Lifechanger Review

4 star brilliant new take on shapeshifter horror.

Lifechanger is written and directed by Justin McConnell (Broken Mile, Skull World) and is presented here as part of the Frightfest Presents series from Signature Entertainment.

“I take people. Their voice, their shape, their look, their memories. Their hopes and dreams, everything that makes somebody who they are.”

Life changer is a very unusual and interesting take on the genre of shapeshifter horror, coming at it from an entirely new and surprising angle. It tells us the story of our protagonist Drew, a shapeshifter who we never actually get to see in his own form, narrated by the fantastic Bill Oberst Jr. (Stressed to Kill, Zombieworld, Werewolf Rising).

Through his insights, we follow his bloody progress through life as he is constantly forced to kill to stay alive. Drew doesn’t really know what he is, only that in order to survive he must drain the life from a human and take on their form. He then lives their life until the time comes for him to move on again.

That time is coming more and more often, the “rot” sets in and he must change form. As a child this took years, but recently it can be as little as six hours, not much time to take care of business.

There is another added complication to Drew’s life, in one of his forms he fell in love with the enigmatic Julia (Lora Burke – Poor Agnes, Expecting) and so now everything he does is tailored towards spending time with her in whatever form he can.

Lifechanger is an excellent concept for a film and very well written. The acting is also superb and there is a real sense of continuity between each of his incarnations, from Emily (Elitsa Bako – Antiviral) to police officer Freddie (Steve Kasan – The Final Ride) to dentist Sam (Sam White) and hipster Robert (Jack Foley – Fugue, Wayne). These hold it all together elegantly, especially when coupled with the explanations from Drew himself.

Alongside this story however there is a satisfying quantity of gore and gruesome deeds to satisfy the horror fan. A must watch for fans of the genre and an excellent excuse to grab some popcorn and park yourself in front of the telly.

“If I don’t do this, I’ll die and I’m not ready to die. Which means, you’ll have to.”

Lifechanger is available to buy now on Digital HD.