Freaky (2020) review

Much has been said about how the horror genre has been experiencing a major resurgence over the past few years, especially when it comes to those who have helped make it happen. Filmmakers like Jordan Peele, Mike Flanagan and Ari Aster have been responsible for some of the most critically acclaimed horror projects in recent memory, from Peele’s Get Out (which won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay) to Flanagan’s TV series adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. However, if there’s one filmmaker who has largely flown under the radar when it comes to their noteworthy contributions to the genre, that would be Christopher Landon. While Landon has been involved in the film industry since the mid-’90s, he truly got his big break in the 2010s when he started working for what has arguably been the horror genre’s most prominent studio of the past decade, Blumhouse Productions. There, he penned the screenplays for the second, third, and fourth installments of the studio’s massively successful Paranormal Activity franchise, which then led to him directing the fifth film in the series, 2014’s Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. However, his biggest hit with Blumhouse would come in 2017 when he directed Happy Death Day, a horror-themed spin on ‘time loop’ stories such as Groundhog Day and Edge of Tomorrow in which a college student is killed on her birthday and finds herself reliving the same day until she finds out who her killer is. Bolstered by its status as an online viral sensation, the film was a major commercial hit and was also generally well-received by critics. It was then followed by an equally successful sequel in 2019, Happy Death Day 2U, and a third film is currently in the works. But until then, Landon has crafted another horror film based around a non-horror concept (in this case, a body-swap comedy inspired by Mary Rogers’ 1972 novel Freaky Friday) with Freaky, in which a teenaged girl finds herself switching bodies with a notorious serial killer. And with a pair of great performances from its two leads, Freaky proves to be another smash hit from both its director and its studio.

In the town of Blissfield, Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton) is your average teenager who’s just trying to deal with the daily struggles of high school. It’s also been a year since the death of her father, which has led to her having strained relationships with both her mother Paula (Katie Finneran), who’s resorted to daily bouts of drinking ever since, and her older sister Charlene (Dana Drori), a local police officer. And if that wasn’t enough, Blissfield is soon threatened by the return of a notorious serial killer known as the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn), who was long considered to be nothing more than an urban legend. Millie ends up running into the Butcher one night after her high school’s homecoming football game, and while she does manage to survive this ordeal, she quickly learns that this will not be the end of her troubles. Since the Butcher used an ancient Aztec dagger known as La Dola when he tried to kill her, it causes the two of them to switch places, with Millie ending up in the Butcher’s body and the Butcher in hers. And despite the initial struggles that he faces in adapting to his new body, the Butcher immediately sets off on a new killing spree, with Millie’s classmates at the top of his list. Thus, with only 24 hours to switch her and the Butcher back to their original bodies, Millie and her best friends Nyla (Celeste O’Connor) and Josh (Misha Osherovich) find themselves in a race against time to retrieve La Dola and use it on the Butcher before Millie’s stuck in the Butcher’s body forever, especially since his identity has now been made public.

Just like the Happy Death Day films, Freaky fully relishes in being a horror-themed spin on its traditionally non-horror premise. Despite a bit of a slow start, the film then proceeds to produce a lot of great humor which, naturally, stems from all the hi-jinx that ensues from the main protagonist trying to adjust to her new body. With that said, this film very much belongs to Vince Vaughn, who’s utterly fantastic in the role of a teenaged girl trapped in a middle-aged man’s body. But while she doesn’t get to work with the film’s comedy as much as Vaughn does since she’s primarily playing the killer in the main protagonist’s body, Kathryn Newton is just as excellent whether she’s playing the sinister antagonist or the sympathetic protagonist. On that note, another thing that director Christopher Landon has been incredibly successful at when it comes to his recent films is his ability to craft some highly effective moments of emotional poignancy. In the case of Happy Death Day, it was by way of the arc that main protagonist Tree Gelbman went through after initially starting out as an utterly shallow ‘mean girl’. Freaky takes this in a slightly different direction by having Millie be a wholly endearing heroine from the start though, like Tree, her character arc also revolves around a strained relationship with her family members. Plus, whereas the Happy Death Day films were under the limits of the wider-appealing PG-13 rating (to be clear, though, that’s not a bad thing in their case…), Freaky is very much an R-rated affair and fans of the genre will be pleased to know that it features some delightfully crazy kills. And so, because of all this, Freaky is a solidly entertaining horror flick that’s fully bolstered by Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton’s phenomenal performances in the lead roles, and while he may not necessarily be a household name yet as far as the horror genre is concerned, it’s nice to see that Christopher Landon has arguably found his niche within it.

