Being John Malkovich (1999)
Craig is a puppeteer whose hyper-realistic-puppet performances are wildly unpopular but his fortunes change when he discovers a portal into the mind of character-actor, John Malkovich. For a puppeteer, it’s the ultimate challenge. It also turns out to be a lucrative business. Look, a 100 word blurb can’t adequately sum up this film without ruining it; what I can say is it’s weird, grimy and utterly hilarious. It’s made infinitely funnier because John Malkovich was brave enough to play this version of himself and give us one of the most memorable scenes in the whole movie... Malkovich!Available on:
Uptight mum and rocker daughter swap bodies through (with a touch of early-millennium-brand-racism) a mystical fortune cookie. Cue a series of romantic and social near-disasters followed by cheesy moments of new understanding. Throw in an earthquake, and voila, they’re back in their own bodies. It’s body swap 101 but watching Jamie-Lee Curtis cutting loose as a teenager and Lindsay Lohan as the uptight mum is fun as hell. If you’re looking for something different, try the 1979 version with Barbara Harris as a chain-smoking housewife and a water-skiing Jodie Foster. There’s also a musical version (I’m not sure why, but there is).
Jenna Rink wants to be thirty, flirty and thriving! When a sucky 13th birthday party and some wishing dust fast-track her through time, she discovers that although she now has an awesome wardrobe (and boobs to fill it all out) suddenly being 30 has its problems. There’s a reason this movie is still a favourite: Jennifer Garner’s wide-eyed adolescent charm is infectious. Mark Ruffalo isn’t too bad either. And yes, the Thriller dance is a little cringy but I say the Love is a Battlefield lip-sync still works. It might not be art but it sure is a rad way to spend 90mins.
Mike is living the high-school-basketball dream but on the day of the big game, it’s all cut short by an unplanned pregnancy. Mike (as a very sweet-looking Zac Efron) promises his girlfriend he’ll stick by her but fast-forward 20 years and he’s grown into a sad, bitter and angry Matthew Perry. With divorce looming and his relationship with his kids down the drain, Mike gets a second chance to make things right. This is the perfect movie to put on when you don’t want to think too hard (and trust me, don’t think too hard otherwise you’ll notice that it’s also chauvinistic and moralising and Mike’s best friend is the worst).
Every day Woo-jin wakes up inside a different body. He’s the same inside but on the outside, he could look like anyone – an old lady, a hot 20-something or even a child. He’s adapted to his life but this all changes when he meets Yi-soo. Could someone ever love him as he is? This Korean film is based on an American social-media film and went on to spawn a TV series and an imminent US remake. It’s beautiful, emotional and pulls off the difficult task of grounding the body-swap element in reality. It’s more pensive than the usual body swap fare but don’t worry, Woo-jin’s drunken best friend is there to provide the sort of inappropriate jokes you come to expect of these movies.
A teenage girl living in the country and a teenage boy living in Tokyo start periodically swapping bodies. There are the usual adjustments – the boy can’t stop feeling his own boobs, the girl is horrified by the ‘thing’ down there. But just as you settle into the bodyswap tropes and think you know exactly where it’s going, the movie changes and becomes something altogether different. Wonderful. Heartbreaking. Hopeful. Be prepared for some unwieldy time jumps and a few confusing moments. It’s not a movie to put on while you’re doing something else, so take the time and savour it.
Two dating opposites, Tash and Brett, find out what it’s like for the other half in this (very) Aussie film. First things first, the image quality is not-great (think a VHS from the 90s). Secondly, some of the opinions are just as worn out – consent is a bit iffy and the talk about gender norms and identity feels like something your clueless aunty might put up on Facebook. But, if you can get past those issues, it’s well worth the watch. Body swap movies are notoriously squeamish about topics such as sex and bodily functions but Dating the Enemy goes further in exploring them than most and it pays off.
Millie is an average, uncool 17-year old high school student. Tormented by the popular kids, she finds refuge with her two best friends. When she’s attacked by the local serial killer, The Blissfield Butcher, a cursed knife sees them swap bodies. What follows is a surprisingly convincing body swap. Vince Vaughn is perfection as a teenage final-girl and Kathryn Newton relishes the opportunity to go dark as a serial killer cutting down Millie’s tormentors in gleefully horrific ways. If you’ve ever thought ‘this body-swap could use more people being cut in half by a table saw’, then is the movie for you!