FREAKY (2020) Reviews and overview

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Freaky will be available as a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Code combo release called the “Killer Switch Edition” and will feature the following extras:

Deleted Scenes: The Butcher Lends a Hand / Charlene Hears a Rumor / Late for the Party

Split Personalities: Millie vs. The Butcher – Two opposing characters. One killer chemistry! Go behind-the-scenes to see how Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton worked together to bring these two very different characters to life and how they created distinct personal traits for both. This piece will focus on the magnetism between Vaughn and Newton, and how that chemistry raised the stakes for two characters stuck in such a strange situation.

Crafting the Kills – This feature will take viewers into the “Wood Shop” set to see how all of the various elements and departments come together to create an extraordinary kill that fans will talk about for years to come. We will also discuss the inspiration behind this bilateral bisection, what makes it both fun and horrifying, and how it is different from anything else you have seen in other horror films.

Christopher Landon’s Brand of Horror – Blending horror and comedy is a difficult task that not many can achieve, but Christopher Landon has proven time and time again that he is uniquely skilled at it. FREAKY is no different. Learn how Christopher’s vision brought new energy to the concept and elevated the story, all while creating a fun and proficient working environment. This behind-the-scenes look at how he weaves humor and gore together will give fans an intimate understanding of why a Christopher Landon film is a genre of its own.

Final Girl Reframed – The concept of a “Final Girl” is nothing new in the horror genre. However, Millie isn’t your typical Final Girl. We take a closer look at all the ways FREAKY takes your genre expectations and smashes them

Feature Commentary with Co-writer/Director Christopher Landon

The film will also be available to order via Amazon Prime on January 26th 2021.

Meanwhile, here is our previous coverage of Freaky:

‘Basic switch. Killer new look.’
Freaky is a 2020 American horror film about a teenage girl that swaps bodies with a deranged serial killer. Unfortunately, she discovers she has less than twenty-four hours before the change becomes permanent.

Directed by Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day and its sequel; Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse; Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones) from a screenplay co-written with Michael Kennedy. Produced by Jason Blum and Adam Hendricks. The movie stars Vince Vaughn (Psycho, 1998), Kathryn Newton (Paranormal Activity 4), Alan Ruck and Uriah Shelton.

Plot:
Seventeen-year-old Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton) is just trying to survive the bloodthirsty halls of Blissfield High and the cruelty of the popular crowd. But when she becomes the newest target of The Butcher (Vince Vaughn), her town’s infamous serial killer, her senior year becomes the least of her worries.

When The Butcher’s mystical ancient dagger causes him and Millie to wake up in each other’s bodies, Millie learns that she has just 24 hours to get her body back before the switch becomes permanent and she’s trapped in the form of a middle-aged maniac forever. The only problem is she now looks like a towering psychopath who’s the target of a city-wide manhunt while The Butcher looks like her and has brought his appetite for carnage to Homecoming…

Reviews:
Freaky contains several really inventive kills […] There are a couple good jump scares, too. Less expected, yet still welcome, is a little bit of heart. For all the comedy and violent mayhem, Landon and co-writer Michael Kennedy take time to ensure we care about the characters […] Energetically paced and stylishly photographed, Freaky is a total scream…” The Aisle Seat

” …here [Landon] lacks a performer like Jessica Rothe, whose energy and charisma carried those movies through their logical inconsistencies and sometimes shaky plotting. Without that dazzling central performance, Freaky occasionally loses its focus in its under-plotted narrative. Most viewers will be too entertained to care too much about the plot holes or cheap fake-outs, though.” CBR

Freaky is the blood-soaked, heartwarming horror we need right now. It’s a love letter to the genre without ever aping or mimicking it. With an incredible supporting cast and two engaging leads, it’s an out and out blast that finds Landon inching closer and closer to slasher masters like Craven and Carpenter. Where he goes from here is anyone’s guess, but we’ll be waiting.” Consequence of Sound

“A spiritual sister to Happy Death Day in more ways than one, Freaky affirms Christopher Landon and his collaborators have a distinctive corner all to themselves in the category of hip, humorous horror. Freaky doesn’t worry about birthing a franchise, filling a preordained spot on a studio’s slate, or phoning it in. The movie does its own thing, everyone has a good time doing it, and that energy carries over to viewers enjoying the madcap mania at home.” Culture Crypt

” …the pacing in Freaky is fantastic as well; the story moves along really well, and even when the film slows down to give us an emotional moment shared between Millie (as the Butcher) and her mom, it doesn’t drag anything down, either, and I love that for a movie that nails both the comedic and genre aspects so well, it also takes the time to get us invested in these characters on an emotional level.” Daily Dead

“Like Scream, Freaky understands and loves the horror movies that came before it. It takes these raw materials and molds them into its own unique identity, resulting in one of the most refreshing entries in the horror genre in a long time. While bleaker-than-bleak horror seems to be the norm these days – and there’s nothing wrong with that, as so many of these movies are wonderful – there’s room for fun horror, too.” /Film

