Freaky Movie Review | Common Sense Media

Home » Why Is Freaky Rated R » Freaky Movie Review | Common Sense Media

Maybe your like

Skip to main content
  • For Parents
  • For Educators
  • Our Work and Impact
Language: English English Español (próximamente) - volver al inicio
  • Movies
    • Movie Reviews and Lists
      • Movie Reviews
      • Best Movie Lists
      • Common Sense Selections for Movies
    • Marketing Campaign

      • 50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

    • The Common Sense Seal

      • Common Sense Selections for Movies

  • TV
    • TV Reviews and Lists
      • TV Reviews
      • Best TV Lists
      • Common Sense Selections for TV
      • Video Reviews of TV Shows
    • Marketing Campaign

      • Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

    • Marketing Campaign

      • Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

  • Books
    • Book Reviews and Lists
      • Book Reviews
      • Best Book Lists
      • Common Sense Selections for Books
    • Article About Books

      • 8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

    • Marketing Campaign for Books

      • 50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

  • Gaming
    • App Reviews and Lists
      • Fortnite
      • Minecraft
      • Roblox
      • All Game Reviews
  • Social Media
    • Podcast Reviews and Lists
      • Social Media
      • Snapchat
      • Instagram
      • TikTok
  • Parents' Guides
    • By Age & Stage
      • Preschoolers (2-4)
      • Little Kids (5-7)
      • Big Kids (7-9)
      • Tweens (10-12)
      • Teens (13-15)
    • By Topic
      • Digital Parenting Anxiety
      • First Phones
      • Social Media
      • Parental Controls
      • AI Companions
      • Generative AI
    • What's New

      • Parents' Ultimate Guide: How to Set Parent Controls on Roblox

      • All Parents' Ultimate Guides
  • Tips & FAQs
    • Column 1
      • Family Tech Planners
      • Digital Skills
      • All Articles
    • Column 2

      • Carpool Conversations

    • Column 3

      • Two Truths & AI

  • Celebrating Community
    • Menu for Latino Content
      • Latino Culture
      • Black Voices
      • Asian Stories
      • Native Narratives
      • LGBTQ+ Pride
      • Jewish Experiences
      • Best of Diverse Representation List
    • FACE English Column 2

      • Multicultural Books

    • FACE English Column 3

      • YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

    • FACE English Column 4

      • Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

  • Donate

Parents' Guide to

Freaky Movie R 2020 101 minutes Freaky Poster Image
  • Common Sense Says
  • Parents Say 11 Reviews
  • Kids Say 31 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Tara McNamara By Tara McNamara , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Over-the-top, foul-mouthed slasher comedy goes for the gore.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Freaky is a slasher flick/body-swap comedy starring Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn. It acknowledges and has fun with horror-movie clichés -- in other words, teens who drink, have sex, and bully others are…

 Why Age 16+? Violence & Scariness

Bloody, over-the-top, but not terribly realistic murders. People are gored, hit

Language

Frequent strong language, most of it meant for humor, including: "ass," "a--hole

 Sex, Romance & Nudity

A couple has sex; shown via actions, no graphic nudity. Crude language and sexua

 Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

A teen is drunk at a party; his friends are seen holding a bottle of liquor. Tee

 Products & Purchases Not present Any Positive Content? Positive Role Models

Millie is a great daughter and friend, always thinking of others. Characters dem

 Positive Messages

Lots of bloody mayhem here, but a character does state that "strength comes from

  • Parents Need to Know

    Parents need to know that Freaky is a slasher flick/body-swap comedy starring Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn. It acknowledges and has fun with horror-movie clichés -- in other words, teens who drink, have sex, and bully others are definitely getting murdered. And those deaths seem to revel in being over the top: There's lots of gore, and weapons include household items, chainsaws, and even cursed knives. (When guns are used by the police, it feels like the movie's tamest form of violence.) There's no cutting away from any of this splatterfest -- indeed, there's usually a close-up of the gory wound. It's intentionally campy and outrageous, meant to make viewers recoil while also laughing in shock with friends. Language is really strong ("c--t," "f--k," and more) and sometimes crude ("c--k," "p---y"), and includes a rape joke made by a character who's intended to be likable. Characters have sex (non-graphic), kiss, and drink, and one character with a substance dependency seeks to buy drugs. Amid all of the mayhem are messages about teamwork, strength coming from the inside, and true friends staying by your side no matter what.

    To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

  • Violence & Scariness

    a lot

    Bloody, over-the-top, but not terribly realistic murders. People are gored, hit with a blunt instrument, stabbed, shot. Fighting scenes include attacks, punches, kicks, body tossing. Characters face life-or-death peril. Bullying. One scene indicates intention of rape, but it never happens. However, a positively portrayed character does make a rape joke (friends acknowledge it's inappropriate, but he doubles down), and there's unwanted touching of a girl's bottom.

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Language

    a lot

    Frequent strong language, most of it meant for humor, including: "ass," "a--holes," "bitch," "bulls--t," "c--k," "c--t," "d--k," "f-ggot," "goddammit," "p---y," "s--t," and "f--k." Middle-finger and rude sexual gestures. Exclamations include "oh my God" and "Jesus Christ!"

