Of all the Comedy Film subgenres, Body Swap Films tend to follow a few tried and true themes. These themes include gender body swaps and age body swaps. Two sub-themes that are also explored in this subgenre are reincarnation and time travel where a person from the present occupies their same self or someone else in the past or future.
The Body Swap subgenre was represented in the 1970’s by a few films – mainly Freaky Friday (1976) and Heaven Can Wait (1978). It wasn’t until the 1980’s that this subgenre became popular with a rash of films from 1984 – 1989. These films included All of Me (1984), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), Like Father Like Son (1987), Vice Versa (1988) and 18 Again! (1988). The King of Body Swap Films actually came at the end of this trend with Tom Hanks in Big (1988). Big is by far the most popular Body Swap film and and helped define the subgenre moving forward.
As other past trends have shown, it wasn’t until the 2000’s that we again saw a repeat of the Body Swap Film subgenre with films such as The Hot Chick (2002), the remake of Freaky Friday (2003), 13 Going on 30 (2004), and 17 Again (2009). Most recently we’ve seen a variation of the Body Swap subgenre crossover with the Superhero/Comic subgenre and Action Adventure subgenre with Shazam! (2019) and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017).
Our list of Body Swap Films includes over 34+ 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 and list of Alternate History Films will most likely include those types of films. Our list of Family Films With Animals will have films that also aren’t necessarily body swap films but feature a human becoming an animal or inhabiting the body of an animal. Films such as The Shaggy Dog (2006) would be found in this collection.
We have embedded a compilation video of our Top Body Swap Films You Haven’t Seen 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.
#10
Switch
Plot: A man is reincarnated as a woman and must have a sincere relationship or lose his soul to the devil.
KBZ’s Take: This Blake Edward’s film has his usual slapstick and raunchy comedy but with the focus on gender swap situations. Ellen Barkin is the highlight of the film and helps Switch overcome the usual gender swap film tropes. Though this is a fantasy comedy film with a lot of hilarious laughs, it has one tearjerker of an ending…
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#9
Trancers
Plot: LA cop from 2247 is sent back in time to 1985 in the body of his ancestor to stop a cult-life figure who turns people into zombies.
KBZ’s Take: Trancers is a B-movie version of The Terminator (1984) except without Robots or Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, it’s a great B-film that ties together many subgenres – Time Travel, Future Noir, Zombies and Body Swaps. Though more science fiction focused, there are some humorous Body Swap situations with people transported back in time but not into the bodies they’re expecting. Be on the lookout for Helen Hunt in one of her earlier starring roles.
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#8
All of Me
Plot: A dying female millionaire’s soul is transferred into the body of her male lawyer.
KBZ’s Take: A funnier and less raunchy version of Switch, Steve Martin takes the usual gender swap film tropes to another level with his brand of physical comedy. Opposite Martin’s slapstick physical comedy is the Quirky humor from Lily Tomlin as the ‘voice inside’ Steve Martin’s head who won’t back down. A rare instance where different comedy subgenres seamlessly work together to produce a very funny film.
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#7
Chances Are
Plot: A reincarnated man begins to remember his former life and his love for his girlfriend’s mother.
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.
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Plot: A female high school journalism student goes undercover as a male at a rival high school.
KBZ’s Take: Though not a fantasy-based Body Swap film, this 80’s teen comedy trades the raunchiness for more situational gender swap tropes. However, this film still has loads of laughs especially from Billy Jayne as Buddy (the younger sex starved brother of his now male impersonating sister). Be on the lookout for William Zabka of Cobra Kai in yet another role as the main high school bully (Karate Kid and Back to School being the other films with Zabka as the lead bully). This film is also on our list of Top Raunchy Comedy Films and Sex Comedies You’ve Never Seen.
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Plot: A married man and his bachelor friend swap bodies.
KBZ’s Take: Unlike most body swap films, The Change-Up explores more “What If?” scenarios that are found in other films such as The Family Man (2000) and Hot Tub Time Machine (2010). Ryan Reynolds (Mitch) and Jason Bateman (Dave) own their roles playing against type to great comedic effect. The film has many hilarious moments but none funnier than when Mitch and Dave try to explain their body switch to Dave’s wife.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Fl2zaY
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. Very unique film with many endearing moments.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3OWnvbj
#3
17 Again
Plot: A man gets a chance to relive his life as a younger version of himself.
KBZ’s Take: This film was likely seen by the younger generation when Zac Efron was in his acting prime. However, for anybody who has not seen this film, it’s one of the best body swap comedies out there. Though it follows a lot of the usual Body Swap situations, what makes the film are Zac Efron and Thomas Lennon’s performances. Thomas Lennon in particular plays one of the funniest ‘sidekicks’ in recent memory as a grown up that hasn’t let go of his Star Wars infatuation from his youth. It’s worth seeing the film for his role alone…
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XP9fVW
#2
Freaky
Plot: A serial killer swaps bodies with a 17-year-old girl.
KBZ’s Take: If you enjoyed Christopher Landon’s Happy Death Day (2017) and Happy Death Day 2U (2019), then you’ll also enjoy this film (if not more). Similar to how Happy Death Day created a unique experience by meshing together the Time Loop and Slasher Film subgenres, Freaky molds the Serial Killer and Body Swap subgenres into a hilarious yet often suspenseful creation. Highly recommended film to see especially for Vince Vaughn’s many hilarious physical moments as the ‘teen girl’.
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Plot: A puppeteer finds a portal into the head of actor John Malkovich.
KBZ’s Take: There isn’t really a comedy subgenre to define what happens when you put Charlie Kaufman together with Spike Jonze. Like many of Charlie Kaufman’s scripts, his utterly weird characters and situations become a comedy subgenre unto itself. Trying to explain this film is useless as it’s an experience you must see for yourself. This is by far the best and most unique Body Swap film you’ll ever see as it literally redefines each and every Body Swap film trope out there. The performances from John Cusack, Catherine Keener, Cameron Diaz and John Malkovich are perfect and show how a weird script, weird direction and weird performances can create a once in a lifetime cinematic experience.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3B2QlB8
