Lifechanger

Mixing in love stories with horror influences is never really easy. It could work well if you have a good idea, and great characters included. But it can also fail, as the film Red Riding Hood did. Now, i was actually curious about this film back in 2011, because it did sound like a different version of the classic story of Red Riding Hood. Unfortunately, this film turned out to be too predictable and honestly pretty boring. I will say this, that legendary actor Gary Oldman saved this film from falling apart. So let´s talk about 2 other horror films that actually did turn out really good, mixing these genres together. Let´s begin with the Swedish horror movie Låt Den Rätte Komma In ( Let The Right One In ) released in 2008 from director Thomas Alfredsson ( still one of the best Swedish horror movies ever made ). What made this film unique is the story of 12 year old boy named Oskar, who falls in love with a young girl he meets outside at night called Eli, who is a vampire. Since Oskar don´t have any friends, he is happy to be Eli´s friend, and he is actually falling in love with her. But Eli needs fresh blood, and things become more complicated when bodies are discovered, and no one knows who the killer is. Låt Den Rätte Komma In is a very powerful love horror movie, about 2 people who are both lonely and find each other, even if they are very different from each other. Director Thomas Alfredsson managed to show a different take on the vampire genre, and tell a story that felt unique in many ways. If you have not seen this film, pick up the DVD or Blu Ray and give this film a chance. The remake known as Let The Right One In was actually really good, but i prefer the Swedish version ( and i usually don´t like Swedish films ). The next horror film with a love story is the 2013 ovie called Only Lovers Left Alive. A very different vampire story than we are used to see, from legendary director Jim Jarmusch ( who have directed a number of really good films, including the brilliant Coffeee And Cigarettes ). Only Lovers Left Alive is perhaps one of the most original vampire films i have seen in this genre, a must see if you appreciate original horror films with a love story. Recently i listened to a review on YouTube channel Geek Legion Of Doom, on the film Lifechanger. The premise sounded very interesting, so i bought a DVD to check it out. Is this a film that is better than expected, or is this a film you will most likely forget about ?

Drew ( voice by Bill Obest Jr. ) is a murderous shapeshifter, who needs a fresh body to survive. No matter if he finds a woman´s body, or a man´s body, he have no choice but to transform into the people he meet to survive. But when bodies are discovered throughout different locations, Drew understand it will be harder to continue finding new bodies to take over. All he wants is to find the woman he really loves, but is it possible to do that since he have murdered so many people over a period of time ?

One of the things that makes Lifechanger stand out from an ordinary horror film, is that this film is telling a pretty original story. Imagine you have to change body, just to survive to find the person you love ? It does sound bizarre reading it here i can imagine, but when you see this film you will understand why the body transformation is so important. I have to say that Lifechanger is one of the most interesting B horror movies i have seen in quite a long time. The mixture of the 80´s classic The Hidden and the cult classic Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, mixed together with a love story makes this film far more original than most B movie releases. And that this man, who used to be Drew, is now a serial killer and he does not want to kill anyone ( also an original idea ). You never really know how this film will end, since Drew needs to change bodies often to survive, and that takes us to different locations and different homes. I have to mention that the body transformations looks really good, so well done on these details. The acting is actually better than you see in most B movies these days, and since there are pretty many body victims, i will mention a few actors that does a good job. Let´s start off with actor Steve Kasan ( who is also in a vampire film called Red Spring, i am curious to see ). He plays Detective Freddie Ransone, and give us an interesting character, even when his body is taken over by Drew. Actress Lora Burke ( who you might recognize from the family movie Forest Fairies ) gives us one of the best performances of Lifechanger, i would have liked to see more of her character Julia. Actress Rachel VanDuzer as Rachel, is a woman you feel have some hidden secrets, that makes her character interesting. There are more actors that do a good job as well, except for a few that does not make a big impact. But this film has a lot more to say about how far you are willing to go to find the one you love, even if you have to kill people to get there. Director Justin McConnell have managed to make a B movie that actually have something to say, without feeling predictable or dull. I have not seen any of his previous films, but i feel that Lifechanger is a big surprise for me, and i love that director Justin must have been influenced by Invasion of The Body Snatchers, and did a different but intelligent twist in his film. If you want to see an original horror film, you have to see Lifechanger. I have a feeling that this will be a cult film in the future, and that is of course a good sign.

Rating: DDD