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Sex, Romance & Nudity

    some

    A couple has sex; shown via actions, no graphic nudity. Crude language and sexual gesture meant for humor. Both opposite-sex and same-sex kissing.

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

    some

    A teen is drunk at a party; his friends are seen holding a bottle of liquor. Teens plan to drink wine. A character with a drug dependency asks to buy drugs.

    Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

    Get started Close

  • Positive Role Models

    some

    Millie is a great daughter and friend, always thinking of others. Characters demonstrate teamwork. Diverse representation in supporting roles, including characters who are Black, gay, and Latinx and work in non-gender-stereotypical fields.

  • Positive Messages

    a little

    Lots of bloody mayhem here, but a character does state that "strength comes from the inside." Your true friends will know you and stay by your side, even in the most confusing times.

Where to Watch

  • FreakyMovie Review 1:10
  • Freaky Trailer Freaky
  • Freaky Movie: Scene #1
  • Freaky Movie: Scene #2

Freaky

Parent and Kid Reviews

See all
  • Parents Say (11)
  • Kids Say (31)
age 15+

Based on 11 parent reviews

See all 11 parent reviews age 14+

Based on 31 kid reviews

Kids say this film is a gory horror-comedy filled with extreme violence, strong language, and brief sexual content, making it unsuitable for younger viewers. While many enjoyed its humor and entertaining plot, they noted the importance of parental discretion due to the intensity of its scenes and themes.

  • intense violence
  • strong language
  • sexual content
  • parental discretion
  • entertaining plot
  • good for teens
Summarized with AI
See all 31 kid reviews

What's the Story?

In FREAKY, Millie (Kathryn Newton) is an awkward high schooler who's struggling through her senior year when she becomes the latest victim of serial killer Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn). But rather than die, Millie switches bodies with her middle-aged slayer, who, in turn, is caught in her teenage body. High school hijinks, mayhem, murder, and some real freaky stuff ensues. Director Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Paranormal Activity) is behind this dark slasher comedy.

Show more

Is It Any Good?

Our review: Parents say (11 ): Kids say (31 ):

Vaughn steals more than a body in this snarky, over-the-top mashup -- he steals the whole show. He takes on the lightness of a teen girl with aplomb in a fun, fresh take on what had become a tired genre: the body-swap comedy. His performance is somewhat similar to Jack Black's in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle -- and it's equally hilarious. When mid-swap, Vaughn -- as Millie -- makes a romantic connection with her crush, it's absurdly and hysterically touching. Alas, the same can't be said for Newton. Once she becomes the serial killer, she stalks around with a hardened stare. It does the job, but given Vaughn's familiar physicality and vocal tics, it's disappointing that she doesn't take the opportunity to truly "become" him. (For inspiration, she could have turned to the 2003 Freaky Friday, where Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan gleefully nailed each other's mannerisms and speech patterns.)

Freaky's dialogue really gets a kick out of itself. It's a snark buffet, including naming the ravaged town Blissfield and its high school football team mascot "the biting beavers." While that might elicit a snort of appreciation, its not quite as clever as intended. The sweet spot is really in the campy, ridiculous deaths. The serial killer is imaginative and resourceful, using whatever he finds around him to murder teens -- including a toilet seat. Blood spurts, splatters, sprays, and gushes so unbelievable that it becomes farce. It's a wacky film that's full of gasps and squeals: your own. To get the most out of it, watch with a friend, or even better, a room full of them.

Show more

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Freaky acknowledges the clichés of both slasher films and body-swap comedies. How does it compare to both? What other genres would you like to see mashed together?

  • How does the film upend traditional gender roles? On the other hand, did you notice characters playing into stereotypes? Do stereotypes work for this type of film?

  • How does the violence in Freaky compare to other horror films? Because this is a comedy, do you think the violence has the same impact? Were you scared or grossed out?

  • How do Millie and her friends demonstrate teamwork? Do you think they should have gone to an adult?

  • Families can also discuss how Millie is bullied, including when she finds the writing on the bathroom wall. What can be done to counteract cruel behavior?

Show more

Movie Details

  • In theaters : November 13, 2020
  • On DVD or streaming : February 9, 2021
  • Cast : Kathryn Newton , Vince Vaughn , Alan Ruck
  • Director : Christopher Landon
  • Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Actor(s)
  • Studio : Universal Pictures
  • Genre : Horror
  • Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( High School )
  • Character Strengths : Teamwork
  • Run time : 101 minutes
  • MPAA rating : R
  • MPAA explanation : strong bloody horror violence, sexual content, and language throughout
  • Last updated : October 9, 2025
Show more

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Freaky

Suggest an Update

Your privacy is important to us. We won't share this comment without your permission. If you chose to provide an email address, it will only be used to contact you about your comment. See our privacy policy . Freaky Poster Image

What to Watch Next

See all

Best Horror Movies

See all

Scary Movies for Kids

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

  • Teamwork
  • Magic
  • Fantasy
  • Siblings
  • Family Stories
  • Friendship
  • High School
  • School

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate

Tag » Why Is Freaky Rated R