Freaky

Mr. Pat

5 minutes ago

5 min read

After back-to-back-to-back 100-loss seasons, the middle of those being the worst team in baseball history, how crazy is it that the Chicago White Sox not only made the playoffs but won their first series in 21 years against the pack of cheaters collectively known as the Houston Astros? I guess it helps that the Pope is a White Sox fan! At the beginning of the season, I would have said the chances of a Sox playoff run was more unbelievable than the plot of...

Freaky (2020)

I'm a big fan of when actors stretch their wings and try something different. There are so many actors and actresses who got their big break thanks to horror movies, but then pretty much stay away from it. You've got Jennifer Aniston, Hayden Christensen, William Shatner, Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney (although he did come back for From Dusk Till Dawn), Brad Pitt, Paul Rudd, Renée Zellweger and many more. If you want to stretch your wings and show you have range, horror is a good genre to do it, because, as I'll get into later, Vince Vaughn nails multiple roles in this one.

Here's the story: there's an urban legend of a serial killer that stalks this town called The Blissfield Butcher (Vaughn). At the beginning, a group of kids are talking about him, and wouldn't you know it, he shows up and gets to murdering. There's nothing groundbreaking here, except the kills are brutal and they introduce you to Mr. Butcher, but on a more important note, it sets the plot into motion because after killing the kids, he decides to steal an ancient dagger from a display case to use as his new weapon.

From there, we meet Millie, a beautiful girl who the movie tries really hard to make you think is an outcast, ugly and unpopular. It's really jarring at first because there's no way in a co-ed high school this girl doesn't have boys fawning over her, but as the movie goes on, I think that was done intentionally. From the over-the-top, look-at-me bully to the equally over-the-top asshole Shop teacher, you realize that this movie takes nothing seriously. Like, later in the movie, after she and the Butcher switch bodies, all she does is pull her hair back and wear a cool leather jacket, and all the boys have to pull their jaws off the floor when she walks by. The movie may as well have put her in glasses and paint-covered overalls. There's no way it wasn't a play on the secretly hot trope like in She's All That, or, as I just referenced, Not Another Teen Movie. But it's stupid fun, so I'll let it slide.

Alright, back to the story. Millie is also the school mascot, and after the game, she's waiting alone because her mom, who was supposed to pick her up, is passed out on the couch. From there, she's attacked by the Butcher, and he stabs her in the shoulder with his new-fangled dagger, causing the same wound to appear in his shoulder. Before he can finish the deed, Millie's cop sister shows up and scares him off. They each go their separate ways, but when they wake up in the morning, the two have switched bodies, and it becomes a race for Millie, in the Butcher's body, to convince her friends and love interest that she's Millie trapped in the Butcher's body, while trying to switch back.

After they wake, the movie follows a predictable path, like they're not inventing the wheel, but while the path they trod is straightforward, it's a whole lot of fun watching them walk down it. Let me start with the leads: Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton are great in their roles. Here's something that surprised me: while Vaughn is a big and imposing guy, I thought Newton was actually scarier while playing the Butcher. Her quiet way of sizing up every single person she meets was wonderfully creepy. Plus, every time she's on screen, there's such a strong unease. You can tell she's thinking about how she's planning to murder that person, and you're on edge, wondering if she's going to do it. I even think she plays a better Butcher than she does Millie, and that's not a backhanded compliment either; she's wonderfully frightening in the role.

It's the same thing with Vaughn; you can tell he's having a blast playing a teenage girl. It's funny watching him get a crash course on the differences between men and women. It follows what you'd expect, including the fascination of being able to pee standing up like Jack Black in the Jumanji sequel. It's funny, and watching her get used to her male body is a highlight. There are plenty of moments highlighting it on both sides, but it takes a wild turn when Vaughn, as Millie, is in a cop car with her crush. I don't want to spoil it, but it's... well, you're just going to see it for yourself! It's really something!

As for the other characters, I really like the main trio. They're a little unbelievable in how they react to their situation, or in their conversations, but everything about this movie is that way, so it's easy to forgive because they have great chemistry, both with Newton and Vaughn. One of the highlights is a scene where Millie is trying to convince them she's not the Butcher. It is hilarious watching Vaughn defending himself, trying desperately to get his point across while trying not to hurt them as he towers over them and begs them to stop hitting him.

I will say my favorite scene is courtesy of her friend Josh. He's the flamboyant gay friend you see in movies, and after subduing him, the group leaves the Butcher, tied up in Josh's house because his mom is away. Naturally, she comes home early, and he has to explain to her why his friend is tied to a chair. Desperate, he hilariously tries to come out to his mom as straight. The Butcher side-eyes him and laughs, and his mom, incredulous, says, "Joshua, you are many things, but straight is not one of them!"

One thing I really liked is how Butcher Millie gets frustrated dealing with being trapped in the body of a teenage girl. He's so used to being so much bigger and stronger than everybody, and he keeps forgetting that he needs to change up his tactics. Like, she straight up attacks her Shop teacher, but keeps getting her ass kicked, because he doesn't have a glaring advantage anymore. Then there's a scene where he's trying to break down a door, but failing miserably because he's so much smaller now, causing him to bemoan the body he's in.

It's an incredibly fun and funny movie with great performances from the two leads. As I mentioned, Kathryn Newton is tiny, but she somehow manages to be one of the more effective slashers I've seen in a while. She says a lot with just her stares and awkward glances, combined with her quick bursts of violence. Anytime she's on the screen, the tension is ratcheted up because she's just waiting for the smallest opportunity. And of course, Vince Vaughn is great in his role as well. It's wild to me that each of them is better than the other at playing the other's character. This is definitely worth your time.