Hell is others
Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton) is one of many teenagers who are trying to make it through their last year in high school. She is a girl, like many: inconspicuous, modest and shy, a typical gray mouse. As it is presented in the production trailer: if she was a character in a horror movie, she would probably die first. Well, soon she’ll have a chance to test her theory, as a serial killer, the legendary Butcher of Blissfield (Vince Vaughn), begins to roam the area. The stabs of the school teens will prove to be the least of her problems, as she grew up, the mentally disturbed peasant would get her and stab her in the middle of the field. But the story of Millie does not end there; the blade with which it is thrust is not such an ordinary knife again. Its magical properties will make the girl change body with her aggressor.
Source: theguardian.com
Wanted, wanted
At first glance, two things seem obvious: that Landon’s next film is primarily aimed at lovers of the genre, and that he belongs to this group himself. Nor for a moment does he try to prove that he invented the wheel anew. On the contrary, he accepts the patterns and frames of the genre with all the benefits of the inventory, all the absurdities, simplifications and (un) happy coincidences, simultaneously making fun of them and paying tribute to them. There are many more or less literal references woven into the story of the Butcher of Blissfield. But more often than specific titles (eg. Heathers, Friday the thirteenth or Freaky Friday, to which the original title of the film – Freaky , is a direct reference ), however, there are jokes or self-conscious remarks about recurring motives. Since Wes Craven in The Scream torn out the metaphorical guts of slasher’s poetics, betraying unwritten rules and proudly displaying the seams that keep the genre he helped create, it should come as no surprise that the murderer will always be close to those who dare to talk about him that hedonistic debauchery is equal to a death sentence, and the alleged death of the aggressor does not become final until an undisputed corpse appears on the screen *.
This in itself is no longer enough to shine in the age of metatextualism and self-mockery. And yet he gives himself in Freaky feel a certain freshness. Landon proposes a comic take, but does not satirize it; both the slapstick gags and the macabre murders show a sincere sympathy for the bloody genre and camp aesthetics. The theme of the body swap is the main novelty and the greatest source of comedy in the film. The joke about a teenager enchanted in the body of a bulky psycho seems to have a rather limited shelf life, but it comes to the aid of the sparse length of the film – 100 minutes is enough to tell a complete story and squeeze all the juices out of the gag. The uncomplicated scenario may be devoid of fictional overturns and hidden meanings, but it precisely guides and closes all threads, sparing at the same time thematic jokes and accurate, self-aware comments. As the Anglo-Saxons say – short and sweet.
Source: bloody-disgusting.com
Revenge has a fawn braid
Perhaps surprisingly, the heart of the story is the classic (although in this case covered with a curtain of artificial blood) story about an ugly duckling who finds his inner strength in unusual circumstances. Both Vince Vaughn and his companion Kathryn Newton are having a great time with their de facto dual roles – the consequences of the soul swap are visible to the naked eye when the face of the bulky thug begins to show youthful uncertainty, panic and confusion resulting from the gradual learning of the inconvenience of having a new one. , of a foreign body, as when in the eyes of the petite, inconspicuous blonde girl suddenly flared with determination, frustration and lust for blood. A small, but outstanding performance also includes the famous Succession‘s Alan Ruck. A mischievous technique teacher will definitely not arouse our sympathy, but his end …
Climatically and visually, Freaky resembles a full-length episode of the series adaptation of Craven’s Scream. Fortunately, the modest budget (just $ 6 million) includes resources for digital and hands-on special effects. Thanks to this, although the film tries to laugh rather than frighten, we will also see a few sequences of juicy gore on the screen – the kind that even the classic slasher would be ashamed of. Christopher Landon is not trying to revolutionize a genre in which – it might seem – we have already seen everything, but once again he is known as a skillful and inventive laborer. Therefore, do not be fooled by the inconspicuous form and the young, basically unattended cast – give this couple from hell a chance. Not only on Friday the 13th.
* And not always.
We would like to thank the Cinema City network of cinemas for the opportunity to watch the film Freaky!
