It is déjà vu once more as Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan return 22 years later for the hilarious sequel Freakier Friday. This hilarious and heartfelt new body-swapping journey blends memorable members of the traditional forged with new characters in an extended-family premise that ought to resonate with trendy audiences. There are sufficient acquainted beats to evoke a heat nostalgia, whereas updating the narrative to playfully mock generations from boomers to Gen Alpha.
The story picks up in Los Angeles, the place Anna Coleman (Lohan) is a single mom to ninth-grader Harper (Julia Butters). Anna struggles managing her profitable profession as a supervisor to well-known pop star Ella (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) whereas wrangling a rambunctious teen daughter who likes to surf. It does not assist that Tess (Curtis) has embraced her function because the hip grandma, always undercutting Anna’s authority.
A Unbelievable Return 22 Years Later
Freakier Friday
3.5
/5
- Launch Date
-
August 7, 2025
- Director
-
Nisha Ganatra
- Writers
-
Mary Rodgers, Jordan Weiss
- Producers
-
Andrew Gunn, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kristin Burr
Harper cannot stand her new British classmate Lily (Sophia Hammons), who thinks she’s a clothier and method cooler than these simpleton People. Lily and Harper’s mutual dislike reaches essential mass with a wild incident, and Anna races to high school for a convention with the principal. There, she runs into Eric (Manny Jacinto), Lily’s extremely good-looking, candy widowed father. A lot to their kids’s horror, sparks fly, and the couple resolve to get engaged a number of months later. Tess is thrilled to have a brand new step-granddaughter, however Lily, nonetheless hurting after shedding her mom, does not wish to be psychoanalyzed by therapist Tess. The blended household’s angst boils over on the engagement celebration when a fateful encounter with a wacky fortune-teller (Vanessa Bayer) leads to lightning hanging twice. Anna and Harper swap our bodies, whereas Lily riotously swaps with Tess.
Very like the unique, Freakier Friday addresses the dying of a liked one, and a marriage within the aftermath. However this time round, it is Anna who finds a big different, to her daughter’s chagrin. Lohan nails portraying the grown Anna as a mother who gave up her rock-star desires to deal with elevating Harper, a self-centered woman who does not respect the sacrifices her mom makes. The identical scenario applies to Eric and Lily; she’s the middle of his universe, however he is additionally desperately lonely. Anna completes him in a method he by no means thought was attainable, and the pair have a real connection that threatens their kids. They’re hellbent on breaking apart their mother and father by any means whereas Anna and Tess attempt to get everybody again to their our bodies.
Curtis steals the present in a knockdown-funny efficiency as teenage Lily, now inhabiting a close to 70-year-old physique. Her response to grey hair, a wrinkled face and never fairly controlling your bladder is comedic gold. Curtis then emulates Lily’s loopy vogue fashion and influencer antics, which mystifies a bewildered Ryan (Mark Harmon reprising his function as Tess’ husband). His reactions to Tess’ juvenile flip well validate Curtis, who provides it her all with an unfiltered and spot-on response to fast growing older.
The youthful actresses maintain their very own and do not get overshadowed, which is essential to the movie’s equal-time method. Butters and Hammons are each baby stars with years within the enterprise, and each are plausible as petulant adolescents reworked into older souls. The scenes of Lily and Harper — who’re actually Tess and Anna — having fun with the advantages of being younger and spry are incredible. Think about having your teenage metabolism and with the ability to plow by means of junk meals with out worrying about weight acquire. However it’s not all roses, as a result of the 2 are actually topic to self-discipline by adults who will not tolerate their seemingly pretentious conduct. A cameo from a literal old-school favourite had this reviewer in stitches.
The Youthful Solid Additionally Shines
Screenwriter Jordan Weiss (Dollface, Sweethearts) additionally deserves reward for simply the appropriate dose of sweetness. Harper, in her mother’s physique, is confounded to be taught that Eric is the actual deal. It is simple for a kid to be threatened by a brand new stepparent, and the uncertainty a brand new authority determine brings. Lohan and Jacinto have tangible chemistry at first, and a type of rediscovery as Harper understands why Eric is such an awesome match for her mother. Anybody who hasn’t seen him as Jason within the sensible sitcom The Good Place must binge that sequence instantly, as Jacinto has very good comedian timing and a dominating bodily presence that permeates each function. And don’t be concerned, Chad Michael Murray followers: he will get his allotted hunk time as Jake.
The plot has many transferring elements. It is simple to comply with, however some would possibly discover it too convoluted. And there is by no means any doubt of a contented ending, making the parade of shenanigans and tearjerker moments within the third act tedious to sit down by means of. Director Nisha Ganatra (Cake, The Excessive Be aware) does not lower any corners, nevertheless, and permits the movie to achieve its pure conclusion. She spices up the display with nifty visuals to steadiness a close to two-hour story. Freakier Friday runs lengthy, and admittedly treads melodramatic, however most viewers shall be leaving the theater with a smile.
Freakier Friday is a manufacturing of Walt Disney Footage, Gunn Movies and Burr! Productions. It is going to be launched theatrically on August eighth by Walt Disney Studios Movement Footage.