This year has been a massive disappointment when it comes to legacy sequels of beloved ’90s and ’00s movies. We’re more than halfway through the year at this point, and we’ve already had duds such as Happy Gilmore 2 and I Know What You Did Last Summer, but thankfully, with Freakier Friday, that curse has been broken.
Nisha Ganatra’s highly anticipated follow-up to the 2003 comedy classic Freaky Friday is wonderfully weird and hilarious, with a beating heart at its core. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan slip effortlessly back into their roles as Tess and Anna Coleman, their mother-daughter chemistry as sharp and endearing as ever.
The dynamic between newcomers Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons adds a vibrant generational twist, with both young actors holding their own against seasoned co-stars. Manny Jacinto’s warm yet subtly comedic turn as a romantic interest rounds out the ensemble beautifully. The film’s biggest strength lies in its balance of humour and sincerity. Ganatra’s direction keeps the pace snappy without rushing through emotional beats, allowing moments of tension and tenderness to land. The screenplay cleverly updates the premise for a post-2020 world, weaving in themes of blended families, cultural differences, and generational misunderstandings without feeling preachy.
While the plot occasionally veers into predictable territory, the execution is so confident and the performances so winning that it hardly matters. This sequel doesn’t just revisit familiar territory – it builds on it, delivering a heartfelt, crowd-pleasing story that feels both comfortingly familiar and refreshingly new. Fans of the original will find plenty to love, while newcomers will be charmed from start to finish.
FREAKIER FRIDAY is in cinemas now.
