Horror Movie Review: Lifechanger (2018)

Written and directed by Justin McConnell, Lifechanger is a body horror movie with nods to the likes of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the work of David Cronenberg.

An interesting story with the odd gruesome moment here and there, Lifechanger is wonderfully shot. A really professional and clean look that heightens the tension built for parts of the movie. Yes, parts because when the movie gets it right, it is really interesting. When it gets it wrong, particularly in the latter portion, it’s disappointing.

The story surrounds an unknown creature that has to jump from body to body to survive. His hosts die and it is reborn with all their memories and no-one the wiser. However, this creature can’t stay in one body for too long. It narrates segments of the story, giving us insight into how long it has been doing this and how tired it is.

These body snatching moments are the film’s horrifying moments and the gore. While not over the top, it is gruesome. Smartly, McConnell only gives us glimpses of what the changes do to the creature and its victims up until the finale. Once we reach that point, we get some spectacular effects that might make a few stomachs turn.

The entire setup is worthy of praise as it’s an interesting take on body horror and does result in some heavy tension. It’s also makes the creature a bit sympathetic. It’s just doing what it must to survive.

Unfortunately, we do have to get through the middle portion of the movie where things slow down to a crawl. The number of characters that jump in and out makes it tough to follow along. The disjointed feel really starts to make the story come apart at the seams.

The movie tries to right the ship by finally pushing the main narrative to the front but it’s probably the most disappointing element of the movie. What we have is a love story, the creature trying to get close to the woman it loves. All while trying to keep its true nature under control.

This angle is a bit lacklustre if I’m honest and took me out of the film. It never really recovers making the final few minutes while visually great, disappointing.

Overall, Lifechanger is a good movie though. One of the more impressive modern body horror films to come out. The concept is solid but the delivery is lacking in places.