"Lifechanger" is quite an ambitious attempt at making a philosophical indie horror & it's also the first horror movie I've watched in 2019. Here's what I think of "Lifechanger" (mild spoilers ahead):
I'm pretty sure the fact that I went into this not knowing a thing contributed to my amazement. There's a lot of small, positive things about this movie that I really liked. For example, the voice of Bill Oberst Jr. is made to narrate things. Yeah, there's a narrator for this movie - the main character whose real form we don't see until the very end. Visually, the main character changes all the time for he's taking another human being and making it himself, over and over again. Yes, the concept of "Lifechanger" indeed is interesting, to say the least, but does it lead anywhere? That's probably the biggest flaw of this horror flick - the story leads nowhere and ends in such ambiguity that it leaves the viewer slightly frustrated. I love ambiguous endings - in my opinion, the best story is the one that leaves the figuring-it-out to You, but the things is - the viewer should be able to figure it out to the extent that it makes sense, even if just metaphorically. So, "Lifechanger" starts out great, scene after scene makes you more intrigued and eager to know the solution to all the happenings. Sadly, halfway through the movie I started to question the destination of "Lifechanger". The idea behind the story is arguably great, but the finished script - underwhelming.
However underwhelming the flow and solution of the story might be, the director has done a good enough job to keep the viewer follow the movie - scene to scene, character to character - it's rather engaging, especially for a horror movie buff like myself who's in a dire need to expierence new & fresh takes on the horror genre. Surprisingly, the acting is convincing enough, given the script & the fact that this is not big budget movie. Cinematography is simple and polished, does not stand out with any on-the-nose flaws. Oh, and the gore! For some reason, I was expecting a lot more of it. However, it has its amount of gore & blood plus it's all practical FX & who doesn't love that? I sure as hell do.
Another thing I'd like to mention - there's quite a bit of drama/romance hybrid mashed in with all the horror. While it doesn't sound that good in theory, it actually kinda worked. Not counting the final dialogue (confrontation), the drama/romance parts are not the ones that'll make you cringe.
"Lifechanger" is one of those movies that I wish I could've liked a bit more, yet I can't fool myself and others, so, well, if you're interested in an itsy-bitsy different indie horror flick - take this up! If you're interested in anything other than that - skip this one. My rating: 5/10.
I'm pretty sure the fact that I went into this not knowing a thing contributed to my amazement. There's a lot of small, positive things about this movie that I really liked. For example, the voice of Bill Oberst Jr. is made to narrate things. Yeah, there's a narrator for this movie - the main character whose real form we don't see until the very end. Visually, the main character changes all the time for he's taking another human being and making it himself, over and over again. Yes, the concept of "Lifechanger" indeed is interesting, to say the least, but does it lead anywhere? That's probably the biggest flaw of this horror flick - the story leads nowhere and ends in such ambiguity that it leaves the viewer slightly frustrated. I love ambiguous endings - in my opinion, the best story is the one that leaves the figuring-it-out to You, but the things is - the viewer should be able to figure it out to the extent that it makes sense, even if just metaphorically. So, "Lifechanger" starts out great, scene after scene makes you more intrigued and eager to know the solution to all the happenings. Sadly, halfway through the movie I started to question the destination of "Lifechanger". The idea behind the story is arguably great, but the finished script - underwhelming.
However underwhelming the flow and solution of the story might be, the director has done a good enough job to keep the viewer follow the movie - scene to scene, character to character - it's rather engaging, especially for a horror movie buff like myself who's in a dire need to expierence new & fresh takes on the horror genre. Surprisingly, the acting is convincing enough, given the script & the fact that this is not big budget movie. Cinematography is simple and polished, does not stand out with any on-the-nose flaws. Oh, and the gore! For some reason, I was expecting a lot more of it. However, it has its amount of gore & blood plus it's all practical FX & who doesn't love that? I sure as hell do.
Another thing I'd like to mention - there's quite a bit of drama/romance hybrid mashed in with all the horror. While it doesn't sound that good in theory, it actually kinda worked. Not counting the final dialogue (confrontation), the drama/romance parts are not the ones that'll make you cringe.
"Lifechanger" is one of those movies that I wish I could've liked a bit more, yet I can't fool myself and others, so, well, if you're interested in an itsy-bitsy different indie horror flick - take this up! If you're interested in anything other than that - skip this one. My rating: 5/10.