Sling Movie Rental of the Week, Dec. 4-10
In today’ new wave of horror, seeing that a movie is a Blumhouse Production marks it with the stamp of quality. The studio has produced some mega horror hits of the 2010s like Get Out, The Purge, Insidious, and Happy Death Day. Their latest, Freaky, is a slasher horror-comedy that's a fresh switch-up from the non-stop holiday spirit we’re typically inundated with this time of year. While it’s still playing in select theaters across the country, it’s also available to rent early on-demand for a one time purchase of $19.99.
Unhinged town slasher “The Butcher” (Vince Vaughn) is out for blood. He’s been preying on innocent kids when he turns his sights to high school student Millie (Kathryn Newton). Millie isn’t going down without a fight, and he’s initially unsuccessful at killing her. But the mysterious dagger he wields causes some sort of urban legend "blah-blah-blah" and they awake the next day having switched bodies. Millie has 24 hours to find the Butcher and figure things out before she is stuck forever in the skin of a killer.
By this point, everyone in town knows the Butcher’s frightening face from the news, so when Millie (as the Butcher) is spotted lurking about, she realizes how challenging this switcharoo is going to be. Even her friends don’t believe her until Millie proves it through some comedic Q&A (she doesn’t have a favorite athlete because doesn’t like sports, duh!). Once she finally convinces them, they embark on a quest to find the Butcher and commence the body switch using the dagger.
Let’s get one thing out of the way — despite its whimsical elements, this is a serious slasher movie that's not for the faint of heart, which I realized a mere five minutes into the film. Once I was able to move past that, Freaky turned out to be a hilarious reboot of many of the slasher films that flooded theaters in the '80s and '90s. I prefer my horror movies with a dose of paranormal or surreal, so the fact that this movie is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny made up for its blood and gore.
Freaky is fueled by strong performances from its two leads. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen Vince Vaughn in anything, but the wait was well worth it. As Millie in the Slasher’s body, Vaughn is hilarious, flailing his arms, running like a child, and totally terrified that the police are trying to get him. Hollywood newcomer Kathryn Newton also impresses, as she nails the impassive yet sociopathic Butcher trapped in a body much smaller and weaker than he’s used to.
A script filled with quick-wit jokes and laughable punchlines makes this one of my favorite horror movies of 2020, despite its bloodshed. Freaky is a much-needed, light-hearted (if you can stomach calling it that) distraction from the craziness of the world we’re currently in. Take a break from Christmas rom-coms and Hallmark holiday dramas to watch this hilarious neoslasher on Sling.
Rent Freaky for a one-time purchase of $19.99 by searching the Sling App or using the link below, no subscription required!
