--- title: "Freakier Friday: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/freakier-friday/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/freakier-friday" critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 14 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Freakier Friday (2025): what the critics said Critics' score 71 from 14 reviews: 8 positive, 6 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics agree on what works: Jamie Lee Curtis, whose slapstick is singled out again and again, and Lindsay Lohan, whose return is welcomed even where her turn is judged more poised than funny. Nisha Ganatra draws credit for sincerity and for giving the younger cast room, and several reviews say the newcomers hold their own. The reservations cluster just as tightly. The four-way body swap is repeatedly called cluttered, confusing or over-complicated, and a number of critics find the film busier but less funny than the 2003 original. Variety puts that trade-off most directly, calling it more ambitious and less amusing. The spread is narrow: no review is hostile, and the split is between those who take the mess as part of the fun and those who find it tiring. The Hollywood Reporter goes furthest, finding the performances manic and the comedy mechanical, while The Telegraph raises the odd choice to leave Lohan’s own history out of the story. ## Evening Standard — India Block Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 2025. Lohan and Curtis deliver high-voltage star power and top slapstick, breaking Disney's sequel curse with laughs, heart and a proper comeback for both the stars and the franchise despite some thin character work and obvious product placement. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/freakier-friday-review-lindsay-lohan-disney-jamie-lee-curtis-b1241598.html) ## Empire — Beth Webb Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 6 August 2025. The four-way body swap allows Lohan and Curtis to shine once more with their free-wheeling charms and slapstick skills, delivering magic and fan-service beats despite a slightly chaotic plot that under-serves the story in places. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/freakier-friday/) ## The i Paper — Francesca Steele Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 2025. Lohan is terrific and Curtis hysterical in their physical comedy as the film sticks to the same undemanding, carefree fun and nostalgic tone as the original, delivering exactly what it promises with great supporting turns from the younger cast. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/freakier-friday-hysterical-lindsay-lohan-terrific-3842280) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 2025. An amusing but flimsy sequel that raises the stakes with a four-way swap; Ganatra brings bighearted sincerity and touching moments, and it is a pleasure to see Lohan back on screen, though the convoluted plot prevents it from fully succeeding. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/freakier-friday-review-jamie-lee-curtis-and-lindsay-lohan-reunite-for-more-body-switch-laughs/5207563.article) ## Little White Lies — Yasmine Kandil Rating 3/3/2. The results are okay and it does not quite recapture the rugged noughties flair of the original. The critic notes the body-swap sequel delivers mixed results overall. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/freakier-friday-review-nothing-quite-compares-to-that-rugged-noughties-flair/) ## Radio Times — James Mottram Rating 3/5. 5 August 2025. The critic calls it a pleasant enough reunion with the original characters but notes the four-way body swap leads to confusion and the director struggles to balance the ambition with coherence. Nostalgia, funny lines, and strong performances (especially Curtis) provide the main appeal. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/freakier-friday-review/) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 7 August 2025. Lohan and Curtis return for more body-swapping antics in this sequel to the 2003 comedy. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/movies/freakier-friday-review.html) ## Time Out — Olly Richards Rating 3/5. 5 August 2025. It is daft, awkwardly assembled and full of logic holes, but infectious, ridiculous fun and an easy hang with the cast. The critic praises the light comedic charm of Lohan and Curtis having a wildly good time. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/freakier-friday-review-2025) ## Financial Times — Danny Leigh 6 August 2025. The review finds the ribbing gently good-natured under Nisha Ganatra's direction, with a careful balance of upbeat messaging and knockabout comedy. It notes the generational setup makes hay with the decades between films. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/0eee0f82-1146-453b-bb0d-1ef06ac54e09) ## Los Angeles Times — Amy Nicholson 7 August 2025. The film offers magical chemistry between Lohan and Curtis and plenty of hijinks in its overstuffed four-way swap setup, but it lacks the emotional insight or laughs of the beloved original. It serves as a disposable, serviceable delight for fans revisiting the characters with their own kids. