The old body swap comedy gets a horror twist in this slasher film from Blumhouse and director Christopher Landon. It may present itself as Freaky Friday meets Friday the 13th (what, was Freaky Friday the 13th not allowed?), but this is more The Hot Chick meets Jason Goes to Hell. With a few shades of Mean Girls thrown in for good measure.
Following the death of her father, anxious, awkward teen Millie (Kathryn Newton) is struggling to find her way in life. Bullied and mocked at school, stepping on eggshells at home; she’s uncomfortable in her own skin and unsure what she wants out of life. And then she’s attacked by The Butcher (Vince Vaughn) – a masked serial killer straight out of the Michael Myers/Jason Voorhees school of schlock. When he stabs her with an ancient ceremonial dagger, things really start to get uh, freaky. The pair swap bodies, leaving Millie in the (massive) meat skeleton of a middle-aged-man, and The Butcher stalking the local high school as a teenage girl. With only 24 hours before the swap becomes permanent, can Millie reverse the exchange before it’s too late?
Following in the path of Happy Death Day and its sequel, this high-concept slasher movie plays on the grand (guignol) traditions of both slasher films and high school comedies. Landon is successful in both pursuits, balancing creative death sequences and intense gore with teenage drama and daft banter. After decades of practice playing the fool in lowbrow studio comedies, Vaughn isn’t afraid to get silly, and is great fun as the body-swapped Millie. Surprisingly – given how effective he was in Brawl in Cell Block 99 – he’s less believable as The Butcher, hampered by a silly mask and hodgepodge modus operandi. Is he a silent stalker, or loquacious lunatic? The film can’t decide which, and leaves The Butcher flailing as a result.
But this is a wonderfully charming comedy horror film, with a likeable cast and funny script. Its repetition of Happy Death Day themes may leave the viewer with feelings of déjà vu, but they’re quickly forgotten once the shit hits the fan and the chainsaw starts roaring.
