Review: ‘Freakier Friday’ Is Just What We Were Hoping For

It’s the ultimate sequel.

Everyone has their comfort movies that they can watch on a sick day, rainy day, or any day in between. For me, that’s “Freaky Friday.” The 2003 movie is a peak ‘00s Disney teen film — and believe me when I say, it still holds up. Sure, watching it as an adult is realizing that Anna was totally out of line for wanting to skip her mom’s REHEARSAL DINNER to go to a band audition, but, the comedy still gets me. And “Freaky Friday” forever proves that Lindsay Lohan was the it girl of the ‘00s.

So, when I heard that Jamie Lee Curtis had pushed for a “Freaky Friday” sequel — even calling Disney CEO Bob Iger to get it greenlit — I was excited, yet nervous. I’ll be honest, Disney’s years-later sequels haven’t always been a success story, cough cough “Hocus Pocus 2” (though I do still watch it every Halloween now) and “Disenchanted,” so I was worried “Freakier Friday” might face a similar fate. 

But, whether it was Curtis pushing for it or just a little Disney magic, the new “Freakier Friday” movie, which hit theaters on Aug. 8, has broken the sequel curse. 

Credit: Disney

‘Freakier Friday’ Is Just What We Were Hoping For

One of my biggest fears when watching a sequel is that the writers will try to overcorrect any colorful language in the first film by being extremely cautious and overly cheesy in the second. While “Freakier Friday,” of course, kept it Disney-level PC, it also appropriately poked fun at some of the Gen Z tropes and trends.  

The mother-daughter dynamic isn’t as over-the-top as taking the hinges off of doors, but you can still feel the slight animosity. And, I will say, the new addition of Harper (Julia Butters) and Lily (Sophia Hammons) is necessary — otherwise another switch between Anna (Lohan) and Tess (Curtis) wouldn’t make much sense.

But, don’t worry, Curtis and Lohan are prominent for the majority of the film. And, man, are they hysterical. I was laughing out loud at Curtis’ outfits and her portrayal of a young-girl-turned-grandma-overnight and Lohan’s physical comedy and line deliveries are spot on, too. 

Credit: Disney

Bringing the entire original cast back together — from Tess’ husband Ryan (Mark Harmon) and son Harry (Ryan Malgarini) to the Pink Slip band members and some brilliant cameos — made the movie that much better. Though, I still can’t tell if having Jake (Chad Michael Murray) try to flirt with Tess after all these years is comical or cringeworthy. 

What surprised me the most about “Freakier Friday” is just how emotional it is. On the outside, it’s a comedy about four women who switch bodies, but, at its core, it’s about a family trying to navigate becoming a family. As much as I laughed, I also felt the story tugging on my heartstrings, which is what I think sets it apart from Disney’s other sequels. Instead of just leaning into the nostalgia of the characters and story, “Freakier Friday” provides a movie that will resonate with audiences in today’s world. 

I can’t say enough good things about how genuinely funny and great this movie is. It does “Freaky Friday” justice — while proving that Lohan is so back and giving Curtis her flowers. 

Let’s be real, I knew Jamie Lee Curtis wasn’t going to let us down on this highly anticipated sequel, but I’m so happy that I was proved right.