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For fans of Vince Vaughn, Hulu currently offers a double dose of the actor in the film Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice. This action-comedy features a quirky time-travel element that allows Vaughn to portray two versions of the character Nick simultaneously. Essentially, they are the same person, with one version having the added perspective gained from six months of guilt over a tragic incident involving a friend. While Vaughn isn’t typically known for his ability to transform dramatically into different characters, he does take on a more challenging dual role in another film, Freaky, a horror-comedy that flew somewhat under the radar upon its 2020 release.
Freaky was born from an imaginative concept that combined elements of a horror slasher with a body-switching comedy, initially cheekily titled Freaky Friday the 13th. Although the name had to be altered due to copyright issues, the novel premise remained intact. The film’s cowriter and director, Christopher Landon, was no stranger to blending slashers with other genres, having previously worked on the Happy Death Day series. Here, Vaughn isn’t the only one navigating dual roles; Kathryn Newton also takes on a challenging part, showcasing her prowess as a scream queen. While Vaughn is busy with other projects and occasionally stirs the pot with his opinions on talk shows, he truly shines in Freaky, a film where everyone puts in more than the bare minimum.
Why Consider Watching Freaky Tonight?
If the catchy concept of Freaky Friday the 13th doesn’t pique your interest, it might be worth questioning if you’re in the mood for any movie at all. However, it’s understandable that slasher films aren’t everyone’s preference, even those with a humorous twist. Freaky distinguishes itself with not only comedic elements but also a surprising depth of character sensitivity, brought to life by committed performances from the cast.
The film kicks off in classic slasher fashion with a serial killer known as the Butcher, played by Vaughn, targeting teenagers. But when he attempts to kill Millie, a bullied teen portrayed by Newton, using an ancient dagger, a twist of fate ensues. The two characters end up swapping bodies, leading to an entertaining scenario where Newton embodies the menacing Butcher, while Vaughn portrays the teenaged Millie. Both actors deliver standout performances in their unconventional roles, adding a unique flair to the film.
It’s not that surprising that Newton can affect a grim, dead-eyed deadpan and go about the stylish business of stalking and killing more teens. But Vaughn, faced with a premise not unlike what fellow political gadfly Rob Schneider got up to in The Hot Chick, plays Millie with both comic teen-girl inflection and a real sensitivity. He deftly plays the slapstick of a smaller teenage girl inhabiting a much taller body, but he’s just as good in scenes where Millie connects with her crush in the least enviable physical circumstances she could have imagined. It’s disarmingly sweet stuff.
To be clear, this is still an R-rated slasher movie. It’s not necessarily that scary, per se, but while Landon’s nominally slasher-centric Happy Death Day movies were solidly PG-13 affairs (honestly, a horror-forward 11-year-old shouldn’t have much trouble with either of them), this one has some gnarly gore that horror fans will enjoy and others may flinch at. But Landon loves his characters too much to make a truly nasty slasher; this is more of a peppy haunted house with some surprisingly endearing characters inside. It’s especially neat in the context of Vaughn’s career, given how many comedies he’s made where he barely seems to get up the energy to do his motormouthed shtick. He avoids that shtick here, too, but mainly out of fealty to both his endearing teen-girl protagonist and grim-looking slasher villain. Newton has more horror experience, but it’s Vaughn who can be briefly crowed a scream king based on his work here.
Freaky is from Universal Pictures, so its exile from the parent company’s streaming service Peacock probably won’t be long. But if you’re hungry for more Vaughn after Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice (or just want to watch a much better movie of his), hurry up and press play on Freaky before it leaves Peacock at midnight on Tuesday, March 31.
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Jesse Hassenger (@rockmarooned) is a writer living in Brooklyn podcasting at www.sportsalcohol.com. He’s a regular contributor to The A.V. Club, Polygon, and The Guardian, among others.
Stream Freaky on Peacock