its opening weekend (talk about an eerie, if safe Covid movie watching experience). So, get freaky by checking this one out any day of the week (including Friday), you’ll be in for a killer time.