Rating: 4/5

Halloween (2018) review

In 1978, director John Carpenter and co-writer/producer Debra Hill began working on a low-budget horror film about a serial killer who breaks out of a mental institution and enacts a string of murders in his hometown. Set during the holiday of Halloween, the film ended up sharing its name, resulting in the seminal classic that was Halloween. Upon its release, the film became a landmark entry in the horror genre and helped launch the careers of both Carpenter and lead actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who played the main protagonist Laurie Strode. After that, the series then continued with a bunch of sequels that varied heavily in terms of overall quality, with some serving as decent follow-ups to the original while others effectively killed the franchise for a few years at a time due to how poorly-received they were. But now this classic horror franchise is back with a new film that once again shares the title of the holiday that it’s set during, Halloween. Following the same path as 1998’s Halloween H20, which ignored the events of everything after 1981’s Halloween II, the new film goes the retcon route to remove itself from the franchise’s lesser sequels. In this case, however, it ignores the events of every single Halloween film that was released after 1978, meaning that John Carpenter’s original film is now the only one to precede it. Set 40 years after the events of its predecessor, this new film is directed by David Gordon Green, who co-wrote it with frequent collaborator Danny McBride. The two even have the honor of having John Carpenter return to the franchise for the first time since the ill-received 1982 spin-off Halloween III: Season of the Witch as an executive producer along with Jamie Lee Curtis making a much-heralded return as Laurie Strode. And with a pedigree like that behind it, the new Halloween film proves to be a worthy follow-up (arguably the first truly worthy follow-up, depending on who you ask…) to the 1978 classic.   

On Halloween Night in 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers murdered his older sister Judith with a kitchen knife. 15 years later, Michael broke out of the Smith’s Grove Sanitarium and returned to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, where he began a new Halloween killing spree before he was stopped by his psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis, and apprehended by the local police. 40 years later, Michael (played by a combination of newcomer James Jude Courtney and series veterans Nick Castle and Tony Moran) is still being held at Smith’s Grove. During this time, podcasters Aaron Korey (Jefferson Hall) and Dana Haines (Rhian Rees) look to initiate a reunion between Myers and the sole survivor of his massacre, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), before he’s permanently transferred to a maximum-security prison. The two discover that, in the years since that fateful Halloween night, Laurie has been preparing for a potential return from the man who once tried to kill her. However, the physical and emotional scarring that she has been constantly dealing with ever since has also caused her to become incredibly distant from her daughter Karen (Judy Greer), although she does maintain a decent relationship with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak). And unfortunately, her past ends up coming back to haunt her once more when Michael manages to escape from his captivity and return to Haddonfield to finished what he started 40 years ago. But this time, Laurie is ready for him and hellbent on making sure that the infamous being known as ‘the Shape’ is stopped once and for all.

As I noted a few days back in my retrospective on the Halloween franchise, the series eventually moved away from the slow, suspenseful atmosphere of John Carpenter’s original film in favor of a more traditional horror film mood and bloodier aesthetic compared to the first film’s generally non-graphic kills. In fact, this all began to take effect as early as its original sequel, Halloween II. Despite director Rick Rosenthal’s plan to have the film maintain the same general atmosphere of its predecessor, Carpenter decided to have the film be more violent given some of the horror films that had come out since his film was released. But with this new Halloween, director David Gordon Green delivers what is easily the closest to the original in terms of replicating its general mood. Granted, this film isn’t a ‘primarily bloodless’ affair like the original film, as it doesn’t hold anything back when it comes to some of Michael’s kills. Plus, the film even gives Green and McBride some opportunities to flex their comedic sensibilities with some humorous bits of dialogue here and there. But as far as tone and atmosphere are concerned, this film maintains the same narrative method of a slow buildup leading to an incredibly effective payoff that helped to make the original Halloween the classic that it still is today. Just like in that film, it takes a while before Michael officially starts to do his thing, but when he does, it paves the way for some incredibly suspenseful moments that, just like the original, are backed by an equally suspenseful score from John Carpenter. And while it can be argued that the plot is perhaps a tad bit predictable at times in terms of where it ultimately goes, along with having a few of the usual stock horror film characters who are just there to be killed by Michael, Green and McBride do a phenomenal job when it comes to all the ways that they pay tribute to the original film.  

