One of the tried-and-true plot devices in all of storytelling is the idea of body switching. It's when two characters with opposite personalities switch bodies and then have to cope with what it's like walking a mile in someone else's shoes. It's an idea that covers lots of different genres, and it gives writers and directors plenty to play with on the screen. This fun trope has given us some of the best movies of all time, and today, I want to dig into all of them and give you all a ranking. Let's dive in. 1. Face/Off (1997)Director: John WooWriters: Mike Werb, Michael CollearyCast: John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen, Gina GershonAn FBI agent undergoes a radical surgical procedure to take on the face and identity of a terrorist to uncover a bomb plot. The plan goes awry when the terrorist awakens and takes the agent's face in return.This is the gold standard for action body-swap films - it also may be the only one I know about, but I love it so much. John Woo's direction is balletic and explosive, but the movie soars because Nicolas Cage and John Travolta give gloriously unhinged performances.2. Your Name. (Kimi no Na wa.) (2016)Director: Makoto ShinkaiWriter: Makoto ShinkaiCast: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Mone Kamishiraishi, Ryo NaritaTwo high school students, a boy in Tokyo and a girl in a rural town, inexplicably begin to swap bodies intermittently. They must learn to navigate each other's lives while a much larger cosmic mystery unfolds around them....
Published By: NoFilmSchool - 2 days ago