Freaky Friday was a 1972 book by Mary Rodgers that fitted the Disney family-friendly world perfectly, and so a 1976 film starring Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster was made. The tale of a mother and daughter who swap bodies to understand each other’s points of view was a massive hit for the studio. So much so that they produced countless new versions and remakes until 2003, when they updated the story to fit the world of pop rock and teenage angst. Now the series has had its first sequel with Freakier Friday, and we get the body swap idea once again, only this time, four times!

Anna is now a single mother to a daughter, Harper, who is looked after jointly by Anna’s mother, Tess. When Harper causes an accident in science along with her English lab partner, Lily, Anna has to meet the principal with Lily’s father, Eric. They immediately fall for each other and plan to marry, something that Harper and Lily don’t want to happen. Their arguments lead them to a fortune teller who causes the two girls to swap bodies with Anna and Tess.

The basic premise of the original story was straightforward to follow. Mother and Daughter clash, and the only way they can understand what their lives are really like is for them to swap bodies and work out that they have to work through their differences. The 2003 version added depth by focusing on Tess’s wedding, something that Anna found hard to appreciate after the loss of her father. This time, that depth somewhat falls to the sidelines as you have to cope with not two people swapping but four.

The simplicity of the original gave the film more room to add some reasonably funny gags, and the whole experience was surprisingly joyful, considering that this was a teen comedy aimed at a particular demographic. This time, after 22 years, the demographics have changed, as most of the audience will be made up of those who loved that 2003 version. By adding the extra characters, the film does get a little lost under its own weight, and having to remember who is who does dampen the fun.

Having said that, there are a few scenes that work well, particularly those involving Tess and Anna, the older versions with the young girls inside them. A scene in a record store is a strong high point, with Anna trying to flirt with her former boyfriend, Jake, while Tess hides behind album covers of famous singers’ faces. Where the film doesn’t work this time is the contrived plot about stopping the wedding because the two feuding teenagers don’t want to leave their homes.

Thankfully, there is help at hand in the form of original cast members Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. Curtis stole the previous film, and she does it again. She knows how to play comedy, and she does it with great aplomb and a sense of self-deprecation. She sparkles as Tess, and in one scene, when she is being photographed for a book signing, she is given room to show her comedy chops. Lohan, who has had such a troubled past, shows us just why she was a star originally, only this time, she gets a chance to shine. It was a joy to watch her being genuinely funny.

Julia Butters as Harper and Sophia Hammons as Lily do fine work as the battling teens, and Chad Michael Murray, reprising his role of Jake, still has that crush for the older Tess, bringing a joyful sense of reminiscence. I did miss not having the younger brother of Anna around, as he did have some of the funnier moments in the original.

Freakier Friday does seem a little unnecessary, but seeing Curtis and Lohan back together again does bring a smile. It’s not as good as the first film, mainly because of the confused plot, but it does have a funny stream of outtakes at the end, and its heart is in its proper place.

3 out of 5

Director: Nisha Ganatra

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Mark Harmon, Manny Jacinto, Chad Michael Murray, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson

Written by: (also story) Jordan Weiss, (story) Elyse Hollander, (based on the book ‘Freaky Friday’) Mary Rodgers, (based on characters created) Leslie Dixon and Heather Hach

Running Time: 110 mins

Cert: PG

Release date: 8th August 2025