Jamie Lee Curtis calls out a particularly negative Freakier Friday review on social media as the film hits theaters. Directed by Nisha Ganatra, the follow-up to 2003’s Freaky Friday sees Curtis and Lindsay Lohan back as Tess and Anna Coleman, respectively, for more body-swap comedy.
The legacy sequel, which also features the return of Mark Harmon and Chad Michael Murray, picks up more than two decades after the first movie, with Anna navigating life as a mother and soon-to-be stepmother when a four-way body swap occurs. Freakier Friday released in theaters on August 8, proving generally popular with audiences and critics.
The Freakier Friday review from Time, however, was far from glowing, with the outlet calling the film “humiliating” for the cast and crew, and criticizing it as a pure studio cash-grab with “ugly costumes, humiliating scenarios, and zero added value.” Curtis saw this review on Instagram and posted a response, pushing back on the harsh words. Check it out below:
“SEEMS a TAD HARSH,” Curtis comments on the review. “SOME people LOVE it. Me being one.”
What This Means For Freakier Friday
Generally, the response to Curtis and Lohan’s new legacy sequel has been quite positive. In her Freakier Friday review for ScreenRant, Rachel Labonte awards the movie an eight out of 10, praising the way the film balances nostalgia with fresh ideas. She writes:
That’s the greatest strength of Freakier Friday: it balances the hilarity with the heartfelt, giving practically every character the chance to get real and deepen their connections. As I really sat with the movie as the credits rolled, I wondered if one character’s growth got a bit shortchanged by the end, but with such a triumphant, nostalgic climax, it’s easy to breeze over.
Labonte’s review is mostly in line with the broader critical response. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a respectable (but somewhat lukewarm) 73% from 158 reviews, as of writing. From general audiences, the response has been much stronger, with the film sporting a glowing 93% Popcornmeter score.
This positive reception has translated into a strong opening weekend at the box office. Freakier Friday launched with a $29 million domestic opening and a $15.5 million haul from overseas, making for a worldwide total of about $45 million. Considering the film’s estimated $45 million budget, it’s already poised for success.
The negative Time review, then, is somewhat against the grain, and it’s unlikely to have a major impact on the film’s bottom line. Still, it’s evidently upsetting for the Freakier Friday star to see such harsh words levied at the project, especially when it suggests that everyone involved should be embarrᴀssed by it.
Our Take On Curtis’ Freakier Friday Review Response
One of the best things about movies is that they evoke different responses from different people. They’re subjective, and what one person enjoys another might hate. Clearly, this particular critic was not impressed when the Freakier Friday end credits started to roll, and there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it can be enlightening to read reviews from critics with whom you disagree.
While the harsh review is entirely valid, it’s also not hard to see where Curtis is coming from. Nobody ever sets out to make a bad movie, and even movies that don’t turn out well involve a great deal of hard work from the people involved. The review might sting, but it shouldn’t be too hard to move past given the generally positive response to Freakier Friday.
