Freaky (film)
A body-swap slasher with a teenage girl and a serial killer.
Freaky is a 2020 American comedy slasher directed by Christopher Landon, who co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Kennedy. The film puts a twist on *Freaky Friday*, starring Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Katie Finneran, Misha Osherovich, Celeste O'Connor, and Alan Ruck. The story follows a teenage girl who accidentally swaps bodies with a middle-aged male serial killer. Jason Blum produced the movie through his Blumhouse Productions company. It debuted at Beyond Fest on October 8, 2020, then hit U.S. theaters on November 13, 2020, with an international release on July 2, 2021, via Universal Pictures. Critics gave it positive reviews, highlighting Vaughn and Newton's performances and the film's mix of horror and comedy.
**Plot** Four teenagers gossip about a local legend, the Blissfield Butcher. The Butcher breaks into their mansion, kills them all, and leaves with an ancient dagger called La Dola.
The next day, bullied high schooler Millie Kessler works as a mascot at a homecoming football game. While waiting for a ride near the empty school, the Butcher stabs her shoulder with La Dola, and a matching wound appears on his own shoulder. Millie's sister Char, a police officer, scares the Butcher off. Police collect La Dola and start a manhunt.
The next morning, Millie and the Butcher wake up in each other's bodies. The Butcher, now in Millie's form, goes to school and kills her main bully, Ryler, by locking her in a cryotherapy tank. He realizes his innocent look makes him unsuspicious and kills woodshop teacher Mr. Bernardi with a table saw. Millie, stuck in the Butcher's body, finds her friends Nyla and Josh and proves who she is. They research La Dola and learn she must stab the Butcher with the dagger before midnight to reverse the swap.
Later, the Butcher suggests a homecoming dance at an old mill—his hideout. He lures Millie's crush Booker to a mini-golf course to kill him, but Millie, Nyla, and Josh save him. Millie knocks out both the Butcher and Booker, then ties the Butcher to a chair at Josh's house. Millie and Nyla explain the situation to Booker, who believes them only after Millie recites a love poem she wrote him weeks earlier. While Josh watches the Butcher, the trio drives to the police station to steal La Dola. Nyla tricks Char into leaving, grabs the dagger, and Booker admits he's always liked Millie. She confesses she enjoys the
- Release year
- 2020
- Director
- Christopher Landon
- Screenwriters
- Michael Kennedy and Christopher Landon
- Genre
- Comedy slasher
- Production company
- Blumhouse Productions
- Distributor
- Universal Pictures
- Worldwide gross
- $18.1 million
Lore & Background
The film follows Millie Kessler, a bullied high school student who, after being stabbed with an ancient dagger called La Dola by the Blissfield Butcher, wakes up in the Butcher's body. The Butcher, now in Millie's body, exploits his innocent appearance to kill her tormentors at school. Millie, with help from her friends Nyla and Josh, learns that the switch must be reversed by midnight or become permanent. They retrieve the dagger and confront the Butcher at a homecoming dance held at his mill hideout. After stabbing him with La Dola, they switch back, and the Butcher is shot by police. However, he fakes death in an ambulance and attacks Millie at her home, where she kills him by impaling him with a broken table leg. The cast includes Vince Vaughn as the Blissfield Butcher and Kathryn Newton as Millie Kessler, with each also portraying the other character in the swapped body.
Reader's Guide
Freaky is significant as a high-concept horror-comedy that blends the body-swap premise of Freaky Friday with slasher film conventions, following director Christopher Landon's earlier work on Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U. The film was praised for its performances, particularly Vaughn and Newton, and its effective mix of horror and humor. It grossed $18.1 million worldwide and received an 84% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film's legacy lies in its creative twist on a classic trope, offering a fresh take on the slasher genre while maintaining a comedic tone. It also highlights the continued success of Blumhouse Productions in producing low-budget, high-concept genre films.
Did You Know?
- The film was originally titled Freaky Friday the 13th during principal photography.
- Principal photography lasted 35 days, from October 21, 2019, to December 12, 2019.
- The film topped the U.S. box office in its first and second weekends.
- Screenwriter Michael Kennedy began working on the script after being impressed by Happy Death Day's blend of Groundhog Day with a slasher film.
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