“Landon’s latest creation is a thoroughly wild rollercoaster, packed with odd characters and great performances. It’s definitely something we all need this year. It offers nostalgia and appreciation for slasher films from the past and, ultimately, is a satisfying watch for every slasher fan. It’s bloodier than you can expect with gore flooding the screen.” First Showing

“Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton are wonderful in their roles, with the former adjusting body language and vernacular appropriately whereas Newton throws on a killer red jacket and puts on a death stare prepared to kill anyone that gets in her way […] Freaky is another exercise from Christopher Landon that leans into originality and familiarity in equal measure with charm and diabolically funny bloodshed…” Flickering Myth

“Newton, with the less showier of roles, is an effectively ferocious killer, her determined stalk and icy death stare making up for her minimal dialogue. But it’s Vaughn who steals it with career-best work, a surprisingly impactful and, at times, moving turn that goes way beyond the surface silliness of the setup […]  It’s a marvellous, thoughtful performance from an actor who’s been doing so very little for so long…” The Guardian

” …there’s no question that the thematic emphasis produces some memorable lines and amusing situations. On balance though, there’s more action than R-rated humor evident throughout, which seems like a missed opportunity after Landon loaded up the two Happy Death Day movies with a surfeit of often surprising and comedic horror situations. Chalk it up to an abundance of imagination, but Freaky may just be too clever to be all that much fun.” The Hollywood Reporter

Freaky is a wonderfully diverse film with progressive themes that we need to see more of in horror […] Freaky is the warm splash of blood we need right now. Relatable teens and a relentless positivity make this the perfect horror film for a younger crowd wanting a few laughs, while the jaw-dropping gore will satisfy even the most seasoned horror vet. Freaky is a film for everyone.” Killer Horror Critic

“If you know the concept, Freaky delivers exactly the movie it promises, a teen slasher/body swap hybrid with plenty of laughs and blood. It may not be a new classic and doesn’t entirely deliver on its promise, but that’s okay, it’s still a raucous time, and two fun, strong central performances help the film through the down moments.” The Last Thing I See

” …Freaky knows how to push laughs. It helps that both actors’ rise to the challenge of embodying their counterpart, a fun exercise allowing Vaughn an opportunity to display a charm that, once upon a time, opened big movies. Underneath the surface, however, Freaky is more than a comeback vehicle, but an exceptional showcase for the quartet of rising stars, representing a rare slasher flick that illustrates soul while never losing sight of its bloody roots.” The Only Critic

“Landon’s high-camp collision of beloved teen movie genres indulges all the classic body-swap tropes, as both characters explore the pros and cons of being the opposite sex, and scores a few moments of genuine insight amid the inevitable scatological gags. Freaky is also the latest in a surge of queer horror films, following the likes of Jennifer’s Body, The Neon Demon, Raw and The Perfection…” South China Morning Post

“This is the type of film that will either land with you or not. If you are a horror purist, I think some of the liberties it takes might frustrate you. If you are not a horror fan, all the gore will likely put you off. But if you are somewhere in the middle, I think this will work for you. If you liked Freaky, we would also recommend to you Happy Death Day.” TL;DR

” …most of the joy is in watching Vaughn. He doesn’t overdo it, either. His gestures aren’t wildly feminine—he never feels like a caricature of a high school girl. It’s still funny, but the humor is far less built on a man playing a girl as it is on a petite female inhabiting the body of a really enormous man. That’s mainly the terrain Vaughn and Landon mine for physical comedy, and it is fertile ground.” UK Film Review

MOVIES and MANIA rating:

Trailer:

Film facts:
The original title for the film was Freaky Friday the 13th, a reference to the various Freaky Friday (1976) films, about a mother and daughter body-swapping, and the Friday the 13th (1980) films.

Vince Vaughn’s fall during the auditorium chase was accidental and not scripted. Vaughn slipped on the fake plant that was knocked over and lost his balance but continued the scene.

Release:
In the US, Freaky is released theatrically on Friday the 13th November 2020. It is also released in many countries on 12th and 13th of November.

Cast and characters:
Vince Vaughn … Blissfield Butcher
Kathryn Newton … Millie
Alan Ruck
Uriah Shelton … Booker
Katie Finneran
Dustin Lewis … Ginny’s Dad
Dana Drori
Mitchell Hoog … Actor
Charles Green … Frank
Deja Dee … Karla Parsley
Kelly Lamor Wilson … Ginny
Melissa Collazo … Ryler
Celeste O’Connor
Catherine Joyce Agan … Self – High school Student
Jennifer Pierce Mathus … Ginny’s Mom

Filming locations:
Denmark High School – 645 Mullinax Road, Alpharetta, Georgia (Blissfield Valley High) from 21st October 2019.

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