22 years after “Freaky Friday”, director Nisha Ganatra reunites Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan in this nostalgia-tinged, body-swap sequel that aims for warm laughs and emotional echoes more than bold re-invention. While “Freakier Friday” doesn’t break new ground, it leans hard into familiar pleasures, and mostly succeeds.
In the sequel, Anna (Lohan) is now a single mother, raising teenage daughter Harper (Julia Butters) while trying to build a new life with fiancé Eric (Manny Jacinto) whose daughter Lily (Sophia Hammons) is destined to be Harper’s stepsister. But of course, it’s not long before magical chaos ensues: a fortune teller’s experiment causes not one, but two simultaneous body swaps, forcing Anna, Tess, Harper, and Lily to walk in each other’s shoes just in time for a wedding.
One of the film’s greatest strengths is the chemistry between Curtis and Lohan: their dynamic remains warm, playful, and full of affectionate callbacks.
Curtis leans into physical comedy and grand gestures, while Lohan retains the grounded emotional undercurrent that made her performance so memorable in the original. The younger cast, particularly Butters, holds her own by injecting the story with moments of truth amid the silliness.
That said, “Freakier Friday” is not without its stumbles. With four characters swapping, clarity occasionally suffers. It becomes hard to keep track of who is inhabiting which body and why.
The script is also very similar to the structure of its predecessor, as if determined not to stray too far from the known formula and in doing so, loses opportunities for fresher surprises.
Some critics also note a lack of emotional depth in the second half, where stakes and character arcs feel a little rushed.
Moreover, while the film has made efforts to address legacy issues, notably distancing itself from the original’s more problematic ethnic stereotypes. This shows the shadow of their past missteps still linger.
Still, “Freakier Friday” isn’t trying to overturn expectations. Its mission is simpler: to offer a warm, chaotic family comedy built on nostalgia, heart, and the fun of watching familiar faces in new predicaments. On that front it is largely delivered. For fans of the original or viewers seeking a breezy, feel-good escape, it’s a pleasing, if unsurprising, ride. Audiences seem to agree, as the film holds a “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
