Top 10 Greatest Body Swap Movies
#10: “Seed of Chucky” (2004)
In 1988’s “Child’s Play,” fleeing serial killer Charles Lee Ray performs a voodoo ritual to transfer his soul into a “Good Guy” doll. We hear you loud and clear: yes, this is technically possession. However, Chucky isn’t the only character to exchange one vessel for another. In 2004’s super meta “Seed of Chucky,” his “bride” Tiffany Valentine succeeds in ditching her “Wedding Belle” doll form and taking over actress Jennifer Tilly’s body. The movie ends with Tiff raising her twins Glen and Glenda, leaving us to assume the real Ms. Tilly didn’t survive the switch. But the “Chucky” TV series eventually revealed that she was, indeed, alive and her soul had been trapped inside the doll all this time. That is one bad trade if you’re Ms. Tilly.
#9: “Scooby-Doo” (2002)
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Early on in Raja Gosnell and James Gunn’s 2002 live-action “Scooby-Doo,” we see the gang call it quits. Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby go their separate ways but later unknowingly reunite for a new case on Spooky Island. The estranged members of Mystery, Inc. get reacquainted, though in a very bizarre way. After being temporarily possessed by the island demons, Fred and Daphne’s souls return to their bodies…only they return to the wrong ones! Shaggy and Velma are pulled into the chaos as the Daemon Ritus expels and re-launches their souls a few different times before finally securing everyone into the right bodies. The whole movie is a wild ride from beginning to end but this brief sequence never fails to entertain.
#8: “The Skeleton Key” (2005)
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Kate Hudson leads this supernatural Southern Gothic thriller as Caroline Ellis, a home healthcare nurse hired by a woman named Violet Devereaux to be a live-in caretaker for her husband Ben. At their isolated plantation house in Louisiana, she notices that things are off and soon uncovers its dark past involving skilled Hoodoo practitioners, Mama Cecile and Papa Justify. The couple worked as servants for the wealthy homeowner until one night, they were killed for exposing his children to their rituals. The big twist? Cecile and Justify had already swapped with the two kids before their deaths. As their bodies aged, they continued to perform the body switching ritual, and set their sights on a new target: Caroline.
#7: “Prelude to a Kiss” (1992)
The stage-to-screen adaptation of Craig Lucas’ popular play, “Prelude to a Kiss” is a stand-out among the usual soul-switching stories. Alec Baldwin’s Peter Hoskins and Meg Ryan’s Rita Boyle are an unlikely couple, proving that opposites do attract. What should be the happiest day of their life is unintentionally altered by an old man’s odd yet seemingly harmless request for a kiss from Rita. The kind-hearted gesture somehow causes their spirits to swap, leaving the young newlywed and the elder in a bizarre predicament. It isn’t until later that they theorize their mutual age-related envy and anxieties about death likely sparked the switch.
#6: “The Change-Up” (2011)
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In what is easily the raunchiest comedy on this list, Jason Bateman stars as Dave Lockwood, a married father of three and hardworking lawyer. His friend Mitch Planko, played by Ryan Reynolds, enjoys a decidedly different life as an irresponsible bachelor. After a night of drinking, the two buddies relieve themselves in a nearby fountain, simultaneously admitting they each envy the other’s life. Dave and Mitch awake the next morning to the shocking discovery that their flippant comments have become reality, forcing them to adapt to their contrasting lifestyles, which they each come to appreciate. Although “The Change-Up” doesn’t offer any fresh takes on the body swap trope, we love to see comedic geniuses Bateman and Reynolds expertly play against type.
#5: “Family Switch” (2023)
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In this Netflix holiday-set family film, Jess and Bill Walker feel increasingly disconnected from their kids CeeCee and Wyatt. Everyone has their own thing going on that the others don’t fully understand, resulting in many arguments. Their swap-triggering incident goes down at the Griffith Observatory when a stranger snaps a photo of the Walker clan just as the planets align. Jess, Bill, CeeCee, and Wyatt go through a double father-son, mother-daughter body swap, while baby Miles also trades places with their dog Pickles, though we’re not sure how that happened. The usual mix-ups and awkward situations ensue, all while their family grows closer. “Family Switch” even pokes fun at the unoriginal premise, cleverly name-dropping classics like “17 Again” and “13 Going on 30.”
#4: “Your Name” (2016)
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Makoto Shinkai’s critically acclaimed anime “Your Name” took body-switching and turned it into a cosmic love story. Teenager Mitsuha Miyamizu is tired of performing her family’s ancient traditions and just wants to leave behind small-town life in rural Itomori, Japan. She wishes she could be someone else, specifically a boy living in Tokyo. Though she believes it’s a dream at first, Mitsuha realizes she inexplicably swapped bodies with Tokyo high schooler Taki Tachibana and, over time, they develop a romantic connection. The film’s nonlinear structure makes it difficult to follow the twists and turns of the plot and dual timelines. But, with its stunning visuals and intriguing characters, we don’t mind a much-needed rewatch or two.
#3: “Wish Upon a Star” (1996)
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This ‘90s Disney Channel gem follows constantly quarreling sisters Alexia and Hayley Wheaton, who are polar opposites when it comes to, well, pretty much everything. Katherine Heigl stars as Alexia, the popular girl in high school who spends her time with fellow mean-girl fashionistas and her jock boyfriend. Younger sibling Hayley, played by Danielle Harris, is nowhere near as social and keeps her focus on school and grades. Both are secretly jealous of each other’s attributes, so when a shooting star comes along, they separately make the same wish. It’s not long before the newly swapped Alexia and Hayley make it their mission to ruin the other’s reputation. However, learning about each other’s personal pressures firsthand helps them squash the sibling rivalry and work together to reverse it.
#2: “Freaky” (2020)
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Waking up to find yourself in a body that’s not yours is terrifying enough. But for Millie Kessler, the person she unwittingly swapped with happens to be the Blissfield Butcher, the town slasher who attacked her post-homecoming game with a mysterious dagger. Millie begs besties Nyla and Josh to help with this supernatural situation, while also trying to be cool in front of her crush and dodging the police. Meanwhile, the Butcher uses his new look to his sinister advantage, easily “taking care of” Millie’s regular tormentors. Horror fans loved this fresh take on the often overdone subgenre with high praise going to Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton for their nuanced performances. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Self/Less” (2015) Another Ryan Reynolds Switch but with a Very Different Tone “Like Father Like Son” (1987) From Old & Ambitious to Young & Rebellious “The Secret” (2007) A Tragic Thriller with an Unsettling Mother-Daughter Swap “It’s A Boy Girl Thing” (2006) Woody & Nell Go from Enemies to…Each Other “Jumanji: The Next Level” (2019) In Another Adventurous Outing, Martha & Fridge Temporarily Trade Avatars
#1: “Freaky Friday” (2003)
Since it was published in 1972, Mary Rodgers’ “Freaky Friday” has gone through numerous page-to-screen adaptations, and chances are you’ve seen at least one of them. All stick to the same plot following a mother and daughter constantly at odds, wishing the other would understand their struggles. After a heated exchange, each of them wakes up the next morning in the other’s body, and awkward hijinks ensue. Although Rodgers’ novel doesn’t detail how the switch happens, the 1976 film was set on Friday the 13th, while Disney Channel’s iterations used amulets in 1995 and an hourglass in 2018. 2003’s “Freaky Friday” sees Lindsay Lohan’s Anna and Jamie Lee Curtis’ Tess swap after reading fortune cookies, which many consider to be the definitive take. Did your favorite body-swap flick make the list? Let us know in the comments below.
