Given the prominence of both properties and the shared word in their titles, it’s surprising that no one attempted to combine Freaky Friday and Friday the 13th before 2020’s Freaky. It’s also probably for the best, since someone else might have put together a weak comedy sketch rather than the clever and surprisingly affecting horror movie from director and co-writer Christopher Landon. Released five years ago today, Freaky offers a fresh take on the body-swap comedy that’s also a solidly constructed slasher movie.
Landon cheekily opens the movie with a giant “Wednesday the 11th” graphic, indicating that he and co-writer Michael Kennedy know what horror-movie conventions they’re playing with. Naturally, that’s followed by a group of teenagers sitting around a fire telling spooky stories about the Blissfield Butcher, a serial murderer who’s allegedly been slaying high schoolers during their town’s homecoming since 1977. The Butcher appears as soon as the teens split up, complete with a very Jason Voorhees-looking mask, and begins his latest murder spree.
