In this second special edition article of Body Swap Films, we’re going to look at the Best Romantic Body Swap Films. In previous articles, we looked at The Best Films of the Body Swap Film Subgenre, New Body Swap Films (from 2018 – 2023), Body Swap Thrillers and some lesser-known Body Swap Films in previous articles here, here and here.
Body Swap films typically reside in the comedy genre and use film tropes associated with a person’s consciousness in another body (often involving a female to male body swap, male to female body swap or an age-related body swap). Most of these films also utilize Romantic Comedy or Romantic Drama themes within their narratives with a person discovering love from a different perspective (often gender related).
In this article, we’ll look at the best Body Swap Films that have the most unique romantic elements including a film where a bride swaps places with an older gentleman and the groom searches for his lost bride-to-be, a popular anime film about high school teenagers that switch bodies and fall in love in Tokyo and a South Korean film about a woman who falls in love with a man while not realizing that he uncontrollably swaps into a new a body every 24 hours.
Our list of Body Swap Films includes over 79+ films that span different genres including Comedy, Science Fiction and even Horror. For films that are not technically Body Swap films but utilize similar themes (i.e. a person explores a parallel timeline where their life is different), our list of Contemporary & Urban Fantasy Films, Alternate History Films and Films About the Multiverse will most likely include those types of films. For future lists of Body Swap films or articles, subscribe to our newsletter for KBZ’s latest film articles, subgenre lists, film reviews and more.
We have embedded a compilation video of the Best Romantic Body Swap Films and more details on these films can be found in the list below. Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Here is our list of the Best Romantic Body Swap Films:
#10
Irish Wish
Plot: When the love of her life gets engaged to her friend, Maddie puts her feelings aside to be a bridesmaid at their wedding in Ireland. Days before the wedding, Maddie makes a spontaneous wish for true love, only to wake up as the bride-to-be.
KBZ’s Take: Irish Wish doesn’t break new ground in the subgenre but is a decent fantasy-based Romantic Comedy. It’s also technically not a Body Swap film (as Maddie (Lindsey Lohan) becomes the bride-to-be vs. actually swapping bodies with her friend). The film is more akin to other fantasy-based romantic films such as The Family Man (2000) and Take Me Back for Christmas (2023) where someone lives an alternate version of their life (and finds their true purpose).
However, there are some Body Swap film tropes in the film that make it a worthwhile watch for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: Netflix
Plot: After total humiliation at her thirteenth birthday party, Jenna Rink wants to just hide until she’s thirty. With a little magic, her wish is granted, but it turns out that being thirty isn’t always as awesome as she thought it would be!
KBZ’s Take: Other films in the subgenre have done the age-driven Body Swap including Big (1988), 17 Again (2009), Shazam! (2019) and Mack & Rita (2022), but 13 Going on 30 is the main film using this theme that focuses on romantic elements.
Though the film does feature some typical Body Swap comedy, it’s ultimately about the childhood (and eventual adult) romance between Jenna (Jennifer Gardner) and Matty (Mark Ruffalo).
Additional Lists: The Best Films of the Body Swap Film Subgenre #20
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#8
Chances Are
Plot: Louie Jeffries is happily married to Corinne. On their first anniversary, Louie is killed crossing the road. Louie is reincarnated as Alex Finch, and twenty years later, fate brings Alex and Louie’s daughter, Miranda, together. It’s not until Alex is invited to Louie’s home that he begins to remember his former life, wife and best friend. Of course, there’s also the problem that he’s attracted to Louie’s/his own daughter.
KBZ’s Take: This film uses the ‘reincarnated into another person’ Body Swap theme to create an under-rated romantic comedy. Bypassing usual Body Swap film tropes, the film explores how two souls might be meant to be together despite a significant age difference.
Though there aren’t many laugh out loud moments in the film, Robert Downey Jr. has some very funny scenes when he begins to remember his former life.
Additional Lists: Top Body Swap Films You Haven’t Seen #7
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: A businessman is reunited with the four lost souls who were his guardian angels during childhood, all with a particular purpose to joining the afterlife.
KBZ’s Take: This is our second Robert Downey Jr. film on our list and while Heart and Souls is listed as a Fantasy Comedy, it has some underlying romantic elements that make it a slightly better film than Chances Are (1991). It’s also a film (along with Chaplin (1992)) that shows Downey Jr.’s ascent as one of the best physical comedians of his generation.
There are some very funny moments in this film (mostly involving Body Swap themes), but the third act features a healthy does of sentimentality that even the most hardened filmgoer won’t be able to resist.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: One messy science journalist (Tash) and a neat television host (Brett). Two very different people whose relationship is nose diving to get the opportunity to experience life in their partners shoes when they wake up one morning in each other’s bodies. Valuable lessons are learned by each as they both must adjust to very different lives.
