'Freakier Friday' review: Lohan and Curtis reunite for a legacy sequel that has plenty of charm

Courtesy of Disney

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In what might be the biggest surprise of the summer, “Freakier Friday” is actually really great. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The 2003 original, arriving at the peak of Lindsay Lohan’s stardom, was a full-on millennial fever dream. So the idea of a modern 2025 spin felt, on paper, like a recipe for disaster, and the trailers certainly didn’t help. Yet Nisha Ganatra’s sequel not only lives up to its potential but delivers a film that’s as funny as it is endearing and undeniably sweet. 

Lohan, in her first theatrical leading role since the misfire “I Know Who Killed Me” in 2007, is firmly back in the spotlight after a string of successful Netflix rom-coms. You can’t help but root for her. She returns as Anna Coleman, who you might remember swapped bodies with her mother Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and learned a tough lesson about love and compassion. That lesson is now doubled with the addition of her daughter Harper (a wonderful Julia Butters) and soon-to-be stepdaughter Lily (Sophia Hammons).

Anna, who we learn had a moderately successful musical career, now works primarily as a talent manager, trying to “co-parent” alongside Tess, who goes by “Grams.” Anna has fallen head over heels for fellow single parent Eric (Manny Jacinto - having a ball), and they’re soon to be married. Of course, future step-siblings Harper and Lily absolutely cannot stand each other with their bickering mirrors the dynamic Anna and Tess had 23 years earlier. Enter Madame Jen (a lively Vanessa Bayer), an amateur psychic whose lucky mix of spells and occult nonsense scrambles the identities of all four: Lily becomes Grams, Grams becomes Lily, Anna is Harper, and Harper is Anna. There’s a learning curve, but the film finds its rhythm.

Skepticism was high going in: how could the filmmakers juggle so many characters, or make the body swap situation even remotely plausible again? I was pleasantly surprised by how nuanced and cheeky it all felt. It’s a blast seeing ninth graders running wild in their older counterparts’ bodies: free from responsibility, taking joyrides, dressing however they want.

Meanwhile, Anna and Tess embrace their younger selves with binge junk food sessions (“I haven’t digested like this in years!”) and delight in being able to bend over without injury or embarrassment. It’s all in good fun.

Much of the self-deprecation comes from Curtis, who throws haymakers about her lip size and bone structure, but Lohan matches her every step. Just as before, they’re having a blast playing teenagers in their own bodies. The timing and cadence are spot on, and the film nails modern teenage struggles around “triggers” and “safe spaces” with sharp, on-the-nose humor. There’s even a food fight! 

At its core, “Freakier Friday” is a poignant tale about finding your people, the meaning of true love and, of course, the unbreakable bond of family. It lands its emotional beats because the script, by Jordan Weiss and Elyse Hollander, doesn’t lean too heavily on nostalgia. Yes, there’s plenty of fan service (the return of Chad Michael Murray is a textbook wink to fans, though he’s genuinely great, so it’s forgiven), and of course, it wouldn’t be a legacy sequel without those nods. But “Freakier Friday” carves out its own path and has a swell time doing it. 

Grade: B+ 

FREAKIER FRIDAY is now playing in theaters.