SWAP CHOP
A HORROR-COMEDY THAT CUTS BOTH WAYS…
Cheerleading tryouts have taken a dark turn…
FREAKY 15
FILM ★★★★☆
OUT 2 JULY CINEMAS
Directedand co-written by Happy Death Day’s Christopher Landon, this Blumhouse-backed slasher-com kicks off in frantically gruesome fashion. But it quickly takes a hard left into the supernatural, as Vince Vaughn’s masked killer swaps bodies with unassuming high-schooler Millie (Kathryn Newton, a force), thanks to a full moon and a mystical knife.
Freaky’s supporting cast excels, but it’s the two leads who cut the deepest. Post-swap, Newton revels in the role of remorseless, single-minded serial killer, finding the link between horror and humour necessary for the film to work as well as it does. The Blissfield Butcher’s struggle to adapt his brute-force style to his newfound petite body provides genuine laughs. Newton’s unflinching, menacing glare also spawns surprising moments of empathy when it comes to certain characters’ (near-)deserved comeuppances.