Lifechanger (2018) Reviews

• Great Concept, Poor Script

  xrod-767672018-10-17

  I'm going to start with the positive: GREAT production values, WELL shot, WELL, lit, FANTASTIC special effect, acting performances were (meh...) hit and miss, but forgivable in most cases... BUT THE SCRIPT -- Oh geez...not that great. As a matter of fact...kinda cringe-worthy. And the screenplay is the backbone of any film. If you don't have a solid script...DON'T MAKE THE MOVIE...(just yet, at least.) The script felt uni-dimensional, not much substance other than the primary storyline following the shapeshifting body-jumper. Mostly dull during the entirety of Act 2. The movie would have been more interesting if there was a secondary plot line (maybe somebody following the shapeshifter who notices something strange going on?) This is what I get paid to do, so take it as free advice. Even at the After Dark Film Festival premiere during the Q & A--I don't know if anybody else caught this--but the director ADMITS the screenplay was about a draft away from being perfect...like...HUH?! ARE YOU SERIOUS MAN?! Even if you think that (which I concur, you are correct...maybe even understating it a bit,) you DO NOT ever...under ANY circumstance ADMIT that to a sold-out theatre packed with people who paid to see your latest feature! This is Canadian Film...unfortunately. Seems like so much potential is squandered because egos get in the way of good storytelling. (And that's not just an "opinion", that's empirical truth, otherwise there wouldn't be an acting/directing/producing talent brain drain heading to L.A. to make their dreams come true.) We cannot compete with Hollywood because it's like junior hockey competing with Pro NHLers. Story is everything. DO NOT compromise. Sorry Justin...I REALLY wanted to like your film but it sucks.

• Could Have Been a Good Movie

  claudio_carvalho2019-01-08

  "Lifechanger" could have been a good movie...but it is not. The theme of shape-shifter successfully used in the gem "The Hidden" (1987), or "Fallen" (1998), is poorly used in "Lifechanger". The screenplay is lame and never works, with an awful and unpleasant narrative in off and none character development that are presented in one-dimension. The unknown cast is acceptable for a low-budget film and they do their best with the terrible script. The locations are also selected in accordance with the budget supported by poor cinematography. The attempt to make an ambiguous conclusion in the gross style of David Cronemberg does not work. Better off watch "The Hidden" again, one of the best cult-movies of this genre. My vote is five. Title (Brazil): 'Lifechanger"

• Hyped up Pseudo Horror

  barbaragolia2018-08-27

  With all the build up you would expect a whole lot more, but what you get is a whole lot less in this overly hyped less interesting thinking man or woman's version of Jeepers Creepers or a more accessible version of Under The Skin. Wake me up when it's over.

• Really underwhelming if somewhat watchable effort

  kannibalcorpsegrinder2018-07-22

  At the end of its cycle, a strange body-hopping being that has to keep shifting into a new host attempts to put its focus on its beloved romantic interest by killing those around her in to get close enough in order to be together only for its nature to take hold at the wrong moments. This was a somewhat enjoyable effort. One of the finest aspects of the film is the incredibly strong and rather interesting setup featured at the start of the film. The film dives into this rather interesting creature from the start, showing off an impressive shapeshifting being that is continually on the hunt for new victims. The idea of being a shapeshifting spirit, one that can only be involved in a body for a certain period of time before it has to hop into another person which is signalled by the skin starting to rash and decompose and leak out various fluids before the change takes effect which is one of the more intriguing and enjoyable concepts for the creature here. Despite a brief tangent at the end that gives a brief look at what it is by tying into a form of Native American legend that offers a minor plot point about what he might be, on the whole, this is quite an interesting variation of the body-hopping creation. Seeing these scenes set up the series of strong and somewhat brutal kills there's some fun to be had from the numerous body-jumping sequences. Starting with the opening dismemberment of the one victim and leading into the series of confrontations at the boyfriends' house as she changes forms into several individuals, the series of random kills that she has to play out in order to stay on the move. That also includes the enjoyably thrilling and suspenseful scene of one form attempting to dodge the police force coming after her for one of the latest victims where it turns into several footchases around the neighborhood. The other big action encounter at the end offers up an enjoyable battle between the two that's more interesting than expected, and coupled with the engaging body-horror found in the finale offers up enough to like overall here to lift it up over its flaws. One of the biggest issues with the film is the difficult time it has trying to come to terms with how to tell its story. The disjointed feel of this one, especially since we follow this ever-rotating cast of hosts that make up the majority of the running time featured here, is never really explained in here. The anthology format of the film, jumping from one person to another without even catching their name or who they are, makes this difficult to keep track of who's who in the film or what they're trying to accomplish as the voiceover narration gives this more of a chaotic, narrative-less approach which doesn't make sense or generate any kind of answers once it spills its main storyline. That can make for a somewhat challenging watch as this goes along. The other issue here is the wholly underwhelming finale which is not completely based in horror at all. By going for the romance angle with the whole motivation here being to try to win her over, the main focus of not trying to hurt her turns the final half into a half-hearted romantic drama that maintains no real threat or suspense at all which really undermines a lot of the film. These here are what really hurt the film. Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Brief Nudity, a sex scene and drug use.

• More plot holes than ted bundys back yard.

  lurpak2019-01-04

  I couldn't suspend my disbelief at any point in this movie. It makes no sense. It's basically the "taking lives" premise where a soul passes from one person to the next adopting their lives. But due to terminal decay the person, who is at heart some sort of vampiric good guy has to jump from one person to the next killing each host as he goes, but only manages it seems to cups the host body for a day or two. Despite this, he seems to attempt to continue the hosts lifes normal daily routines..why? He also wastes time disposing of the life drained corpses...which would appear to be in a state of severe decay...and by doing so. Makes their deaths looks more suspicious...why? This of course wastes most of the day he has in each host. He also seems concerned that the cops are catching him up...yet he would never have the same body, so could easily provide allibys for all the previous deaths...why? It reminded me of a low budget student getting his first big budget script. Dialogue was poor. It wasn't a terrible film, it was quite well made...but the conceptual plot, story and the dialogue really let it down.