Freaky Friday found Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis at turning points as actresses. While Lohan had shown promise as a child star in The Parent Trap, Freaky Friday was a major stepping stone to more adult roles like Mean Girls. Curtis had already been in the business for almost 25 years, although after duds like House Arrest, Drowning Mona, and Halloween: Resurrection, she desperately needed a hit. Freaky Friday arguably gave Curtis a second career renaissance, introducing her to a new generation. Fast-forward almost two decades, Curtis is an Oscar winner and Lohan is making a comeback with Freakier Friday.
Lohan’s return to the limelight hasn’t been without a few false starts, i.e. Liz & Dick. While Freakier Friday finds Lohan back in her comedic comfort zone, it also shows how she’s matured. Lohan’s Anna is a mom now, raising a daughter named Harper (Julia Butters). Harper’s a surfer, which strangely doesn’t tie into the plot. For a second, I thought we might get a water skiing climax like in the Jodie Foster version. Anna decided to become a parent without a partner, but she isn’t alone. Curtis’ Tess still micromanages her daughter’s life, although their relationship has cooled since we last saw them. Meanwhile, her relationship with Harper reaches its boiling point when Anna falls for the princely Eric (Manny Jacinto). Small world, he’s the father of Harper’s nemesis Lily (Sophia Hammons).
If you smell body-swapping hijinks, you’d be correct. This time, it’s a fortune teller played by the always funny, yet sadly underutilized, Vanessa Bayer, who initiates the switch. It isn’t just Anna and Tess who switch places, however. Harper and Lily wind up in the bodies of their elders while Anna and Tess become teenagers again. This extra twist helps to distinguish Freakier Friday, even if it’s easy to lose track of who’s in whose body. Yeah, there are only four characters, but even the actors sometimes forget who they’re playing. When in doubt, default to mugging. The film at times has more balls in the air than it can juggle. Case in point, this freaky Friday extends to Saturday.
Although Freakier Friday can be overstuffed, the charming cast helps keep the film balanced. Curtis and Lohan still have a natural chemistry, which is made more interesting now that Anna is a mom as well. That doesn’t mean she’s given up on her music career, although Harper is her top priority. Harper doesn’t realize this until she spends a day in her mother’s shoes. Freakier Friday is just as much as much about sisterhood. Butters and Hammons are both wonderful additions, with the former being on a roll ever since appearing in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
The jokes, new and throwback, still land with director Nisha Ganatra (Late Night) bringing a vibrant visual eye. The actors sell the emotional moments as well. Curtis, in particular, has one scene that’s arguably better than the role that won her the Oscar. The film might not exceed its 2003 predecessor or the 1976 classic. Of all the legacy sequel comedies Disney has given us as of late, though, Freakier Friday might be the best. The film is worthy of its theatrical release rather than being dumped on Disney+ like Hocus Pocus 2. Weirdly enough, both films work in set pieces that take place at Walgreens. Is this a running gag, or do Disney employees get a discount on prescriptions?