The holidays can be both festive and frenetic. For the Walker family in Family Switch, they’re downright freaky. The new Netflix comedy finds parents and kids mysteriously swapping bodies just days before Christmas. Director McG (Charlie’s Angels, Supernatural) puts his own unique spin on the body-swap genre in a script written by Victoria Strouse, Adam Sztykiel, and Amy Krouse Rosenthal.

Enter Jennifer Garner, who culls from her 13 Going On 30 adventures here to star as Jess, a devoted mother of three who, along with hubby Bill (Ed Helms) wakes up one day only to realize she’s swapped bodies with her teenager. Emma Myers (Wednesday) and Brady Noon (Good Boys) also star, playing the Walker kids, who aren’t happy at all that they’ve transformed into middle-agers. The lesson? Next time, don’t wish to switch bodies with anybody. Especially your parents or your kids.

Costars Ed Helms and Brady Noon dive into the family-friendly comedy, revealing who they’d trade places with if they had the chance, and much more, in this exclusive MovieWeb interview.

On Switching Bodies
Family Switch Release Date November 30, 2023 Director McG Cast Emma Myers, Jennifer Garner, Rita Moreno, Ed Helms, Matthias Schweighöfer Rating PG Runtime 1hr 41min Genres Comedy, Family

Part of the charm of Family Switch is how well director McG delivers on the script, which is filled with physical comedy, action sequences, and more than enough humor. In a fun, spirited turn, Rita Moreno (80 for Brady, Fast X, West Side Story) is given plenty to work with playing as Angelica, who appears to be connected to the big switch mystery in some way.

At one point, in fact, the plot finds the Walkers visiting a planetarium, only to learn that the stars have aligned just right on the day that they, well, wonder what it would be like to be in another family member’s shoes. Hilarity ensues as mother becomes daughter, father becomes son, and vice versa. There’s nothing quite like having high-pressure school events where you must impress your posse, or suddenly finding yourself in an adult body having to do adult things. Deep down, there’s a lesson to learn, of course.

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When asked who they would swap bodies with if they were given a choice, Ed Helms had a heartwarming answer:

“I think if fate were to switch my body with someone, it might be my wife. Because it’s all about learning from perspectives that you don’t have. And in a relationship like that, the most important information you could ever get is to actually experience your partner’s point of view.”

Noon, who won director McG over with his portrayal in 2019’s Good Boys, shared: “I think I’d switch with my twin brother. I have an identical twin brother, and I just feel like it would be kind of the same, but different. Because we look the same, and we’re always together, but it wouldn’t be an extreme switch.”

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The Action Sequences That Stood Out
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From chase scenes to keeping up appearances — their secret, after all — in front of neighbors and big crowds, Family Switch shoves The Walkers in enough uncomfortable situations to make all parties squirm. Not surprisingly, the action sequences were the most fun to execute for the stars. As Helms said:

“One of the more challenging, but also incredibly fun things that we shot was the car chase [scene]. I mean, it’s not a car chase exactly, but it’s kind of a car race to the finish. I got to do some stunt driving, which I love. Then they put us up on that big gimbal, where the car’s moving around and we’re spinning, and we were on the bridge. I love that stuff.”

Ed Helms has long been an audience favorite, having previously starred in The Hangover, The Office, Rutherford Falls, and a quick-witted run on The Daily Show. Comedy abounds in Family Switch, but Helms mused: “The action sequences are… you know, I do a lot of my own stunts. I’m known as a tough, serious, basically superhero.”

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Brady Noon had his own challenges in the film. The young actor had to imagine life as a middle-aged man, then convincingly play out those scenes — as Helms, but in a younger body. Beyond that, he said the toughest part to film involved choreography:

“Another challenging but fun scene was the dance choreographer scene. Because we showed up on the day, and they were like, ‘All right, we’re just going to teach you this dance really quick, and then you’re going to do it’. So, we showed up and we worked with the dance choreographer, who was amazing, and we all got the dance down that day and shot it that night.”

In the meantime, Helms chimed in about how he hopes the body-swap film lands with audiences. “First of all, a lot of laughs. And a sense of family warmth and bonding and an open mind towards our family members. It’s so easy to get stuck in these relationship ruts with people we’re close to,” he continued, “but this movie is really about opening your mind and appreciating someone else’s perspective, and I hope that people think about that.”

Watch Family Switch on Netflix November 30. you can find the trailer below and a link to stream the film.

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