Freakier Friday Review: Does the Lohan Sequel Work?
It’s been 22 years. Let that sink in. For 22 years, Freaky Friday has been that perfect, rewatchable gem, a high-water mark for teen comedies and the body-swap genre. So, when Disney announced a sequel, Freakier Friday, a single question echoed across the internet: Can they possibly pull this off?
Well, the movie is here, and the answer is… complicated.
Lindsay Lohan is back and as radiant as ever. Jamie Lee Curtis slips back into her role with delightful ease. The nostalgia is potent. But the film doubles down on its central gimmick, and the result is an ambitious, charming, and undeniably chaotic sequel that doesn’t quite recapture the original’s simple magic.
So, is it worth your time?
The New Switch-Up: Twice the Swapping, Twice the Trouble?
The original film’s genius was its simplicity: a mother and daughter swap bodies. That’s it. It provided a clean, hilarious canvas for Lohan and Curtis to shine.
Freakier Friday decides that more is more. Here’s the new setup:
- Anna (Lindsay Lohan): Now a high-powered music manager and single mom to a teen daughter, Harper.
- Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis): Still Anna’s mom, now a helpful grandmother.
- Harper (Julia Butters): Anna’s angsty teenage daughter.
- Lily (Sophia Hammons): The equally angsty teen daughter of Anna’s new fiancé, Eric (Manny Jacinto).
After a run-in with a mysterious medium, they don’t just do one swap. They do two simultaneous swaps.
- Anna swaps with her daughter, Harper.
- Tess swaps with her soon-to-be step-granddaughter, Lily.
You see the problem, right? The plot instantly becomes a tangled web of motivations. You have two teens trapped in adult bodies trying to sabotage their parents’ wedding, while the two adults trapped in teen bodies try to save it. It’s… a lot.
While it’s fun watching the filmmakers try to juggle all these moving parts, the story often gets bogged down in its own complexity. The simple, heartfelt core of the first film—understanding one person’s perspective—gets diluted when you’re trying to track four different people faking it.
The Performances: Lindsay’s Triumphant Return and a Mugging Curtis
Let’s get to the best part of the movie: Lindsay Lohan is back.
Seeing her step into a major big-screen role again feels like a genuine event. She’s fantastic, effortlessly switching from the stressed-out adult Anna to the willful, eye-rolling teenager Harper now inhabiting her body. There’s a poignant meta-narrative at play here. In 2003, Lohan played the teen. Now, she’s playing the mom being played by the teen. It’s a generational switch that she navigates with the same witty, charismatic energy that made her a star. Fans who have waited for this comeback will not be disappointed.
Jamie Lee Curtis, an Oscar winner, is clearly having a blast. However, her portrayal of the snooty teen Lily trapped in Tess’s body sometimes veers into broad comedy. There’s a lot of mugging and “OMG, I’m old!” shtick that strains for laughs instead of earning them. It’s funny in moments, but it lacks the nuance she brought to the original.
The newcomers hold their own. Julia Butters does a remarkable job mimicking Lohan’s anxious tics as Anna-in-Harper’s-body, and Sophia Hammons brings the necessary attitude as the punkish Lily.
Does the Comedy and Heart Land?
The 2003 film was genuinely hilarious. The physical comedy, the generational misunderstandings—it all just worked. Freakier Friday has its moments, but the hit-to-miss ratio is a bit shakier.
- The Hits: The humor shines when it focuses on the simple, relatable stuff. Anna (as Harper) trying to navigate her daughter’s high school social life is great. Tess (as Lily) being horrified by her aging body provides some easy laughs. Lohan’s performance, in particular, lands joke after joke.
- The Misses: The film’s labyrinthine plot forces a lot of convoluted comedic scenarios that feel more strenuous than funny. The constant need for characters to explain who they are and what they’re trying to do bogs down the pacing.
What about the heart? The original Freaky Friday made you genuinely tear up at the end. This sequel tries to achieve the same emotional payoff, with lessons learned and hugs all around. It’s sweet and good-natured, but the emotional punches don’t land as hard. The core message—learning to appreciate your family’s perspective—is still there, but it’s hampered by the narrative chaos. The film is weighed down by its body-switch conceit rather than being elevated by it.
The Final Verdict: Should You Watch It?
So, back to the big question. Is Freakier Friday worth it?
Watch this movie if:
- You are a die-hard fan of the original and have been waiting for this reunion.
- You are thrilled to see Lindsay Lohan back in a major movie role. She is truly the highlight.
- You’re looking for a light, breezy family film that caters to a female audience and doesn’t require much thought.
Maybe skip it if:
- You are expecting a sequel that’s as clever and emotionally resonant as the 2003 film.
- You get easily frustrated by overly complicated, convoluted plots.
- You prefer your comedy a little less broad and your sentimentality a little more earned.
Ultimately, Freakier Friday is a pleasant, if flimsy, dose of nostalgia. It’s a joy to see Lohan and Curtis share the screen again, and the film’s bighearted sincerity is endearing. It just can’t escape the shadow of its predecessor or the tangled web of its own creation. It’s a fun reunion, but not the flawless classic the first one was.
What do you think? Did you see Freakier Friday? Did it live up to your expectations? Let us know your take in the comments below!
