Released under the banner of Blumhouse Productions, the horror comedy Freaky (2020) brings a new twist to the slasher genre. Directed by Christopher Landon, it features a cast of colorful characters, snappy dialogues and surprisingly elaborate kills.

As it borrows directly from Freaky Friday, the beats of the story are familiar, but Freaky manages to add its own wacky take to the body-swap farce — similar to the director’s sleeper hit Happy Death Day, which flips the narrative of Groundhog Day. Also influenced by horror classics like Halloween and Scream, Freaky celebrates different horror-thriller tropes, resulting in an entertaining mayhem.

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What Is Freaky About?

Freaky opens with four teenagers discussing a serial killer who apparently returns to the town every year around homecoming. Predictably so, all four of them split up at some point in the mansion where they are hanging out, and are promptly murdered by the Blissfield Butcher (played by Vince Vaughn). Before leaving, he grabs an ancient Aztec dagger called La Dola.

The scene cuts to seventeen-year-old Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton), who is supposedly an outcast at Blissfield Valley High School. Shy and awkward, she is bullied by the popular clique, and cannot catch the attention of her crush, Booker Strode (Uriah Shelton). She only relies on her two best friends: the gay and flamboyant Joshua Detmer (Misha Osherovich) and Nyla Chones (Celeste O'Connor). Millie is still processing the loss of her father (who died a year ago), but puts her life on hold to provide emotional support to her mother Coral (Katie Finneran), who often numbs her pain by drinking. On the other hand, Millie’s sister Char (Dana Drori) occupies herself with her work as a police officer to avoid the frustrations at home.

To complete Millie’s pitiable image, she is shown dancing in the school mascot costume (a beaver) at the homecoming football game. Afterwards, she waits for her mother to pick her up but Coral has gone to sleep after drinking. With the school now empty, Millie calls Char but her phone goes dead in-between. She spots the Butcher and tries to escape, but he eventually pins her down and stabs her in the shoulder with the dagger. However, the wound mysteriously appears on his shoulder as well. Char arrives at that moment, and the Butcher flees. The police collect La Dola as evidence and release a sketch of the killer.

On the morning of what is now Friday the 13th, Millie and the Butcher both wake up in each other’s bodies. The Butcher easily settles into his new form, as he now has access to a school full of potential victims. Clad in a red leather jacket, he marches in and disposes of a bully named Ryler (Melissa Collazo) and the often-abusive wood shop teacher, Mr. Bernardi (Alan Ruck). In contrast, Millie-as-the-Butcher is unable to go outside without people recognizing the killer. She sneaks into the school, and manages to convince Joshua and Nyla that she is trapped in the murderer’s body.

After some research, they find out that Millie has to stab the Butcher with the same dagger within 24 hours, or the body swap will become permanent. After saving Booker from Butcher, Millie fills him in on her predicament while an unconscious Butcher is tied to a chair in Joshua’s house. Booker, Millie and Nyla head to the police station to retrieve La Dola, and Joshua is left to oversee the Butcher. When Millie shares with Booker how she feels “empowered” for once in her new body, he tells her that strength comes from the inside — a corny reminder, but a lesson that she must learn nonetheless. They share a romantic (yet hilarious) moment, while Nyla attempts to steal the dagger without Char noticing.

However, the Butcher escapes from Joshua’s place and goes to the police station for the dagger. Millie runs in after him and ends up locking an unaware Char in a holding cell to avoid unnecessary hindrances, while the Butcher drives away with La Dola.

How Does Freaky End?

As the school cancels homecoming in wake of the murders, the students hold a secret dance at an old mill instead — a suggestion that the Butcher made to some of the football players as it is actually his hiding place. After escaping from the police station, he joins the party, where he brutally slaughters three jocks after they attempt to rape him (thinking he is Millie). Booker, Nyla, Millie and Joshua also arrive to find him. A jock tries to assault Joshua, but is also killed by the Butcher. Eventually, Nyla and Joshua succeed in holding him down, while Millie stabs him with La Dola. They switch back to their bodies mere moments before the police arrive and shoot the Butcher.

While Millie relaxes at home with her family, the Butcher fakes his death in an ambulance. He soon arrives at her house and taunts her for being weak. Coral, Char and Millie try to overpower him, with Millie finally impaling him with a broken table leg.

There is no mention of La Dola, however, in the conclusion of the film — perhaps hinting at the possibility of a sequel (although this has not been confirmed yet). In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Blumhouse founder Jason Blum vaguely commented on a potential Happy Death Day and Freaky crossover that “anything is possible”. In Landon’s interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he stated:

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