Freaky(2020)(Review)[Weirdo Wednesday]

Director Chris Landon had previously brought us both of the ‘Happy Death Day’ films as well as a few of the later ‘Paranormal Activity’ series, and he returned last year with a new film for Blumhouse titled “Freaky”.

Essentially being billed as ‘Freaky Friday the 13th’, the film is simply that. When a serial killer (Vince Vaugn) stabs a teenage girl (Kathryn Newton) with a cursed dagger, they swap bodies overnight. Now, the body count rises and there’s lots of surprises, all with an urgency to get back into their rightful hosts.

This film works so well! Vaugn is super funny and Newton steals the show as the quiet, cold-blooded killer going through a normal day for a teenager. But the violence is surprisingly clever and the film is brutal. Blood splatters often and none of the characters are safe.

It’s a rather simple idea but it goes to great lengths. Another strength the film has is in its direction. Vaugn is able to be the teenage girl without it being creepy or gross (and there’s a few honestly shocking moments), and the movie never stops being fun. The characters are great and don’t typically abide by the tropes, and the movie goes by in a flash.

If you’ve been curious about this one, I strongly urge you to check it out. It’s one of the most fun slashers I’ve seen in years. And while it’s not exactly reinventing the wheel, it has confidence in what its doing – and it is glorious to observe.

4/5
“Freaky” is currently streaming on Amazon Prime & HBO Max.

‘Til Next Time,
Mike Cleopatra