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This 2011 Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman Comedy Just Shot to #2 on Netflix’s Top Movies List

Talk about a throwback

Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds.
Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

There's a trending comedy that could end up taking the number-one spot on Netflix’s list of most-watched films...but it's not a new movie. In fact, it came out over ten years ago.

The Change-Up (2011), starring Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman, is currently the number-two film on Netflix, where it is sitting close behind the number-one film, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (one of the highest-grossing films of 2023). The Change-Up was uploaded to the streaming site on November 1, and it appears viewers are loving the star-studded throwback.

From director David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers, Fred Claus) and screenwriters Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (The Hangover, Bad Moms), this star-studded flick features a classic body-swapping scenario à la Freaky Friday or 17 Again.

When longtime best friends Dave (Bateman) and Mitch (Reynolds) go out for drinks one night, they realize they are both jealous of each other's lives. Dave has a wife, three kids and a steady job, while Mitch is a single bachelor who never knows what he'll be doing from one day to the next. However, when a strike of lightning causes the two buds to switch bodies, they realize that living like one another may not be so easy after all.

changeup hero
Jason Merritt/Getty Images

It's no surprise to see this Bateman-Reynolds flick uploaded to Netflix, given that the two stars have worked with the streaming platform on numerous occasions.

For four seasons, Bateman played the lead role of Martin "Marty" Byrde on Ozark, a Netflix original series in which he also served as one of the directors. In 2019, he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, thanks to his work on the series.

Meanwhile, Reynolds has starred in the hit Netflix original films The Adam Project and Red Notice, with the latter still holding the record as the most-watched movie on Netflix within its first 28 days of availability.

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calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the former Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features Editor at ROCKET Magazine. When he's not dissecting the latest trends in entertainment (or guiding you on what to watch), he covers all the hottest red carpet looks and fashion movements. When he steps away from the keyboard, you can likely find him at an NYC concert, thrift store or LGBTQ+ bookstore happily perusing the shelves.