‘Freaky’ Is an Underrated Horror Comedy For ‘Ready Or Not’ Fans

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Kathryn Newton is known for two sides of her acting career: her role as Cassie Lang in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and her success in the horror genre. She first gained attention in horror with 2012’s Paranormal Activity 4, and later appeared in Supernatural – a role that was originally intended to launch a spin-off series, Wayward Sisters, but didn’t pan out. More recently, Newton has starred in several popular horror films, including Abigail, Lisa Frankenstein, and Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. However, one of her strongest horror performances hasn’t gotten the recognition it deserves.

The movie Freaky is a unique blend of comedy and horror, featuring a teenage girl and a serial killer who unexpectedly switch bodies. Initially conceived as a playful nod to Freaky Friday and Friday the 13th, the film stars Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn as the swapped characters. Director Christopher Landon, known for his work on Happy Death Day and its sequel, created another clever and entertaining slasher film that unfortunately didn’t get the attention it deserved.

‘Freaky’ Has a Top Tier Performance by Kathryn Newton

The movie Freaky really highlights Kathryn Newton’s talent as an actress. In the first half, she does a fantastic job establishing her character, Millie Kessler, which is crucial for when Vince Vaughn later convincingly becomes her. Vaughn expertly mimics Newton’s movements and way of speaking, demonstrating his impressive acting range and making it believable that it’s still Newton inside his body.

Jenna Newton truly shines when she’s portraying the menacing character of Vaughn’s Blissfield Butcher. She perfectly captures the killer’s restrained way of speaking, chilling gaze, and unsettling confidence. This role is the core of Newton’s performance in the film, and she clearly enjoys the challenge of playing against expectations, embracing the movie’s twist of turning a typical teenage girl into a terrifying slasher. It’s arguably her most complex performance to date, and she delivers it flawlessly. If she wasn’t already recognized as a promising talent, Freaky would undoubtedly have established her as a star.

‘Freaky’s COVID-19 Release and Impact

The movie Freaky came out in theaters on Friday, November 13, 2020 – a fitting date considering the film’s concept, which blends the ideas of Freaky Friday and Friday the 13th. Although the COVID-19 pandemic had closed most theaters earlier in 2020, some states began reopening them by summer, and drive-in theaters became popular again. Unlike other films like F9 and Minions: The Rise of Gru that were delayed until 2021, Universal decided to release Freaky in theaters as planned. They announced this decision in September 2020, two months before the film’s debut.

The movie Freaky, like other Universal Pictures films released in 2020, became available for rental on demand (PVOD) just 17 days after hitting theaters. It started streaming on PVOD on December 3, 2020, following a four-week run in cinemas. A key reason for this quick turnaround was that Freaky actually topped the box office for two weekends in a row, as it faced little competition in the limited number of theaters open at the time.

As a critic, I remember following the release of Freaky pretty closely. It actually did surprisingly well at the box office, earning $9 million domestically and $18 million worldwide – not bad for a $6 million movie, especially considering how few people were going to theaters at the time. But Universal’s strategy with the release was… interesting. They basically put it out when most cinemas were still struggling and quickly moved it to on-demand and streaming. A lot of people questioned that decision, wondering if waiting until 2021 might have been smarter. And it definitely set a precedent, because when Universal did the same thing with Halloween Ends, director Christopher Landon took to Twitter – now X – to voice his concerns.

Like many movies that came out during the pandemic, Freaky has faded from public memory. It was a tough time for everyone, and it’s understandable that people don’t look back fondly on everything they watched then. However, Freaky was a genuinely fun and memorable film from 2020—a year many are calling a lost one for movies. With stars Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn both appearing in new films, now is the perfect time to rediscover Freaky. In fact, you could watch it now, or wait until its sixth anniversary on Friday, November 13, 2026.

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2026-03-28 21:33