Like most “Freaky Friday” fans, I was both excited and anxious to hear that a sequel starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis was coming out 20+ years after their reboot of the original film. Mostly because follow-up films are often hit or miss, especially when we’re talking about follow-ups to Y2K classics that are almost always hard to top.
“Freaky Friday” became so iconic, most people forget that the beloved 2003 Disney movie is actually a remake of the 1976 film starring Jodie Foster (which is based on a Mary Rodgers novel).
That said, “Freakier Friday” understandably had high standards to live up to — or so I thought before screening the film.
The sequel, which marked the return of Lohan and Curtis as a mother-daughter duo, is an obvious nod back to the magic that started it all, but with a new multigenerational twist. Instead of only Anna (Lohan) and Tess (Curtis) swapping bodies, Anna’s teenage daughter, Harper (Julia Butters), and her soon-to-be stepsister, Lily (Sophia Hammons), find themselves experiencing an identity crisis, too, as they protest the merger of their families with Anna’s marriage to Eric (Manny Jacinto), Lily’s father.
Of course, the four-way switch yields all sorts of hilarious shenanigans that harken back to what got millennials hooked on “Freaky Friday” decades ago. And for the most part, it works.
The big laughs, emotions and slapstick humor (aside from a few cringe moments), coupled with a heavy dose of nostalgia, make for a very entertaining watch. I realized the sequel didn’t need to meet any unrealistic expectations to be a success.
It seemed audiences felt the same way, with the sequel becoming a real summer box-office hit over the weekend.
Even if no one essentially asked for a “Freaky Friday” sequel in 2025 (as one review that caught Curtis’ attention pointed out), it doesn’t mean the film was entirely uncalled for. As some viewers noted, the spirited Disney movie was filled with enough throwback references and heartwarming humor to fit right in with both old and new fans.
Truthfully, “Freakier Friday” will never be able to top its predecessor. But honestly, it doesn’t have to. The movie has plenty of nods to the original that’ll satisfy longtime fans — from the epic return of Pink Slip to a bunch of cameos from returning characters (including Anna’s cougar-obsessed ex Jake, played by Chad Michael Murray).
It also has a fair amount of updates that are obviously geared toward a Gen-Z crowd, like “holding space” for teenage emotions, among dozens of boomer digs.
“Freakier Friday” may not be exactly like the movie so many of us grew fond of over 20 years ago, but it’s still enjoyable if you take it for what it is. The feel-good body swap comedy just wants to win the hearts of a new generation, and we could all use a little escapist joy these days, even if it comes from the Hollywood sequel machine.
“Freakier Friday” is now playing in theaters.