Connect with us

Movies

[Fantasia Review] ‘Lifechanger’ is Body Horror at Warp Speed

Published

on

Drew is a serial killer by necessity; he’s a unique type of shapeshifter forced to kill and assume another’s body every time his current body begins to show signs of decay. He doesn’t just suck his victims’ bodies dry until they’re withered husks but assumes their memories and personalities as well, making him an efficient killer that’s difficult to track. It’s a gruesome way to live made further complicated by Drew’s yearning for Julia, a woman he fell in love with while in a different body. Julia has no idea who the real Drew is, or even that he’s still in her life. A fast-paced crime thriller, Lifechanger also brings body horror to the fold.

Written and directed by Justin McConnell, Lifechanger sets its story around an antihero. From the opening moments, we’re introduced to Drew’s modus operandi as he kills a woman he’s just slept with and assumes her persona. He’s ruthless and quick in his kills, and the deaths look as painful as they are grotesque. McConnell drops us in the middle of Drew’s story, parceling out details of his journey by way of inner monologue. Genre vet Bill Oberst Jr. (Resolution, 3 From Hell) is the inner voice of Drew, giving some semblance of age while his victims are varied in gender, lifestyle, and age. It’s a jarring juxtaposition; the different personas, voices, and appearances of each new body against Drew’s older voiceover narration makes it a little trickier to get a sense of who the true Drew really is. It doesn’t help that the pacing doesn’t give much time to acclimate to Drew, either.

There’s a very fast pace to Lifechanger, as Drew’s new bodies seem to decay faster and faster, and his yearning for Julia leads to a much easier trail for the police to pick up. It’s so swift moving that it makes it difficult to find somewhere in the narrative to grab hold of. The story is through Drew’s perspective, but it’s the center of his fixation that’s the most relatable; Julia. She’s a broken woman often found at a local bar, still reeling from being abandoned by her previous love. The sole character not part of Drew’s body stealing, she’s the only one that feels remotely developed. That’s not saying much either. This is Drew’s story, but he doesn’t have many answers for the viewer.

Drew’s constant need to murder and flee becomes repetitive after a while, but the body horror effects are great. With special makeup effects designed by David Scott (2004’s Dawn of the Dead, The Shrine, Pyewacket), the body horror of Drew’s life is the highlight of the film. The story may not end in satisfactory fashion, but from a visual standpoint it absolutely delivers.

McConnell introduces a fascinating concept; the antihero desperate for a love that might be his very undoing. It’s well shot and delivers on gooey, slimy practical effects. It might be a little too fast-paced, though; as the tragic love story at the heart of the film is never given much time for the emotional beats to fully resonate. The rules laid out contradict the trajectory of Drew’s story at almost every turn; his voice indicates age and wisdom but he’s clearly learned nothing. And by the end of the film, neither have we.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

Movies

SCREAMBOX Investigates UFOs and Extraterrestrials: Several Documentaries Streaming Right Now!

Published

on

As someone who is obsessed with UFOS (or more recently known as UAPs) and the concept of extraterrestrials, I love a good documentary. Sightings have been on the rise since the 1940s, with the atomic bomb seemingly acting as a catalyst for new visitors. But what are these UFOs/UAPs? Is there an explanation or are they simply beyond our explanation? Why are they here? Who are they? How much do our governments know? The questions are endless and so are the documentaries that attempt to uncover the secrets behind decades of sightings and alleged confrontations.

Whether you’re a seasoned viewer or new to the rabbit hole, there’s always a handful of interesting documentaries to get your neurons firing and leave you with sleepless nights. SCREAMBOX is investigating with the addition of several docs, all streaming now on the Bloody Disgusting-powered service. Here’s the breakdown:

Aliens (2021): Beam into this unidentified streaming documentary for a glimpse into Extraterrestrial life. Aliens are hypothetical life forms that may occur outside Earth or that did not originate on Earth.

Aliens Uncovered: Origins (2021): Before Area 51, hidden deep in the desert, the military discovered a hidden gem that helped them create Project Bluebook.

Aliens Uncovered: ET or Man-Made (2022): The crash of Roswell wasn’t meant for New Mexico. In 1947, a neighboring state had 3 major sightings that were swept under the rug.

Aliens Uncovered: The Golden Record (2023): In the late 70s, the US government launched a message to our distant neighbors.

Roswell (2021): This high-flying documentary examines the July 1947 crash of a United States Army Air Forces balloon at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Theories claim the crash was actually that of a flying saucer, but what is the truth?

Also check out:

The British UFO Files (2004): Since the 1940’s the British Government has been investigating the Flying Saucer phenomenon. High-ranking military and government personnel, speak out for the first time, offering unique eyewitness accounts and inside information.

Alien Abductions and Paranormal Sightings (2016): Amazing Footage and stories from real people as they reveal their personal encounters of being abducted by Aliens.

And do not miss Hellier (2019): A crew of paranormal researchers find themselves in a dying coal town, where a series of strange coincidences lead them to a decades-old mystery.

These documentaries join SCREAMBOX’s growing library of unique horror content, including Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Here for Blood, Terrifier 2, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, The Outwaters, Living with Chucky, Project Wolf Hunting, and Pennywise: The Story of IT.

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.com.

Continue Reading