Freaky 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Freaky 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

A must-own 4K UHD upgrade.

Freaky is an enormously entertaining horror-comedy produced by Jason Blum (M3GAN, Get Out). A wild ride with an ingenious concept, Freaky is a nice throw-back to 80s slasher films with a comedic spin. The film has a great sense of energy and style and features excellent performances by Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn.

A notorious and legendary serial killer known ominously as “The Butcher” (Vince Vaughn) wreaks havoc around Blissfield High. Yet the serial killer makes a huge mistake when he plunges a magic dagger in to the body of the beautiful Millie (Kathryn Newton) and the two swap bodies (with Millie entering the body of the serial killer while her own body is left for The Butcher to take-over). Millie’s close friends, Nyla (Celeste O’Connor) and Josh (Misha Osherovich), are overwhelmed with the discovery that their best friend is now in the body of the notorious serial killer.

As the trio look into the legend of the Butcher, the friends learn of a possible solution – yet the clock is ticking. Can the trio plunge the magic dagger back in to the body of The Butcher before time runs out and save Millie from permanently losing her own body? As the bodies pile up, the danger becomes increasingly real.

One of the best elements of Freaky is the performances. The two lead actors are fantastic in their respective roles. Kathryn Newton is more that just eye candy – beautiful and fierce, Newton has plenty of fun with her character – especially when it comes to the body-swap horror dynamics. When Newton plays serial-killer “The Butcher” she provides the film with a dynamic confidence that is unmistakable.

Vaughn, on the other hand, is great at the comedy elements while performing as Millie. Vaughn seems to be having the most fun he has had in a role in years. The two actors both show an enormous degree of dedication to their respective parts and Freaky is a lot more fun than it (potentially) could have been on-paper because of the standout performances.

You'll have a killer time.

The cinematography by Laurie Rose (Kill List, Peaky Blinders) kills it. The cinematography showcases the horror of the film and the comedy with equal-parts darkness and light. When the film is aiming for the comedy thrills, the cinematography is often brightly lit and more vibrant in appearance than during darker scares or thrilling sequences (when the visuals take on a more hypnotic and creative role). A excellent effort by Rose.

The costumes by Whitney Anne Adams (Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, Happy Death Day 2U) stand out as something effective and noteworthy in the production as well. The first item of note: the killer red jacket worn by Kathryn Newton. The red jacket alone feels iconic and like a perfect match for the actress and her on-screen confidence and charisma while playing-up the serial killer body-switch dynamic. (Or how about the school mascot?)

The production design by Hillary Andujar (Vengeance, Scare Package) is effective at providing the film with a sense of scale that is enormously pleasing as well. The design efforts are noteworthy (during school sequences, the detail is especially effective). Andujar handles the horror and scares as well (crafting up some nice production elements for these scenes).

The score composed by Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica, 12 Cloverfield Lane) is one of the most fun elements of the film. McCreary is one of the best composers working simultaneously in television and film. The score for Freaky is energetic and exciting (hitting all the right notes for a successful score).

Directed by Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse), from a screenplay Landon penned with co-screenwriter Michael Kennedy (Bordertown), Freaky is a ton of fun. The filmmaking is well-paced and the sense of style is energetic and exciting. The script has a ton of fun with the concept and the body-switch horror scenario. The scenario plays out while riffing on the horror genre in such a creative way that Freaky plays out a bit like a blended mix of Scream and Freaky Friday. The results are decidedly entertaining. Landon is one of the more interesting directors working in horror-comedy and Freaky is another great showcase for the filmmaker.

For more information on Freaky and an alternative take on the film, please refer to the review by my colleague Martin Liebman.

Freaky 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on 4K UHD from Shout Factory, Freaky is presented in 2160p HEVC / H.265 in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. The 4K UHD presentation is a native 4K encode. The presentation looks beautiful on the 4K UHD format. The HDR grade is reason enough to make the upgrade from Blu-ray to 4K UHD. The HDR provides a deeper sense of depth to the color palette as darker colors are more robust and deeper while the lighter shades of the cinematography shine brighter as well. The HDR helps the beautiful red-jacket worn by Kathryn Newton to "pop" with greater depth. The 4K encode also provides Freaky with a sharper and more detailed looking image. The image looks naturally crisp and organic. The 4K encoding helps the filmmaking to feel even more rewarding and visually effective. Though the Blu-ray presentation was already fantastic, the 4K UHD presentation is even better and more rewarding and is an easy upgrade.

Freaky 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The high-resolution audio track sounds crystal clear, engaging, and dynamic. Dialogue sounds crisp and rewarding. The score by Bear McCreary shines nicely on the release. The surrounds are actively used and the rear channels help the action-horror scenes to feel much more immersive and entertaining. Despite the release not providing a Dolby Atmos sound mix, Shout Factory has utilized the already-exceptional DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack from the original Blu-ray and it sounds so crystal clear and pleasing that it is hard to imagine anyone being disappointed.

Freaky 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a selection of legacy bonus features including:

Audio Commentary featuring co-writer/director Christopher Landon

Deleted Scenes:

The Butcher Lends a Hand (HD, 1:43)

Charlene Hears a Rumor (HD, 00:37)

Late for the Party (HD, 3:10)

Crafting the Kills (HD, 3:37)

Split Personalities: Millie vs. The Butcher (HD, 2:26)

Final Girl Reframed (HD, 2:50)

Christopher Landon's Brand of Horror (HD, 2:37)

Freaky Trailers (HD, 4:14)

Additional Trailers (HD, 4:56)

Freaky 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

 Freaky is an enormously entertaining and original horror film with a fun concept. The body-swap idea was ingenious and having Kathryn Newton perform both the sweet-as-a-button girl and a serial-killer rampaging around was thrilling fun. Vince Vaughn has a ton of fun with his role as well, especially in performing the role of Millie. The 4K UHD release has a strong 2160p 4K UHD presentation with a wonderful HDR (high dynamic range) grade and great sounding lossless audio. The release has a worthwhile selection of bonus features and ports over all of the extras from the previous edition. Fans of Freaky should consider the 4K UHD release a must-own. Highly recommended.