Theatergoers know what a “Clubbed Thumb play” entails. 

In a nutty nutshell: sotto absurdism, minimalist budgets, maximally outside-the-box.

By this categorization, By Design is a Clubbed Thumb movie, along the lines of Todd Solondz, but kookier. 

Which isn’t its sole connection to theater.

Betty Buckley has cameo’d in two different movies released in the past few months. 

Before By Design came Eternity, which understands the appeal of a Freaky Friday movie more than Freakier Friday. 

While Eternity isn’t a body swap, Elisabeth Olsen is basically impersonating a younger Betty Buckley. A fundamental appeal of the original Freaky Friday is watching two former child-stars effectively playing each other, at different ages. 

Yet Freakier Friday’s introduction of unknown youth deprives the movie of this celebrity-imitation enjoyment.