I've been living under a rock these past few months so when all this Freaky hype was building up I didn't even know this film existed. Actually the only reason I caught wind of this movie or even went to go see it was because a couple of my friends wanted to go see a film and when I checked to see what was playing at our cinema everything looked pretty bad aside from this. I'm actually really happy I chose to see this film because I love watching Horror comedies and that especially goes for the more teenage centered ones like this. This film definitely has a similar essence and atmosphere to many other Horror Comedies released in the last few years such as Happy Death Day and even Tragedy Girls.
One thing I loved about this film was the obvious references and inspirations of classic films such as Freaky Friday and Friday the 13th. The best way to describe this film is that it's basically a mix of those two films with a sprinkle of something special and unique that makes the movie worth watching. As much as I do like that the film does try to add new and interesting perspectives into the film that I haven't really seen done before and I love that the main premise is a unique twist on what is normally otherwise a tired generic plot that's continuously being used in Hollywood the last few years but a lot of what this movie does bring to the table is kind of generic and stuff that just feels old. I've already mentioned four movies this film reminded me of and that's one of my big issues with the film. It's so cluttered with obvious inspirations that at times the film becomes distracting because of how familiar it starts to feel to other films. The main reason this is a huge issue is because it becomes hard to give this film it's own identity and at a lot of times feels like a cheaper knock off of the films it was very clearly inspired by. The film still does try to implement some great and unique ideas but a lot of times those ideas get left in the shadows in exchange for the more repetitive and familiar plots which leaves you kind of disappointed because they get you excited by introducing new things but ultimately abandons them prematurely ultimately leaving you wanting a lot more.
Another issue I really have with this movie is how ridiculously corny the film can get. Now adding a little cheese here and there can actually add a lot of charm to a film especially a horror film in my opinion but this film definitely makes the mistake of overdoing it. One reason why they overdo it is because after a while that corniness really loses the heart and isn't very funny anymore and Instead if moving on from it and bringing in more solid and clever comedy that film proved it was capable of over and over again it instead insists on continuing to hit us with this corny jokes and over time they just become annoying and overbearing. Another reason why this is a big issue us because the film doesn't really do a good job at scaring you or even really making you feel uneasy and because of that the more corny the film gets the more childish it feels as well and the more lost the themes of the film become. One second I could find myself loving the realistic charm this film has especially in it's dialogue to the next second cringing in my seat because they overdo it with the corny cheesy lines over and over again.
Despite the overwhelming corniness in some of the more vital scenes of this film, the cast does an incredible job at keeping your eyes pierced on the screen and keeping the audience completely engaged and indulged in the film. I absolutely loved every single performance in this film especially from Vince Vaughn who was charismatic as ever when his time came and I also adored Kathryn Newton in just about every scene she was in. I also loved all the sides characters and I really believe they all added some unique charm to the film. I also really liked the individual characters, the character dynamics and I especially loved the main character's family dynamics in the film. I thought the mother being an alcoholic and dealing with the grieving of the fathers' death was all handled really well, respectively, and realistically, and added another level of in-depth storytelling that made this film a lot more interesting. The only thing I wish they explored more was the killer's background and backstory such has connection to the mythical weapon he was after but in the same breath I also understand and like that they didn't take away from the main characters' path and story.
At the end of the day, Freaky is a pretty solid horror comedy film that can definitely get a few laughs and a few jumps out of you. This film excels with it's incredible character dynamics and fantastic backstory that adds a lot of important character to the film that makes it so much more interesting. Although it goes without saying that this film definitely goes over bored with the corny lines and cheesy jokes but still has a mature sense of humor that sucks definitely does a great job at eating the audience but also does a great job at keeping you on your toes during the more intense and crucial moments. The pacing of the film was fantastic, the acting was great and even the tone tho messy at times was pretty great and consistent. I also really loved the ending of this film and there was a lot that I took away from this film that I honestly really enjoyed. If you are a big fan of teenage horror Comedies then I would definitely recommend this film to you. This is definitely a film I can see becoming a pretty big cult classic in the future and some fantastic shots and unique and entertaining killings surely guarantee it!
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