Just like Halloween H20, the biggest coup that this film manages to achieve is getting Jamie Lee Curtis back to reprise her role as Laurie Strode. And simply put, she is just as fantastic as she’s been in the other Halloween films that she’s been in, as the film does an excellent job of showing Laurie’s transition from the timid ‘final girl’ of the original film to someone who’s fully prepared to take on Michael Myers. In other words, this film ends up going the same route that Halloween H20 did in further developing her character, but in this case, it works a lot better here because the arc is more prominent to the plot whereas H20 didn’t really get into it until its finale. A lot of this is due to how the film explores all the psychological trauma that Laurie has been going through ever since that fateful Halloween night 40 years prior, and we see how it affects not only her but her loved ones as well. As such, the other two major standouts of the film are Laurie’s daughter Karen and granddaughter Allyson, effectively providing the film with a phenomenal trio of female leads. With Karen, Judy Greer gets one of the more prominent roles of her film career thanks to a nice arc that showcases what Karen has gone through due to her mother’s over-protective nature. And without spoiling anything, this leads to one heck of an awesome payoff at the end. As for Allyson, newcomer Andi Matichak basically serves the same role that Curtis played in the original as the innocent teen who gets caught up in the whole Michael Myers situation. Matichak handles the role incredibly well, especially when it comes to Allyson arguably being the only one in the film to fully sympathize with her grandmother’s struggles, making her just as sympathetic of a protagonist as Laurie’s been all these years.

In short, for those who were disappointed by some of the franchise’s weakest follow-ups (e.g. Resurrection, Curse of Michael Myers, Rob Zombie’s heavily polarizing remake, etc.), you’ll be pleased to know that this new rendition of Halloween is easily the series’ best sequel to date. Ignoring everything that came after John Carpenter’s original film, this new sequel excellently showcases the evolution of Laurie Strode from the vulnerable heroine that she once was to a badass who’s ready to take on the man who nearly killed her while still maintaining the same sense of vulnerability that has helped make her one of the most iconic horror film heroines. This is then highlighted further by the film establishing her daughter Karen and granddaughter Allyson as equally fleshed out protagonists who are just as capable as she is when it comes to dealing with their current predicament. And as for the rest of the film, it succeeds at being a natural follow-up to Carpenter’s film by maintaining the same slow-burn atmosphere that leads to an incredibly satisfying climax while still utilizing aspects of the many horror films that have come out after the original. Plus, it also serves as another excellent example of a director stepping out of their comfort zone to produce an excellent film in a genre that they’re usually not known for. To reiterate, this film was directed by the guy who did the 2008 hit comedy Pineapple Express and he co-wrote it with one of the most prominent comedic actors of this current generation. Simply put, this sequel clearly reflects David Gordon Green and Danny McBride’s admiration for the original film, and with the backing of both John Carpenter and one of the horror genre’s most prominent producers in Jason Blum, their collaborative efforts results in one of the most satisfying revivals of a classic horror film franchise in recent memory.

Rating: 4.5/5

The Purge - Trilogy Retrospective

While they are technically classified as horror films, admittedly it’s hard to describe the Purge films as just that, ‘horror films’. That’s because they’re more along the lines of a series of action-thrillers, particularly in regards to the two sequels. Still, this franchise of low-budget action-thrillers, directed by longtime screenwriter James DeMonaco and co-produced by Jason Blum and Michael Bay through their respective production companies, has been a considerably large hit for Universal since it debuted back in 2013. The premise is simple; every year on one night in March, all crime, including murder, is legal for twelve hours. This means that it’s every person for themselves without any sort of assistance from the police, fire department, or emergency services. And whereas the first Purge was primarily set within the confines of a single home, the two sequels expanded upon this universe and began to explore just what happens out there on the streets during ‘Purge Night’. Ultimately, though, the Purge films have been more of a commercial success than they have been a critical success, with all three films being criticized for not fully living up to their potential in regards to the potential social commentary/satire that comes from their premise. Now, as someone who’s not a big horror fan (despite what I just said about these films not being horror films), I didn’t see any of these films in theaters. However, I did start to get curious when I learned that the third film, Election Year, was filmed in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, very close to where I live. And while, again, I ultimately didn’t see the film in theaters, I did recently get a free rental of it as part of a rewards program that I’m a member of. So, I decided to rent the other two films and do a trilogy retrospective on this smash hit of a franchise. So, without further ado, put on your scary masks and prepare for a night of unabashed craziness as I look back upon the Purge trilogy.

