As someone who grew up rewatching Freaky Friday (2003) on repeat, I approached Freakier Friday with cautious optimism. Could a sequel made two decades later capture the same magic? The answer, thankfully, is a resounding yes.
Director Nisha Ganatra and screenwriter Jordan Weiss craft a sequel that feels both familiar and fresh. This time, Anna Coleman (Lindsay Lohan) has grown into a successful music producer, still leaning on her mother Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) for help raising her teenage daughter Harper (Julia Butters). When Harper clashes with her British classmate Lily (Sophia Hammons), their school feud leads Anna to meet—and fall for—Lily’s charming father, Eric (Manny Jacinto).
Six months later, with wedding plans underway, tensions reach a boiling point. Harper fears being left behind if Anna moves to London, while Lily desperately wants to return home. Their rivalry culminates in a disastrous bake sale food fight, landing them in detention. Meanwhile, a fateful bachelorette party palm reading—and a mysterious earthquake—sets the stage for another chaotic body swap. But this time, it’s double the trouble: Anna and Tess wake up as Harper and Lily, while the teens find themselves trapped in their grandmother and soon-to-be-stepmom’s bodies.
What follows is a whirlwind of hilarious misadventures and heartfelt revelations. The adults struggle through high school detention while desperately seeking answers, and the teens seize the opportunity to sabotage the wedding—until they begin to see the world through each other’s eyes. The script smartly avoids rehashing the original’s formula, instead exploring new dynamics between the four leads.
The brilliance of Freakier Friday lies in its casting. Curtis and Lohan slip effortlessly back into their roles, delivering both big laughs (Curtis reacting to her teenage body is a highlight) and touching vulnerability. The younger cast holds their own, with Butters and Hammons proving they can carry the emotional weight just as well as the comedic beats.
While the plot follows predictable beats, the execution is so joyful that it doesn’t matter. The humor lands, the callbacks satisfy (including a Pink Slip reunion that will delight fans), and the emotional payoffs feel earned. Ganatra keeps the pacing brisk, balancing slapstick with quieter character moments. The result is a legacy sequel that respects its roots while standing on its own.
Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the franchise, Freakier Friday is a blast—funny, sweet, and packed with nostalgia.
★★★★☆
