As I get nearer to my thirties, I discover myself extra nostalgic for the films of my childhood. Prior to now 12 months, I’ve rewatched classics like The Princess Diaries and The Lizzie McGuire Film with my pals and felt such delight at quoting sure strains and singing alongside to the soundtrack. I am positively the audience for Freakier Friday.
The 2003’s Freaky Friday — one among many films Disney tailored from the 1972 novel of the identical identify — was a childhood staple. After I consider the films I’d most frequently discover on TV, ripe for infinite rewatching, I consider Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis screaming in one another’s faces.
The primary film is iconic, so I used to be naturally a bit nervous in regards to the choice to make a sequel greater than twenty years later. And but, from the very starting of the Nisha Ganatra-directed film, I felt nothing however sheer delight at seeing Lohan and Curtis reunited on display, doing the factor they do greatest: give their all to a hilarious body-swap premise.
Freakier Friday Feels Acquainted & New All At As soon as — Simply As It Ought to
The acquainted beats of the earlier story are all right here, however Ganatra and screenwriter Jordan Weiss (constructing off a narrative by Weiss and Elyse Hollander) provide sufficient twists to maintain it from being a boring retread. One-time rebellious punk rocker Anna (Lohan) has now matured right into a mother vulnerable to therapy-speak, whereas Tess (Curtis) is channeling her personal motherly instincts into her granddaughter, Harper (Julia Butters).
Even when Anna and Tess’ most intense conflicts have lengthy since settled, there’s nonetheless discord among the many girls within the Coleman household. After being a single mom for all of Harper’s life, Anna falls head-over-heels for Eric (a really dreamy Manny Jacinto), a chef with a pampered daughter, Lily (Sophia Hammons), who would not get together with Harper. In any respect.
With Anna and Eric’s wedding ceremony looming — together with the potential of the entire household shifting to London, the place Eric and Lily are from — tensions are working excessive between all 4 women. Enter a critically over-achieving psychic (Vanessa Bayer) who foresees that every one they want is a change of coronary heart — and maybe a change of physique, too.
The filmmakers well selected to keep away from among the questionable tropes from the primary film that arose with the Chinese language mom and daughter being concerned in Anna and Tess’ swap (although each Rosalind Chao and Lucille Soong make temporary returns right here). Nonetheless, as humorous as Bayer is, it does make Freakier Friday a bit cornier than earlier than.
Whatever the lack of subtlety, the physique swap should occur. The following morning, Harper and Anna uncover they’ve swapped locations and, much more hilariously, Lily and Tess have as nicely. Curtis will get some glorious laughs proper out of the gate as she, because the teenage Lily, gamely reacts with horror at her older physique.
Harper and Lily see a possibility to interrupt up the approaching wedding ceremony, whereas Anna and Tess simply need to put an finish to all of the swapping. Freakier Friday branches out in two completely different instructions because the story follows each pairs on their inevitable, predictable (however no much less heartwarming) journeys of friendship and understanding.
Jamie Lee Curtis & Lindsay Lohan Are Unimaginable Collectively
The Sequel Makes Nice Use Of Their Skills
Unsurprisingly, the extra entertaining thread is the one which options Lohan and Curtis. Not solely do their characters have a richer battle to discover as Harper and Lily staff up, however each actors get a wonderful showcase for his or her comedic abilities. They labored collectively brilliantly as dueling mom and daughter; now, they get a totally new dynamic to painting, and it is thrilling to see.
Maybe top-of-the-line sequences for them comes when the 2 teenagers search out Anna’s highschool crush, Jake (Chad Michael Murray), within the hopes of introducing a romantic complication. Lohan demonstrates her prowess for bodily comedy whereas Curtis, shortly after a flirting try goes wildly sideways, will get to be weak. Each actors are in excellent kind.
Freakier Friday stands by itself, nevertheless it additionally options a variety of callbacks to the 2003 unique that can undoubtedly delight viewers who grew up with it.
That is the best power of Freakier Friday: it balances the hilarity with the heartfelt, giving virtually each character the possibility to get actual and deepen their connections. As I actually sat with the film because the credit rolled, I puzzled if one character’s progress obtained a bit shortchanged by the tip, however with such a triumphant, nostalgic climax, it is easy to breeze over.
Although Lohan and Curtis are the celebs of the present, their youthful counterparts are greater than succesful. Butters has already confirmed herself a notable rising expertise, however her open devastation when one thing goes horribly flawed is particularly hanging right here. Hammons is equally nice, going from posh teen to sweetly overbearing grandmother with ease.
Freakier Friday stands by itself, nevertheless it additionally options a variety of callbacks to the 2003 film that can undoubtedly delight viewers who grew up with it. Acquainted faces pop up right here and there, with some making temporary cameos and others, like Mark Harmon’s Ryan, getting a significant second or two. The jokes fly and principally land, although that is largely because of the ability of the forged.
Ganatra, taking up from unique director Mark Waters, units an brisk tempo and retains issues vigorous throughout the comedic scenes, although she additionally is aware of when to take a beat and let the character work converse for itself. Freakier Friday has all of the hallmarks of an early 2000s teen comedy, albeit with a 2025 sheen.
Consequently, it is a legacy sequel completed proper. Freakier Friday honors the unique film that paved the best way — the Pink Slip reunion is as joyful as one would hope — whereas telling a brand new story that provides recent layers to the characters we all know and love. As Lohan’s long-awaited return to the massive display and reunion with Curtis, it is a crowd-pleasing delight.
Freakier Friday
8/10
- Launch Date
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August 7, 2025
- Director
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Nisha Ganatra
- Writers
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Mary Rodgers, Jordan Weiss
- Prequel(s)
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Freaky Friday
- Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis are higher than ever ? and seeing them collectively once more is a real delight.
- It is the proper steadiness of nostalgia and one thing recent.
- Virtually each character will get a significant second to shine.
- In switching up the trigger for the swap, it will get just a little cornier than one would hope.