This film sequel to the 2003 film is nostalgic, silly fun with Jamie Lee Curtis offering plenty of delight in her performance.
Families can be tough – family members with different wants and needs even more so but as this warm hearted and hilarious sequel shows no matter what it is possible to pull together even under difficult circumstances.
This latest dive into the world of Anna and Tess Coleman’s family dynamics sees Anna about to get married to Eric – unfortunately though Anna’s daughter Anna and Eric’s daughter Lily don’t get on at all. An encounter with psychic means another body swap incident: double trouble in the making as Harper and Lily in their new bodies tries to split their parents up.
Written by Jordan Weiss and directed by Nisha Ganatra, while the film treads familiar ground for those who enjoyed the original it does take it up a notch in the way in which it deals with the way in which we handle grief – particularly teenagers and the idea of their parents moving forward in the wake of this. There is still that rawness and heartfelt nature that made the final moments of the first film so poignant between mother and daughter, but now here being accepted into a new family.
There is plenty of silliness to be found (the food fight scene and the chemistry scenes spring to mind) which might seem a little cringeworthy at first but there is still something quite endearing about it all as well. The cameos from familiar characters such as Stephen Tobolowsky’s grumpy Mr Bates, Chad Michael Murray as Jake (Anna’s first boyfriend from the first film) fit in perfectly with the wider storyline. Meanwhile, those new to the cast have brilliant comic timing to their performances that really work in giving a freshness to the story. This includes Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as the overly sensitive Ella, X Mayo as the no nonsense principal and Santina Muha as a US official who has to authenticate Anna and Eric’s marriage are particular stand outs.
But what of the main cast? It is wonderful to to have Lindsay Lohan back on our screens once again, although the character seems a little more muted than expecting (not down to her performance but due to the restraint of the revisiting of her character by the writer) – but the finale seems to make up for this. In contrast, it is clear that Jamie Lee Curtis delivers on all of the big laughs – her energy, her enthusiasm is just a joy to behold she delivers on every front. Perhaps I also feel that more could have also been made of Manny Jacinto’s character Eric who feels just a little bit too passive from proceedings until the confrontational scene towards the end.
There is some nice easter egg aspects for fans of the original film to enjoy, but thankfully doesn’t rely too much on them to carry the story forward. It still retains the aspects of how a family can change perspectives when everyone starts listening to each other – there is plenty of poignancy and discovery for all the characters along the way.
Overall, Freakier Friday is a joyfully silly film that is ideal viewing as it knows not to take itself too seriously. It does also leave you thinking about your own relationship with your own family members and how they can change over the years. It left me feeling uplifted and happy and will certainly leave others feeling the same way!
By Emma Clarendon
Freakier Friday is out now in cinemas.
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️