The body swap is a popular trope in storytelling and has been appearing in movies for decades now. It’s often used for comedic purposes, such as when two family members switch bodies, and they grow closer to each other in the process. It plays a part in romance movies as well.
But what makes the established trope particularly interesting is its usage in horror movies. In this genre, body swapping suddenly becomes much more sinister, especially if it’s not deliberate (which usually isn’t) and/or one of the parties involved is evil. The best body-swap horror movies combine both fright and a bit of science on top of that, making them a must-watch for all fans of the genre.
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5 Freaky (2020)
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Release Date: |
13/11/2020 |
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Director: |
Christopher Landon |
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Studio: |
Blumhouse Productions, Divide/Conquer |
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Run Time: |
102 minutes |
What happens when a cute young student switches bodies with an adult serial killer? Millie has almost become the murderer’s victim, but now she will have to figure out how to stop him before the change cannot be reversed, and she’s stuck in the body of a wanted man forever while her own body is walking around, killing people and passing under the radar.
The movie contains a fair number of hilarious scenes as Millie, now in the body of an adult man, works with her friends from school. At the same time, there is more than one horror moment, especially when the murderer is going after his next victim. Freaky shows that a good concept can go a long way toward making a fun horror comedy. Not to mention that the main actors, Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn, are both doing an excellent job of playing each other in different bodies.
4 Get Out (2017)
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Release Date: |
24/02/2017 |
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Director: |
Jordan Peele |
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Studio: |
Blumhouse Productions, QC Entertainment, Monkeypaw Productions |
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Run Time: |
104 minutes |
The critically acclaimed horror movie Get Out directed by Jordan Peele isn’t usually the first piece the viewers think of when somebody says: body swap horror movies. The reason for this is simple. The movie keeps the audience tense, unsure about what exactly is happening. They and the main hero, Chris, know that something is wrong, but Get Out doesn’t reveal immediately what it is.
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Once it does, however, Chris has to fight for his life and the movie becomes even more intense and full of tension than before. It shows that sometimes people can’t trust those closest to them as they might be wearing a different face… quite literally in this case. Daniel Kaluuya is sympathetic as Chris and even before the movie becomes a downright horror tale, it’s easy to cheer on Chris for surviving in an inherently hostile environment. Get Out turned out to be a major hit, and it even won an Oscar for the best original screenplay.
3 Another Me (2013)
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Release Date: |
27/06/2014 |
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Director: |
Isabel Coixet |
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Studio: |
Rainy Day Films, Tornasol Films, Fox International Productions |
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Run Time: |
86 minutes |
Sophie Turner is still best known for her role as Sansa Stark in the HBO fantasy hit series Game of Thrones. But Turner has appeared in movies of multiple genres as well. One of her first movie roles was the 2013 underrated movie. With a rating of only 4.6 on IMDb and slightly over 6 thousand ratings in total, Another Me is a lesser-known piece. If approached as a pure horror, it doesn’t stand out in the competition.
However, as a psychedelic drama about growing up, it suddenly becomes more compelling. The movie gets bonus points for using a more original version of the body swap trope. Instead of switching bodies with another person, the main character, a fifteen-year-old girl, Fay, swaps bodies with a mysterious doppelgänger who wreaks havoc in her life. The explanation for what’s been happening to her can be surprising. Another Me won’t be every horror fan’s cup of tea, but it has some truly intense moments, especially once Fay realizes what’s happening.
2 Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)
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Release Date: |
22/12/1978 |
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Director: |
Philip Kaufman |
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Studio: |
Solofilm |
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Run Time: |
115 minutes |
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is one of the few cases where the newer version is better than the original. While the 1956 movie has its charm, the 1978 is much more frightening. Once again, it uses a slightly different concept of body swapping. An alien invasion slowly but surely switches each person for their identical but emotionless copy while their bodies are trapped in cocoons.
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And there is no way to fight them because once people fall asleep, the aliens get them. The story leaves the audience wanting to know more, not just thanks to the concept, but also thanks to the acting performances of known names such as Donald Sutherland and Leonard Nimoy.
1 The Man Who Changed His Mind (1936)
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Release Date: |
11/09/1936 |
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Director: |
Robert Stevenson |
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Studio: |
Gainsborough Pictures |
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Run Time: |
66 minutes |
A classic is a classic for a reason. The Man Who Changed His Mind is pushing ninety but still has the power to attract today’s audience. Even more so if they enjoy stories about mad scientists who perform dangerous experiments. The 1930s were a golden era of classic horror, and this movie is one of the lesser-known ones – which doesn’t make it any less worthwhile.
The movie keeps a fast pace with a runtime of only 66 minutes, and it stars Boris Karloff in yet another remarkable horror role, after his portrayal of Frankenstein’s monster a year before. The movie is primarily a horror but also contains traces of humor, making it a good combination of both genres.
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