Freakier Friday reunites the Freaky Friday cast for a familiar but heartfelt sequel that leans on nostalgia while delivering some fresh body-swap laughs.

It’s been 22 years since Anna (Lindsay Lohan) and Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis) swapped bodies for one unforgettable day. Now, Tess is a devoted grandmother and successful psychologist preparing for her first book tour. She’s married to Ryan (Mark Harmon), still deeply involved in Anna’s life, and not above meddling. Anna, meanwhile, manages rising pop star Ella (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), who’s struggling creatively after a bad breakup. On top of that, Anna is single mother to 15-year-old daughter Harper (Julia Butters), a passionate surfer who’s growing distant.

When Anna falls for Eric Reyes (Manny Jacinto), a widowed chef, it sparks tension with his daughter Lily (Sophia Hammons), a London-loving teen who wants nothing to do with her dad’s new life. As the families prepare to merge, a warning from Madame Jen (Vanessa Bayer) sets off another magical mishap. Tess ends up in Lily’s body, while Anna switches with Harper. What follows is a fresh round of generational misunderstandings, comedic chaos, and emotional breakthroughs as the four women walk a mile in each other’s shoes—literally.

I can see why people wanted a sequel to Freaky Friday. I rewatched it the other night—it’s still so much fun. You really enjoy hanging out with the characters, and I appreciate how Freakier Friday pays off some of the choices from the original film. Unfortunately, much of the original supporting cast doesn’t have much to do this time around. The focus stays squarely on Harper and Lily, or on Anna and Tess. Still, it’s fascinating to watch the younger-as-older-as-younger actors play opposite the older-as-younger-as-older ones. After her breakthrough in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, Julia Butters proves that performance was no fluke—she’s terrific here.

Most of the core Freaky Friday cast returns for Freakier Friday. The actors who played Alan Coleman (Harold Gould) and Tess’s patient Evan (Willie Garson) are no longer with us. As of Monday’s screening, there was no on-screen dedication to them. Instead, the film is dedicated to Los Angeles, its first responders, and those impacted by the Eaton and Palisades fires. It’s a fitting choice—the film plays as a love letter to LA and includes locations now lost to fire.

There’s no mistaking that Freakier Friday wants to bring the fun, and mostly it succeeds. But it also feels like it’s playing many of the same beats and tropes as the first film. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Only this time, instead of two people switching bodies, it’s four. And while the premise expands, Pei-Pei (Rosalind Chao) and Grandma Chiang (Lucille Soong) have nothing to do with the magic this time. That said, if there’s any justice, maybe Jamie Lee Curtis will get the Oscar nod she deserved back in 2003.

If you loved the music in the first film, Freakier Friday brings back quite a few of the greatest hits, along with some new additions. It’s just one of many ways the film leans into nostalgia. I’ll be curious to see if Disney pushes for “Baby” during awards season. One creative decision I’m still mulling over: the new version of “Ultimate.” Rather than Pink Slip performing it again, they went with a cover. Then again, “Take Me Away” was a cover, too.

Freakier Friday doesn’t reinvent the body-swap wheel, but it doesn’t have to. The film delivers exactly what it promises: heart, humor, and a heavy dose of nostalgia. It’s a crowd-pleasing sequel that knows its audience and gives longtime fans a reason to smile. While it doesn’t reach the same heights as the 2003 original, there’s enough charm and emotional payoff to make this return trip worthwhile.

DIRECTOR: Nisha Ganatra
SCREENWRITER: Jordan Weiss
CAST: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Manny Jacinto, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Rosalind Chao, Chad Michael Murray, and Mark Harmon

Disney will release Freakier Friday in theaters on August 8, 2025. Grade: 3.5/5

Please subscribe to Solzy on Buttondown and visit Dugout Dirt.