THE PURGE (2013)

As noted in the intro, despite the overarching ‘all crime is legal’ premise, the first Purge film is primarily set within the confines of a regular suburban home. And ultimately that does prove to be the film’s biggest problem. For one thing, it obviously limits the mayhem that goes on during Purge Night because it just focuses in on one gang terrorizing one family just because the latter let in one of their targets for protection. But then there’s also the fact that most of the film takes place within a darkened house because the gang cuts the family’s power. This results in a pretty dull ‘claustrophobic thriller’ that tries to be way too serious despite various bits of over-the-top goofiness courtesy of the gang members. And this is made even worse by the fact that you don’t give a crap about any of the main characters; main characters who, might I add, make some very terrible decisions that defy all logic. Yes, ‘logic’ isn’t a primary concern in this film. It’s the first film of the series and it doesn’t do much to explain the logistics behind Purge night, something that many agree seems totally unrealistic for various reasons, other than the fact that ‘it just works’. Sure, Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey do fine enough jobs in the lead roles and Rhys Wakefield does steal the show as the gang leader but overall The Purge is a pretty lousy attempt at being a ‘horror’ film, complete with one of the most anti-climactic endings that I’ve ever seen. Thankfully, things would only get better from here by way of the sequels.

Rating: 2/5

THE PURGE: ANARCHY (2014)

Thankfully with the first Purge sequel, The Purge: Anarchy, director James DeMonaco moves the action and craziness that comes from Purge Night away from a single house and out onto the streets, in this case the streets of downtown Los Angeles. Even better, the film gives us a much more compelling lead in the form of Frank Grillo’s Sergeant Leo Barnes (Disclaimer: his full name isn’t revealed until the next film), a man who goes out on Purge Night to avenge the death of his son but ends up taking on the responsibility of protecting other people that are stuck out on Purge Night; Eva and Cali, a mother and daughter who were forced out of their home by a paramilitary squad, and Shane and Liz, a couple whose car broke down before they could get home and escape a biker gang that had been pursuing them. Sure, the characters still make some dumb decisions from time to time but overall these aren’t as prevalent as they were in the last film. And while it’s still a low-budget film overall, the costume design and action set-pieces are much stronger than those in the first film. In short, Anarchy is a definite improvement over the original Purge because it benefits from a bigger budget and the freedom to go outside onto the streets. It still doesn’t reach the full potential of its premise but at the very least, this one does hold your interest more. Because even if you still don’t buy the whole premise of a night where all crime is legal, at least this one explores more of this world of, for lack of a better term, anarchy.

Rating: 3.5/5

THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR (2016)

And finally, there’s The Purge: Election Year, a fitting title considering that it was just released earlier this year. Frank Grillo returns as Leo Barnes as he now serves as the head of security for Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), who’s running for President on the platform of getting rid of the Purge once and for all. But that gets much more difficult on Purge Night when her political opponents, the New Founding Fathers of America AKA the ones who created the Purge in the first place, try to get rid of her by forcing the two of them out onto the streets. And while Election Year does still have some of the story problems of its two predecessors, this ends up being my favorite of the whole bunch. And no, it’s not just because this was filmed near where I live. To me, this one is the most consistent in terms of tone. Whereas the previous two films had a more serious vibe to them, this one is now fully embracing the completely over-the-top nature of its premise. Sure, there are some very questionable bits of dialogue in this entry (most of which come courtesy of shop owner Joe Dixon, played by Mykelti Williamson (simply put, “Goodnight, Blue Cheese!”)), more so than the previous two films, and the characters do still make some questionable decisions here and there. But even if it’s not saying much, this film has the best (or at least the most ‘likable’) group of main characters of any film in the entire series, once again led by Grillo’s badass lead. And once again, I must give credit to the fact that these films keep upping the ante when it comes to costume design and action set-pieces, with this film delivering some of the series’ most truly messed up imagery. Again, when you get down to it, there’s a lot of stupid parts of this premise but this one recognizes it the most out of any Purge film. Thus, it’s arguably the most entertaining of them all.

Rating: 4/5

And that’s the end of my retrospective on the Purge films. For those who are newcomers to the franchise, I can safely say that you can honestly skip the first film because nothing in that film carries over to the other films. Just stick to the superior sequels, Anarchy and Election Year.