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Have you ever wanted to trade places with someone else, even just for an hour? Well, the old adage “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” has spurred an entire comedy movie sub-genre: the sometimes hilarious, plenty times not, body swap trope that sits right up there with buddy movies and road trip plots for recognizable narrative arcs.
The concept has been explored with plenty of non-comedy body swaps; it’s a staple in the horror genre thanks to possessions (“Invasion of the Body Snatchers”), Satanic rituals (“The Skeleton Key”), sacrifices gone wrong (“Jennifer’s Body”), and plain ol’ demons (“The Exorcist”). Then, there’s the surgical body swap (“Face/Off,” “Get Out,” “Malignant”) that lacks the certain je n’ai sais quoiof mystical intervention that comedies such as the live-action “Scooby Doo” movie and “All of Me” offer.
And doe time travel count as body swapping? As much as we love “13 Going on 30,” “Big,” and “17 Again,” swapping with yourself in a younger or older body isn’t quite the same as waking up in a body that has never been yours. That being said, the whole dead person being resurrected in someone else’s body (“Hearts and Souls,” “Far From Heaven,” “Meet Joe Black”) isn’t totally the carefree vibe we’re hoping for.
Just as Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are teasing a “Freaky Friday” sequel and Jennifer Garner spends a week in the life of her teen daughter in Netflix’s holiday hit “Family Switch,” IndieWire has rounded up the best and most beloved and bizarre body swap comedies ever made.
With editorial contributions by Mark Peikert.
12. “Nine Lives” (2016)
Who swaps with whom: Obsessive construction tycoonTom Brand (Kevin Spacey) falls into a coma after a work site accident and suddenly has his soul thrust into the body of “Mr. Fuzzypants”: the gray cat he’s just purchased for his neglected daughter’s birthday. According to a mystical shop owner (Christopher Walken), Tom will have a week — as a cat — to convince his wife (Jennifer Garner) and children (Robbie Amell, Malina Weissman) that he loves them… or lose his human life forever.
Why it works: OK, sure, “Nine Lives” isn’t great; it isn’t even good. But this bizarre flop was one of the last films released before Spacey’s #MeToo decline, and offers a strange experience as bizarre to behold as its shoddy visual effects. The narrative goes to some shockingly dark places, and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t curious to hear the actor, then at the top of his game, purring, “I’ve been a bad kitty.” —AF
11. “Prelude to a Kiss” (1992)
Who swaps with whom: A blushing bride (Meg Ryan) swaps bodies with an elderly passerby (Sydney Walker) on her wedding day shortly after tying the knot to her groom (Alec Baldwin). Of course, it always comes as a shock when on the honeymoon you realize you’re wedded to an old man instead of your one true love.
Why it works: The 1992 romance is definitely an acquired taste, but the build up to the body swap makes for a dash of mystery amongst the love affair. “Prelude to a Kiss” has horror elements, comedy components, and of course, the reveal that life is beautiful both at the start and at the end. —SB
10. “Turnabout” (1940)
Who swaps with whom: A sniping husband (John Hubbard) and wife (Carole Landis) awake one day to find that they’ve switched bodies thanks to a magical relic in their home. Caught off guard, the couple goes ahead with their day as planned, leaving Mr. Willows at home and Mrs. Willows in hot water at work.
Why it works: Even with its more dated moments, there’s a lot to recommend classic domestic comedy “Turnabout.” If the charming leads don’t convince you, then try out director Hal Roach’s 1940 flick for its smart and surprising finale twist: a silly gender commentary that’s delightful even now. —AF
9. “Family Switch” (2023)
Who swaps with whom: Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms play two parents who are at their wits’ ends parenting a tween genius (Brady Noon) and a budding teen professional soccer star (Emma Myers). A lunar event has Garner swap with her daughter, Helms swap with his son, and all of course right on the most important day of their respective lives.
Why it works:Garner has proved her body swap comedy chops in the time-traveling “13 Going on 30,” and even more than a decade later, she captures the sass and wonder of being 17 onscreen. Helms’ comedy approach is balanced in a more subdued role that supports each of his three co-stars, with rising actors Noon and “Wednesday” breakout Myers holding down the film with electric performances as resentful middle-aged parents frustratingly trapped in the bodies of their kids. —SB
8. “The Hot Chick” (2002)
Who swaps with whom: A disgruntled mall employee (Rob Schneider) wishes to be a carefree gorgeous high schooler (Rachel McAdams) for the day, and sure enough, their body swap is complete.
