Freaky

Greetings fellow movie goers from around the globe. It’s finally Halloween Month. During October, I’ll be selecting specific horror movies. I’ve chosen a body swap themed horror comedy titled, “Freaky” starring Vince Vaughn & Kathryn Newton. The premise is about a serial killer who uses a magical dagger stabbing a teenage girl which causes them to switch bodies. With time running out, the girl in the killer’s body must find a way to switch back or else she’s stuck forever.

Freaky was released in 2020. (same year Doom: Eternal came out) It received positive reviews from critics and movie goers alike. Besides picking specific horror movies during October, Michael Myers will return in the upcoming “Halloween Kills.”

This review contains no SPOILERS whatsoever. Feel free to read my non-spoiler article. Keep in mind fellas, this review is short. Freaky isn’t a complex rewatchable psychological thriller like “Shutter Island.” Just a small scale horror comedy. So bear with me.

Clean & Messy Aspects

Clean: Vince Vaughn did a funny as heck job for his performance. He managed to impersonate a teenage girl trapped in a serial killer’s body.

Fun Fact: Vince played a serial killer in that god awful “Psycho” remake. This time, he’s actually playing a sinister psychopath.

Kathryn Newton did a great job for her performance. She managed to impersonate a serial killer possessing a girl’s body. Kathryn is channeling Vince’s role as Frank from True Detective’s second season.

Christopher “Chris” Landon (Happy Death Day, its sequel, Paranormal Activity sequels, Disturbia) did a great job writing and directing the film.

Jason Blum produced the film courtesy of his production company Blumhouse Productions.

Practical Effects were heavily used to stage brutal Death Scenes.

Humor contains elements of dark comedy and “Fish Out Of Water” vibes.

Cinematography didn’t contain tremendous amount of Shaky Cam.

Bear McCreary (The Walking Dead) God Of War 2018, Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.) orchestrated the music.

The movie is influenced by “Freaky Friday,” the “Scream” series, “Halloween,” “Friday The 13th,” “Jennifer’s Body” & “Fright Night.”

Universal logo has a red filter. What you’re about to see is gonna be one heck of a bloody mess.

Opening Scene establishes The Tone between horror and comedy.

We learn about Millie’s backstory.

The killer’s mask is based on Jason Voorhees’ hockey mask. In one scene, he also uses a hook and chainsaw. Paying homage to “I Know What You Did Last Summer” & “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

A magic dagger obviously plays a pivotal role.

Alan Ruck (Cameron from Ferris Buller’s Day Off) appears as Millie’s mean spirited wood shop teacher.

The Story is primarily set on Friday The 13th. Freaky actually came out on November 13th on a Friday.

Like most horror movies, unsympathetic character lacking redeem qualities win first class tickets to Mephisto’s realm. If you don’t know who he is, Mephisto is from “Ghost Rider.”

Millie’s friends remind me of Buffy & Cyrus from “Andi Mack.”

“Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind” is referenced. The late Mac Miller (my favorite rapper) said this was one of his favorite movies of all time.

The Broadway musical “Wicked” is mentioned. A film adaptation is currently in development.

The Ending has no sequel bait. Just a self-contained story not setting up a future installment.

Messy: Without giving anything away, a Plot Hole involving a chase scene inside a store. Where the heck are the security cameras. Many stores install cameras.

Product Placement (Pee Pee for short) featuring brands such as Cheetos & Apple. I’ll give this flaw a pass, because I couldn’t find any other brand to shove down my throat.

The Final Verdict: A-

From my perspective, Freaky is a surprisingly decent horror comedy. Most of the positive stuff listed, indicates why this movie is a sleeper hit. If you’re curious to see Freaky, I highly recommend it.