WithHappy Death Day(and its even-more-bonkers sequelHappy Death Day 2 U), filmmakerChristopher Landontook a trope most closely associated with a beloved comedy (Groundhog Day), with a protagonist experiencing the same day over and over again and turned it into a brilliant horror romp. (It was wildly entertaining and offered valuable commentary on repetitiousness of soulless horror movies.) For his latest film, Landon has attempted a similar genre-blending reinvention, pairing a broad body swapping conceit (made famous in Disney’sFreaky Fridayand appropriated by a stream of crude 1980s comedies) with the tropes of a traditional slasher movie. The resulting film,Freaky(out in theaters on November 13 and on VOD December 4), is an absolute blast – a fun, frantic, horror/comedy mash-up that works shockingly well and is anchored by two of the more delightful, committed performances you’ll see all year.
Freakystarts with a cold open clearly indebted toScreamand its wise-ass ilk; a band of disaffected teens are sitting around a stately manor while their parents are away, talking about the legend of the Blissfield Butcher. Is he a supernatural killer? A really, really old maniac? Or just a story that parents tell their kids to make sure they don’t get too crazy on homecoming weekend? The anonymous teens get their answer when the Butcher (Vince Vaughn) shows up, stealing an antique mask from the manor as well as another souvenir – an ancient, skull-adorned dagger (more on that in a minute). Soon after we’re introduced to Millie (Kathryn NewtonfromDetective Pikachu), an average, awkward high school senior, who recently lost her father and is just trying to apply to college to get away from her alcoholic widow of a mother (Katie Finneran) and overbearing police officer sister (Dana Drori). Her humdrum life takes a strange turn when, after the homecoming football game (Millie is the mascot, a giant plush beaver – yes, this is the type of movie not above beaver jokes), the Blissfield Butcher shows up and stabs her with the knife which, it turns out, has magically powers, leading her and the murderer to swap bodies. Of course, if she doesn’t retrieve the dagger and stabs herself, she’ll be stuck in the body of the madmanforever. (And, no, there’s really not any more explanation that that; the story doesn’t really need any additional mythological baggage.)
As far as set-ups for horror comedies go, the premise ofFreakyis pretty great. While the concept of body swapping has been used in horror movies before, most notably inGet Outand most regrettably inJason Goes to Hell, there hasn’t been a horror movie that has so explicitly been centered around a one-to-one body swap the way movies likeVice Versaor18 Againdid. In fact, it’s such a catchy hook that it’s amazing that it hasn’t really been done before, although there are potential pitfalls when mixing the comedy and horror tones that are hard to avoid and require a nimble touch.
Thankfully, Landon is more than capable of threading that particular needle, especially coming off of the twoHappy Death Daymovies (which, likeFreaky, were produced by low-budget horror impresarioJason Blum), which required a similarly light touch. The horror, which can be surprisingly gooey, is given full, R-rated attention while remaining playful (the opening sequence, when Vaughn dispatches the rich kids, is a good indication of the silly/scary nature of the kill scenes) and the comedy is engaged with just as full. Millie has a pair of best friends, Nyla (Celeste O’Connor) and Josh (Misha Osherovich, dressed exactly likeMichael J. FoxinBack to the Future), who are wonderful comedic sidekicks but also help to support the movie emotionally, since they always have Millie’s back, even when she looks like a towering serial killer.
But it’s really Newton and Vaughn who deserve the most praise. As Millie, Newton is reserved and bumbling, but when she is possessed with Vaughn’s murderous spirit, she becomes darker and bolder. Her look completely changes and she’s able to take her aggression out on those who belittled her at school (includingAlan Ruck, playing an unsympathetic shop teacher). Her performance, too, becomes more physical – it’s all about how she walks (struts) and carries herself. And Vaughn’s performance is even more miraculous. As the killer he doesn’t have to do much besides look imposing, something that he’s gotten better at in recent years thanks to roles in movies likeBrawl on Cell Block 99. But when he’s really Millie, his performance takes on an entirely different level. Seeing him twirl around and do his BFFs’ secret handshake is a howl, of course, but he’s also oddly affecting in sequences like when he’s hiding out in the discount department store where Millie’s mom works, and he’s listening to her talk about her dead husband. InHappy Death Day 2 ULandon added greater emotional dimension to a movie that could have simply been a silly sequel. He does the same thing here, wringing out tiny human moments out of the most bizarre circumstances. These moments can be absurd, sure, but there is so much depth of feeling to them that even a scene where Vaughn (playing Millie) flirts with her high school crush (Uriah Shelton). Like the rest ofFreaky, it shouldn’t work but it does.
Ultimately,Freakyis really about a young girl who doesn’t know who she is, saddled with self-doubt, anxiety, and guilt about the family members around her who are coping in different ways with the same tragedy, who becomes sure of her own identity and inner power after inhabiting the hulking body of a bloodthirsty brute. It’s fascinating, and way more complex than you’d imagine would ever form the thematic underbelly of a movie as go-for-brokefunas this one.
It’s unclear whetherFreakywill become the instant favorite thatHappy Death Daywas, but it really should be. It’s just as fun, just as clever, and with the R-rating, even edgier and more intense. (Why a working chainsaw is in an abandoned factory-turned-high-school-rager is never addressed; all we can do is be thankful that it’s there.) Anchored by a pair of truly outstanding performances from Vaughn and Newton and embroidered with lovely emotional flourishes,Freakyis the real deal – a horror comedy with heart.
Freakyopens in theaters on November 13th and hits VOD on December 4th.
