Freaky

Vince Vaughn plays the Blissfield Butcher, a destitute serial killer who stabs a mousey teen played by Kathryn Newton with a magical dagger, causing the two to switch bodies.

After opening with a crackerjack homage to 80s slashers—with Vaughn proving an able Jason Voorhees clone—the film pivots to teen drama, setting up Newton’s character. This pays dividends after the swap, as watching Vaughn play a teen girl had me roaring with laughter. Newton’s transformation is less flashy (and raises some questions regarding her newfound makeup skills) but gets the job done. The film avoids any sleaze, but the kills are gory and inventive. It’s a fun, if a bit sterile, ride right up to the on-point ambiguous ending.

Except the film isn’t done. It tacks on another coda that drags, seeming to exist only to reinforce the film’s distance from stereotypical slashers. Disappointing.