NOW IN THEATERS! Leave it to Disney to mine deep in the archives and find a new franchise to reboot in Nisha Ganatra’s Freakier Friday. Because we NEEDED another Freaky Friday movie., only bigger, better, grander. Yass! Sarcasm aside, maybe this is something we do need after all.
In Freakier Friday, we’re reintroduced to the familiar world of the Coleman family, but this time with a twist — literally. Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis), now older, is trying to balance her career as a therapist with helping Anna (Lindsay Lohan) succeed as a single mother, even if Anna didn’t ask for it. On the other hand, Anna is trying to connect with her daughter Harper (Julia Butters), but her attempts to give Harper a safe space are falling on deaf ears, and Harper would rather surf than go to school or listen to her. Of course, Tess is there to play favorite grandparent.
Meanwhile, Harper is having problems at school with her rival, Lily (Sophia Hammonds). Lily is an international transfer student and fashion prodigy. She resents that her father, Eric (Manny Jacinto), moved her to Los Angeles after her mother died. Now, Lily is taking her anger out on Harper. After a food fight incident, Anna and Eric are brought in to deal with their warring children, and it’s love at first sight. A few months later, Anna and Eric are engaged, and the wedding is fast approaching.
Not happy that they will be step-sisters, Harper and Lily scheme to break up their parents’ wedding. Yet at Anna’s bachelorette party, Tess and Anna have a session with Madam Jen (Vanessa Bayer), the palm reader they hired. She sees that their paths had once crossed long ago, and it may happen again. The next morning, Harper wakes up in Anna’s body, and Anna is now trapped in Harper’s. Worse, Lily wakes up in Tess’ body and vice versa. Seizing the opportunity, Harper and Lily use this moment of fate to screw with Anna and Eric’s whirlwind romance.
(L-R) Julia Butters as Harper Coleman and Sophia Hammons as Lily Davies in Disney’s FREAKIER FRIDAY. Photo by Glen Wilson. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
“Harper and Lily use this moment of fate to screw with Anna and Eric’s whirlwind romance.”
I just need to say that Freakier Friday is not a movie meant for an old man. I took the opportunity to take my daughter, who also wasn’t having any of the shenanigans of this tired Disney plot. With expectations low, my daughter and I found ourselves really enjoying the film. We laughed out loud at the cross-generational jokes and found ourselves touched by the eventual lessons learned from walking in the shoes of the other generation. We were surprised that we both had a good time and actually want to see it again.
First, I need to shout out the amazing performances of the four leads, especially for a Disney film: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Malia Baker, and Julia Butters. As with a lot of these body swap movies, it’s hard to follow who is who. Throughout the film, we knew who was in what body without missing a beat. Yes, there are a lot of silly jokes along the way about arthritis and having a tight a*s, yet it’s all in good fun. Once you allow yourself to go for the ride, you’ll forgive a lot of groaner moments.
The true success of Freakier Friday is the individual stories of each of the main characters. Everyone has a specific and relatable arc, and it’s smartly written. For the girls, it’s having your life turned upside down after the death of a parent and not having a say about your destiny. Ultimately, for all four, it’s about finding family and being there for one another. The body swap plot falls in place perfectly at the end.
Don’t get me wrong, but if you’re a grown male, you’re probably not going to find much in this film. Freakier Friday is perfect for the mother/daughter set and offers a lot that we haven’t seen from Disney in a while: solid cast, strange plot, and a heartfelt message about family.
"…offers a lot that we haven't seen from Disney in a while..."