KBZ’s Take: We’ll be the first to admit this film flew under our radar for quite some time. Though we’re huge fans of Guy Pearce’s films, we somehow missed this one. And that’s why we’re listing it here – it’s one of his best early performances which shows how he became a Hollywood star.
As for this Australian film, it has a few things going for it. It has unbelievable performances from both Pearce and Claudia Karvan as the man and woman who swap bodies. And we have to say, it’s some of the best dual performances (acting as man and woman) we have seen in any Body Swap film.
Second, though it does veer into the Raunchy Comedy side (with some very funny scenes), it’s ultimately a love story about two extremely mismatched people who experience the other person’s side and grow from it. It’s one of the best films of the subgenre and we’re making it our mission to highlight it for more exposure so fans of the subgenre don’t miss out.
Additional Lists: Even More Body Swap Films You Haven’t Seen #1, The Best Films of the Body Swap Film Subgenre #7
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Peggy Sue faints at a high school reunion. When she wakes up, she finds herself in her own past, just before she finished school.
KBZ’s Take: This film is a good example of where the definition of a Body Swap film gets a bit convoluted. Though it doesn’t have a standard physical Body Swap between two people, it relies on the present-day consciousness of Peggy Sue getting sent back in time to her teenage self. In our view, that qualifies as a Body Swap film. And this film is also a Teen Comedy Film, Time Travel Film and Alternate History Film all rolled into one.
And like other films on our list, the film is ultimately about the romance between Peggy Sue (Kathleen Turner) and Charlie (Nicolas Cage) and how deeper insights into our pasts can ultimately change our future.
Additional Lists: More Body Swap Films You Haven’t Seen #4
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#4
Every Day
Plot: 16-year-old Rhiannon falls in love with a mysterious spirit named ‘A’ that inhabits a different body every day. Feeling an unmatched connection, Rhiannon and ‘A’ work each day to find each other, not knowing what the next day will bring.
KBZ’s Take: Technically, this film lives on the border of what would be considered a ‘body swap’ or ‘body switch’ film. Though the spirit inhabits a different body (and personality) each day, the film focuses much more on the romance between ‘A’ and Rhiannon.
As a pure Body Swap film, some subgenre fans might not enjoy it, but it is one of the more unique teen drama and romance films that we would recommend from the subgenre.
Additional Lists: Even More Body Swap Films You Haven’t Seen #6
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#3
Your Name.
Plot: High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must adjust their lives around each other.
KBZ’s Take: One of the most popular Anime films released in the past 10 years, Your Name. is also one of the better Body Swap subgenre films. It’s a beautiful film to watch and it uses unique Body Swap themes. Even if you’re not a fan of Anime films, it’s definitely worth checking out for fans and completists of the subgenre.
Additional Lists: Even More Body Swap Films You Haven’t Seen #5, The Best Films of the Body Swap Film Subgenre #14
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: A couple fall in love but then the woman’s soul is switched with an elderly man.
KBZ’s Take: This is a hidden gem of a film that’s a bit hard to find nowadays despite the A-list cast of Alec Baldwin and Meg Ryan. It’s a very unconventional romantic comedy that’s split into 2 parts. The first part is more of a traditional romance as the opposites attract and get married.
The second part is fantasy-based as the husband must now work together with an elderly man (who now has his wife’s soul) as the elderly man’s soul (now in his wife’s body) doesn’t want to give it up. A very unique film with many endearing moments and one of the most romantic films of the subgenre.
Additional Lists: Top Body Swap Films You Haven’t Seen #4, The Best Films of the Body Swap Film Subgenre #12
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Woo-jin, a furniture designer who wakes up in a different body every day, falls for Yi-soo, a woman he meets through his work.
KBZ’s Take: This is a beautiful film and one of the best romantic dramas you will see. Like Every Day, it straddles the boundaries of Body Swap films as Woo-jin isn’t technically swapping bodies, but waking up in the body of a new person every day. But that theme is one that hasn’t been explored in ways this film excels at. It doesn’t employ usual Body Swap film tropes but rather takes a more realistic view of how both the person who has a different body each day would act and how a loved one might perceive him/her.
It’s an emotional film so don’t go into this film expecting a Body Swap comedy. If you’re looking for a unique romantic drama that touches on some Body Swap themes, then move this film to the top of your queue right away.
Additional Lists: Even More Body Swap Films You Haven’t Seen #2, The Best Films of the Body Swap Film Subgenre #8
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
