Each of these 7 body swap movies involve someone switching bodies with someone else — or a with a different-aged version of themselves.
Face/Off (1997)
In this classic body swap movie, Nicolas Cage plays terrorist Castor Troy and John Travolta as FBI agent Sean Archer.
In an attempt to finally bring down Troy — the criminal he’s has spent years hunting down — Archer undergoes a radical facial surgery to take on Archer’s looks. But while his own face is on ice, Troy steals it and takes on Archer’s identity as well, vowing to ruin Archer’s life.
The result is an iconic action movie that is still a total gem.
17 Again (2009)
Starring Zac Efron and the late Matthew Perry, 17 Again tells the story of a guy going through a mid-life crisis.
When Mike (Perry) is struggling in his marriage to high school sweetheart Scarlet (Leslie Mann), he can’t help but wonder what would have happened if he hadn’t given up his basketball scholarship in order to be with her after she got pregnant their senior year.
But when Mike wakes up in the body of his 17-year-old self (played by Efron), he gets the chance to find out what he missed out on — and appreciate his old life for what it was.
Come for Efron’s immaculately coiffed hair, stay for the comic relief from Thomas Lennon and Melora Hardin.
The Hot Chick (2002)
In Rachel McAdams’ feature film debut, she Jessica, a popular high school teen who wakes up in the body of awkward guy Clive (Rob Schneider) after being cursed by a disgruntled classmate.
In this hilarious 2002 comedy, Jessica is forced to humble herself when all of the pretty privilege she’s used to goes out the window. Anna Farris plays the supporting role of Jessica’s best friend, who helps Jessica work through life in Clive’s body — and try to swap bodies back before it’s too late.
Big (1988)
Though technically Josh swaps bodies with himself in this movie, we would be remiss not to include Big on our list of best body swap movies.
In this classic Tom Hanks comedy, a Coney Island wish makes 12-year-old Josh wake up in the body of his 30-year-old self.
After stumbling into a high paying job at a toy company, Josh gets adult money — and soon, an adult girlfriend. But he quickly begins to long for his former, carefree life as a tween.
Vice Versa (1988)
In this 1988 comedy, Judge Reinhold plays Marshall, a dad who swaps bodies with his 11-year-old son Charlie (Fred Savage).
As usual, the body swap happened because of some magical object — in Vice Versa, it’s a skull Marshall brings back from a trip to the South Pacific. While they figure out how to get back into the right bodies, they have to watch out for smugglers who are trying to steal the skull.
In the process, they learn a lot about each other’s lives.
13 Going on 30 (2004)
This has to be my favorite body swap movie on this list.
In 13 Going on 30, 13-year-old Jenna Rink (Christa B. Allen) wakes up in the body of her 30-year-old self (Jennifer Garner) after making a wish to be “thirty, flirty and thriving” on some magical wishing dust.
But unlike in Big, she’s transported to the future, where all of her friends have also aged to 30 — including the boy she loves, Matty (Mark Ruffalo) and her high school best friend Tom-Tom (Judy Greer).
Now a magazine editor with a problematic personal life, Jenna has to come to terms with the future she set in motion after mistreating Matty at her teenage birthday party.
Freaky Friday (2003)
A sequel is in the works to this remake of the 1976 movie of the same name. The 2003 version of Freaky Friday will always be the favorite in our hearts. Jamie Lee Curtis plays mom Tess opposite Lindsay Lohan as her daughter Anna — until a fortune cookie curse causes them to swap bodies.
Each has to live the other’s life until they can figure out how to reverse the curse, causing them to learn a lot about the other’s perspective. What makes this movie so great is Curtis’ hilarious acting as a teenage girl in the body of a middle-aged woman.
Cue the unforgettable line: “I’m like the crypt keeper!”
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