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31 for 31 Part 12: Freaky
A horror twist on a classic movie trope
You may have seen the classic comedy Freaky Friday, in which a mother and daughter find that they have magically switched bodies. Hilarity ensues as they try to switch their bodies back. The same concept has been used several times (father/son, best friends, etc.).
2020’s Freaky provides a new take on this trope. In this film, a teenage girl and a serial killer switch bodies. The film plays on many horror and teen comedy tropes, and it works. While it is a little slow initially, it picks up quickly.
Millie (Kathryn Newton) is a high school student dealing with the death of her father, an alcoholic and mourning mother, and a cop older sister. She is also bullied by her peers and teachers while pining for the boy sitting next to her in shop class.
Things take a turn when she is stabbed by the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn). While she survives the attack, both awake to find themselves in the other person’s body. It is later revealed that the dagger that Millie was stabbed with was used in Aztec sacrifices, and if the sacrifice is not completed within 24 hours, they will remain in each other's bodies.
After convincing her best friends who she is, Millie must race against time to stop the Butcher before he wipes out her classmates.
Freaky has a high rating on Rotten Tomatoes (80%) for a good reason. It is a fun movie with a great take on what tends to be a comedic trope. It is also interesting to see the usually loveable Vince Vaughn playing a psychotic killer before switching to mimicking a teenage girl.