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2025-08-07/freakier-friday-review-jamie-lee-curtis-lindsay-lohan-julia-butters-chad-michael-murray) ## The Guardian 5 August 2025. The critic highlights Jamie Lee Curtis's gamer and goofy performance as carrying the zany body-swap sequel, while Lindsay Lohan gives a serviceable but less comedic turn. The film keeps things light and avoids deeper issues of identity. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/aug/05/freakier-friday-review-jamie-lee-curtis-freaky-friday-franchise-lindsay-lohan) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney 5 August 2025. The critic finds the sequel strained and lacking the original's buoyancy and charm, with overly manic performances and diluted intergenerational dynamics. The script spreads the body-swap premise too thin, resulting in mechanical comedy and shameless nostalgia plays. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/freakier-friday-review-jamie-lee-curtis-lindsay-lohan-1236336468/) ## The Telegraph 8 August 2025. The review notes the film's easy-breezy approach but singles out the oddity of airbrushing Lindsay Lohan's real-life struggles from the narrative. It suggests modest magic for those with the right expectations. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/freaky-friday-lindsay-lohan-past/) ## The Times — Kevin Maher 5 August 2025. The critic describes the sequel as busy, goofy and occasionally moving, with more of everything from subplots to one-liners. Nisha Ganatra is praised for generosity toward supporting players. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/freakier-friday-review-lindsay-lohan-jamie-lee-curtis-q6335qmhk) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman 5 August 2025. The double body swaps make the film more ambitious than the original but less funny overall, with limited comic frisson from the personality transfers. It succeeds as a touching, watchable Disney family story about sisters and mothers but falls short as rollicking slapstick comedy. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/freakier-friday-review-lindsay-lohan-jamie-lee-curtis-1236478106/) ## Collider — Isabella Soares Rating 9/10. 5 August 2025. The critic praises the sequel for successfully recapturing the charm of the original with Lohan and Curtis's chemistry, new additions like Butters and Hammons, and satisfying fan service, calling it a winning legacy sequel. [Read the review](https://collider.com/freakier-friday-review-lindsay-lohan-jamie-lee-curtis-disney/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 2025. The critic praises the film as a fun, emotional generational body-swap comedy that delivers laughs and heart thanks to the cast and director Nisha Ganatra, though it can be confusing at times. They highlight the genuine emotion and the feel-good payoff. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2025/08/freakier-friday-review-lindsay-lohan-jamie-lee-curtis-1236477451/) ## /Film — Ethan Anderton Rating 8/10. 5 August 2025. The critic finds it a lively, fun, and charming legacy sequel that delivers quality laughs and heartfelt moments without over-relying on nostalgia callbacks. He singles out the strong work from the new young cast members alongside the returning leads. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1931316/freakier-friday-review-lindsay-lohan-jamie-lee-curtis/) ## HeyUGuys — Linda Marric Rating 4/5. 5 August 2025. The critic calls it a charming and hugely entertaining sequel that honors the original while expanding the body-swap premise with a larger ensemble. She praises the strong performances from the returning stars and new young cast members, though notes some pacing lags in the middle act. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/freakier-friday-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 2025. The critic finds it a cluttered but satisfying and emotional legacy sequel that emphasizes empathy and works on its own terms, praising the cast and the kind-hearted approach. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/freakier-friday-review-lindsay-lohan-jamie-lee-curtis/) ## NME — Nick Levine Rating 3/5. 5 August 2025. The critic finds it a warm and watchable romp that supplies a satisfying nostalgia rush despite being over-complicated and not flawless. They praise the slapstick fun from Curtis and Lohan’s poised performance, while noting issues with the screenplay and some clichéd elements. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/freakier-friday-review-lindsay-lohan-jamie-lee-curtis-3882915) ## Paste — Matt Goldberg Rating 7.5. 5 August 2025. The critic finds it a solid, charming continuation that retains the original's appeal through nostalgia and strong performances from the leads and newcomers, succeeding as a sweet and funny family comedy without needing reinvention. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/freakier-friday/freakier-friday-review-disney-lindsay-lohan-jamie-lee-curtis-nisha-ganatra) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/freakier-friday.md