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It’s been over two decades since Freaky Friday (2003) turned a Disney Channel plot into a millennial cult classic. Now, with Freakier Friday, the body-swapping baton gets passed to a new generation, sort of. Directed by Late Night’s Nisha Ganatra, this legacy sequel isn’t interested in reinventing the formula so much as relishing in it. And to its credit, that’s not a bad thing. The result is a zany, heartfelt family comedy that leans heavily on nostalgia, never takes itself too seriously, and gives Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis another chance to steal the spotlight and break character while they’re at it.
Picking up 22 years after their first magical identity crisis, we find Anna (Lohan) all grown up, now a single mom herself, trying to raise her teenage daughter Harper (the ever-watchable Julia Butters). Like her own mother Tess (Curtis), Anna is juggling a career, motherhood, and a new romance, this time with the cool and charming chef Eric (Manny Jacinto). But family bliss is complicated by Harper’s teen angst, Tess’s meddling, and Eric’s fashion-obsessed daughter Lily (Sophia Hammons), who just wants to move back to London.
The new dynamics call for new hijinks. When all four women visit a fortune teller at Anna’s bachelorette party, played with perfect chaotic energy by SNL’s Vanessa Bayer, the curse is set. The next morning? Double body swap. Anna and Harper have switched places, and so have Lily and Tess. Cue generational comedy, awkward flirting, and the kind of high-energy physical comedy that made the original such a joy to watch.
The good news: Freakier Friday retains much of the charm of its predecessor. Lohan and Curtis haven’t lost an ounce of comedic timing or chemistry. Curtis, especially, relishes the chance to once again play a teenager in an adult body, except this time with even more “I can’t believe I’m doing this again” self-awareness. Lohan, meanwhile, is clearly having a blast. In one memorable scene, she tries to flirt while pretending to be her own teenage daughter, and it’s so gloriously awkward you can practically see her trying not to burst into laughter mid-scene. It’s giving SNL sketch energy in the best way possible.
Of course, with any sequel like this, the next-gen cast is crucial. Luckily, Butters (The Fabelmans) and Hammons (The Secret Society of Second-Born Royals) more than hold their own. Their performances are enthusiastic without being overplayed, and they bring a youthful spark that helps sell the film’s central theme: that understanding someone else’s life sometimes means literally walking in their shoes. Or, in this case, tripping in their heels and yelling “Mom!” at the top of their lungs.
What Freakier Friday doesn’t quite nail is the script. It’s predictable, a little lazy in places, and full of “oh right, this is a movie for kids” moments. The comedy often rides on the actors’ delivery rather than clever writing, and the plot sticks so closely to the structure of the original that it starts to feel more like a reunion special than a fully fleshed-out sequel. Yes, the double body swap adds a new wrinkle, but it’s never mined for its full comic potential. There’s also an odd sense that the movie is afraid to get too weird or too sharp, which is a shame considering how ripe the concept is for both.
That said, what Freakier Friday gets right is the heart. Just like the 2003 version, this is a story about empathy, family, and learning to see the world from someone else’s perspective. In an era of multiverses, reboots, and high-concept everything, it’s kind of refreshing to watch something so unabashedly simple. No one’s trying to explain the mechanics of body-swapping. No one’s on a mission to close a mystical portal. This is just about moms and daughters trying to understand each other. And sometimes, that’s enough.
Also, major points for scrubbing away the cultural insensitivity of the original’s body-swap catalyst. This time around, the mystical element is played with humor but not stereotype, making the film feel more modern, even if it’s drenched in early-2000s throwback energy.
In the end, Freakier Friday doesn’t elevate the franchise, but it doesn’t sink it either. It’s a breezy, if uneven, sequel that knows its audience: the moms who once saw Freaky Friday as teens and are now watching with their own kids. If that’s not a full-circle Disney moment, what is?
Grade: C+
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Freakier Friday
Years after Tess and Anna endured an identity crisis, Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover lightning might indeed strike twice.
Release Date: August 8, 2025
Director: Nisha Ganatra
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis , Lindsay Lohan , Julia Butters
