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I grew up watching Freaky Friday (2003), and to this day, Lindsay Lohan’s Avril Lavigne-meets-alt-girl vibe of layered tees, dark jeans, chunky accessories, smudgy eyeliner, and that iconic guitar lives rent-free in my head.

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So when I heard Freakier Friday was coming out — and that Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis were both returning — I was curious, a little skeptical, but mostly excited.

And honestly? I had fun.

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The film picks up years later with Anna (Lohan) now a single mum to a teenage daughter, Harper (Julia Butters, who is excellent), and introduces us to Eric (Manny Jacinto), a very charming, very British widower with a daughter of his own, Lily (Sophia Hammons).

The daughters don’t get along, the parents get engaged, and suddenly we’re looking at a future blended family that’s… not quite blending.

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Then comes the twist: a chaotic double body swap — Harper switches with Anna, and Lily ends up inside Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis), who’s now the grandma-slash-guardian figure. The swaps are triggered by a soda machine and a psychic (Vanessa Bayer, clearly having the time of her life), and from there, everything spirals.

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There are great moments throughout — a standout for me was actually when Anna and Eric met for the first time at the principal’s office. The chemistry is cute, but it’s X Mayo as Principal Waldman who completely steals the scene with her hilarious one-liners and unfiltered observations.

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But I’ll be honest: the body-swap performances didn’t hit quite as hard this time. The first movie worked so well because you could see Anna and Tess fully inhabiting each other — the way they moved, spoke, even stood. Here, Anna and Harper already have such a similar vibe that their switch doesn’t create much tension or contrast. And in the second swap between Lily and Tess, the British accent somehow survives the magic? Which kind of defeats the point.

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Anna is also manager to global pop star Ella, played by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. She does add a touch of flair and representation to the film, although it felt slightly forced at times.

That said, the movie has heart. The story lands emotionally, especially in the final stretch when Harper starts to understand what her mum’s been carrying all these years. There’s a subplot about Anna writing music again, and just when I thought the nostalgia couldn’t hit any harder — Pink Slip reunites and they sing Take Me Away!!

I teared up. Not even gonna pretend I didn’t.

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And yes, Chad Michael Murray is in this one. And yes, he still looks ridiculously good.

Freakier Friday doesn’t have the same tightness or iconic moments as the original. It’s messier, a little overstuffed, but genuinely warm. It’s for people like me who grew up with Freaky Friday and want something familiar with a few new surprises.

Freakier Friday opens in cinemas nationwide from 7 August 2025.

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