Directed by Christopher Landon (Scout's Handbook for the Zombie Apocalypse, Best Wishes for Your Death), Freaky is a horror comedy starring Kathryn Newton (Paranormal Activity 4) and Vince Vaughn (Cell Block 99: No One Can Stop Me).
The film follows the lead of the slasher subgenre concentrating, above all, in the comedy genre, territory in which the story unravels with ease enriching itself with funny and hilarious sequences related to the accidental exchange of bodies.
Freaky (USA - 2020) gives an unforgettable intro that, in the eyes of horror and slasher film fans could translate into a rapturous concentration of violence and blood. In fact, in the first minutes of the film, Christopher Landon proves his skills in handling a situation of horror and death when, a serial killer kills four boys in brutal ways, even sticking a glass bottle in the throat of one of the victims in order to lacerate their necks and, at the same time, strangle them.
After this remarkable sequence in which a chilling Vince Vaughn moves, Freaky remains rooted in the comedy genre for most of its duration, dusting off its clichés and dwelling on the themes of adolescence/bullying and, above all, body-swapping. The latter aspect is not only the centerpiece of the story but also the basis on which Vince Vaughn's grandiose performance stands. After the curse, the character he plays goes from being a ruthless psychopath to a vulnerable and awkward individual. It is precisely the actor's ability to handle feminine expressiveness and movements that triggers a series of comic sequences that are not to be underestimated.
Less successful in this regard is the acting performance of Kathryn Newton who does not always manage her change as well as her colleague who, on the contrary, is able to cast herself in two distinct and completely opposite roles.
In a desperate attempt to break the curse, Freaky offers more splashes of gore, alternating between fun and murders such as the man cut in half with a circular saw, the boys having their throats slit or killed with a chainsaw.
Ultimately Freaky is a good example of a horror comedy that well balances the two genres by making use of a good cast among which Vince Vaughn's performance certainly stands out.
Freaky is the story of Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton), a bullied 17-year-old girl who will be targeted by the Butcher (Vince Vaughn), her town's notorious serial killer. Because of an ancient dagger, however, the two will wake up in each other's bodies.
Millie will have only 24 hours to get her body back before the exchange becomes final, and with the help of some friends she will try to undo the curse.
In addition to the two aforementioned actors, the cast includes Celeste O'Connor, Misha Osherovich, Katie Finneran, Uriah Shelton, Dana Drori, Charles Green, Kelly Lamor Wilson, and Alan Ruck.
The screenplay is by Christopher Landon and Michael Kennedy.
Freaky is available on DVD and Blu-ray thanks to Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The rich extras section of the Blu-ray edition also features: Cutscenes; "Dissociated Personalities: Millie VS. the Butcher"; "Christopher Landon's Brand of Horror"; Commentary on the film.
