Freaky co-writer Michael Kennedy recently spoke about the body-switching horror-comedy film as a celebration of "queer horror."
"Booker and Millie in the backseat is why we made this movie. QUEER HORROR FOREVER," Kennedy said in a tweet. He continued, "As a scared, ashamed, closeted queer teen who found safety in horror, never even in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be part of a horror film, let alone co-create one that is unabashedly queer & celebrates identity. #FreakyMovie is a dream come true all. Enjoy it this weekend."
The film follows the killing spree of a serial killer known as The Butcher (Vince Vaughn) after he accidentally swaps bodies with a high school student Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton). The scene in question involves Millie and her high school crush, Booker, wherein Millie explains how much more powerful she feels while in the Butcher's body.
A large part of Freaky's intention is to break common stereotypes surrounding women, queer people and people of color. For example, the character Josh (played by Misha Osherovich) is a deliberate commentary on the Gay Best Friend stereotype at one point shouting to another character, Nyla (played by Celeste O’Connor), "You're black, I'm gay, we are so dead!"
Freaky, which was partially inspired by the 1972 children's novel Freaky Friday and slasher film Friday the 13th, has broken several molds with writer/director Christopher Landon describing it as "the goriest Disney movie ever made."
There is a long history of "queer horror" films that stretches back to the 1930s, or for as long as filmmakers and artists have had to hide themselves and their stories through metaphor and small details. Films considered to be "queer horror" include The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954), Psycho (1960), Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Sleepaway Camp (1983), Interview with the Vampire (1994), Jennifer's Body (2009), Raw (2017) and now Freaky (2020).
Starring Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Celeste O'Connor, Misha Osherovich, Katie Finneran, Uriah Shelton, Dana Drori and Alan Ruck, Freaky is currently in theaters nationwide and available on VOD.
Source: Twitter