Why it works: Seeing Schneider act out the part of a high school girl, instead of having McAdams act like Schneider and vice versa, makes for some truly iconically hilarious moments in the 2002 throwback. —SB
7. “Freaky” (2020)
Who swaps with whom: Legendary undead serial killer The Butcher (Vince Vaughn) takes over the body of a high school girl (Kathryn Newton) to prey on more victims. It’s a horror-comedy, though, so don’t get too scared.
Why it works: We never knew we needed Vaughn squealing as a teen but alas, it might be one of his best performances yet. The “Wedding Crashers” and “Old School” scene-stealer pushes his comedy chops to emulate Newton, while the actress has a cold-blooded approach to embodying The Butcher as she tries to slaughter those near and dear to her. —SB
6. “Freaky Friday” (1976)
Who swaps with whom: Daughter Annabel (Jodie Foster) and mother Ellen (Barbara Harris) swap places on the worst possible day: When Annabel is water skiing in an aquacade!
Why it works: The performances (no surprise, considering that the resolution has them swapping places physically rather than their souls migrating back). Foster is one of the greatest child stars of all time, a tough talker with access to a wealth of vulnerability. But it’s Harris, whose ineffable comic timing was too little seen in films, who is a real wow. Etched indelibly in my mind is her reaction when, as Annabel-as-Ellen, she calls John Astin “Daddy” and he leers in delight. Harris is one of the ultimate shoulda been movie stars, and “Freaky Friday” is a perfect place to start exploring her career. —MP
5. “Scooby Doo” (2002)
Who swaps with whom: Scooby and the gang, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Freddie Prinze Jr., and Linda Cardellini, get tied up in a spooky ploy to place souls into other bodies.
Why it works:The 2002 live-action adaptation of the beloved cartoon has a hilarious sequence in which Daphne (Gellar) and Velma (Cardellini) are placed into the gender-swapped bodies of Fred (Prinze Jr.) and Shaggy (Lillard), which only heightens their sexual tensions as a group. —SB
4. “All of Me” (1984)
Who swaps with whom: “I never liked you when you were in your body; I certainly don’t like you in mine!” Directed by Carl Reiner, this 1984 comedy follows the soul of a dying heiress, Edwina Cutwater (Lily Tomlin), as it is mistakenly transferred inside of estate attorney Roger Cobb (Steve Martin). Yep, both people are in the 38-year-old’s body together — battling over his right and left sides while trying to untangle.
Why it works: Did you not just read who is in this movie? Martin delivers a particularly dazzling performance, but the comedic tension between the duo makes the comedy — with scenes in which Roger speaks to Edwina in his (her? their?) reflection standing out as particularly memorable. —AF
3. “Jumanji: The Next Level” (2019)
Who swaps with whom: 2017’s “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” had fun casting regular teenagers as action heroes sucked into a magical video game. But “Jumanji: The Next Level” saw those same action heroes inhabited by different players from the real world, giving Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, and Kevin Hart the opportunity to once again reimagine their surprisingly effective reboot character.
Why it works: Give it up to Danny DeVito and Danny Glover for quickly and brilliantly establishing their first-act characters; plus Awkwafina and Nick Jonas make for excellent in-game additions. —AF
2. “Your Name” (2016)
Who swaps with whom:A city boy and country girl in Japan begin to sporadically switch bodies — and soon enough fall in love.
Why it works: Writer/director Makoto Shinkai’s stunning anime skews a little sad for this list, but there’s never a bad time to recommend “Your Name.” The fantasy film from 2016 is romantic and inventive with some laugh-out-loud funny beats in the first two acts. —AF
1. “Freaky Friday” (2003)
Who swaps with whom: Jamie Lee Curtis is a strict parent to Lindsay Lohan’s carefree rocker teen in the 2003 remake of “Freaky Friday.” The mother-daughter duo are struggling to relate to each other, until a fated fortune cookie leads them to swap lives (and bodies) in the classic Disney film.
Why it works: Yes, the body swap concept breeds empathy between the two leading women, but throw in an iconic rock band sequence and Curtis calling herself the “Crypt Keeper” and no wonder the film still might spur a sequel two decades later. Plus, look out for Chad Michael Murray’s palpable chemistry with Curtis on the back of his motorbike. —SB
