In what could be the largest shock of the summer season, “Freakier Friday” is definitely actually nice. I wasn’t fairly certain what to anticipate. The 2003 authentic, arriving on the peak of Lindsay Lohan’s stardom, was a full-on millennial fever dream. So the concept of a contemporary 2025 spin felt, on paper, like a recipe for catastrophe, and the trailers actually didn’t assist. But Nisha Ganatra’s sequel not solely lives as much as its potential however delivers a movie that’s as humorous as it’s endearing and undeniably candy.
Lohan, in her first theatrical main function for the reason that misfire “I Know Who Killed Me” in 2007, is firmly again within the highlight after a string of profitable Netflix rom-coms. You’ll be able to’t assist however root for her. She returns as Anna Coleman, who you may bear in mind swapped our bodies together with her mom Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and discovered a tricky lesson about love and compassion. That lesson is now doubled with the addition of her daughter Harper (an exquisite Julia Butters) and soon-to-be stepdaughter Lily (Sophia Hammons).
Anna, who we study had a reasonably profitable musical profession, now works primarily as a expertise supervisor, making an attempt to “co-parent” alongside Tess, who goes by “Grams.” Anna has fallen head over heels for fellow single dad or mum Eric (Manny Jacinto – having a ball), and so they’re quickly to be married. In fact, future step-siblings Harper and Lily completely can not stand one another with their bickering mirrors the dynamic Anna and Tess had 23 years earlier. Enter Madame Jen (a energetic Vanessa Bayer), an beginner psychic whose fortunate mixture of spells and occult nonsense scrambles the identities of all 4: Lily turns into Grams, Grams turns into Lily, Anna is Harper, and Harper is Anna. There’s a studying curve, however the movie finds its rhythm.
Skepticism was excessive getting into: how might the filmmakers juggle so many characters, or make the physique swap state of affairs even remotely believable once more? I used to be pleasantly stunned by how nuanced and cheeky all of it felt. It’s a blast seeing ninth graders working wild of their older counterparts’ our bodies: free from duty, taking joyrides, dressing nevertheless they need.
In the meantime, Anna and Tess embrace their youthful selves with binge junk meals classes (“I haven’t digested like this in years!”) and enjoyment of with the ability to bend over with out harm or embarrassment. It’s all in good enjoyable.
A lot of the self-deprecation comes from Curtis, who throws haymakers about her lip measurement and bone construction, however Lohan matches her each step. Simply as earlier than, they’re having a blast enjoying youngsters in their very own our bodies. The timing and cadence are spot on, and the movie nails fashionable teenage struggles round “triggers” and “protected areas” with sharp, on-the-nose humor. There’s even a meals combat!
At its core, “Freakier Friday” is a poignant story about discovering your folks, the which means of real love and, in fact, the unbreakable bond of household. It lands its emotional beats as a result of the script, by Jordan Weiss and Elyse Hollander, doesn’t lean too closely on nostalgia. Sure, there’s loads of fan service (the return of Chad Michael Murray is a textbook wink to followers, although he’s genuinely nice, so it’s forgiven), and naturally, it wouldn’t be a legacy sequel with out these nods. However “Freakier Friday” carves out its personal path and has a swell time doing it.
FREAKIER FRIDAY is now enjoying in theaters.