Freaky

Directed by Christopher Landon, Freaky details the horror (and comedy) that ensues after a notorious serial killer (Vince Vaughn’s Butcher) magically swaps bodies with a mousy teenager (Kathryn Newton’s Millie). It’s an irresistibly high-concept premise that’s employed to consistently (and impressively) engrossing effect by Landon, as the filmmaker, working from a script written with Michael Kennedy, delivers a briskly-paced endeavor that succeeds as both a top-tier slasher and a laugh-out-loud funny body-switch comedy – with the picture benefiting rather substantially from the stellar efforts of its two stars. (Newton is quite good here, no doubt, and yet it’s clear that the movie’s biggest draw is Vaughn’s absolutely incredible and completely magnetic performance.) The consistently-surprising narrative goes a long way towards perpetuating Freaky‘s mostly captivating atmosphere, and there’s little doubt, certainly, that the film benefits from an ongoing emphasis on better-than-average kill sequences (eg Butcher-as-Millie takes out Alan Ruck’s verbally-abusive teacher) – although it’s equally apparent that Landon does a superb job of handling the movie’s quieter moments (eg Millie-as-Butcher has a heartfelt chat with her mom through a changing-room door). By the time the exciting third act and entirely satisfying conclusion roll around, Freaky has cemented its place as a predominantly spellbinding piece of work that seamlessly straddles two seemingly incompatible genres.

**** out of ****