The Changed (2021) Review

Loss of identity is a common fear for many, whether that’s memory loss caused by medical issues like dementia, or whether it’s forced upon you to create a collective homogenous society. The latter has been explored before in films such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which expertly blended sci-fi and horror to explore what would happen if aliens replicated the residents into emotionless automatons. This is a similar theme which is explored in Michael Mongillo’s The Changed.

In the film, we follow couple Mac (Jason Alan Smith) and Jane (Carlee Avers), teenager Kim (Clare Foley), and her uncle Kurt (Doug Tompos), who live in a small US town, the kind of town where the neighbours know each other and nothing eerie seems to happen. Of course this is a setting we’re all too familiar with, and it’s not long before things go horrendously wrong.

One day, the family’s neighbours start acting incredibly strange, and Mac is especially uncomfortable when a young woman in the neighbourhood tries to kiss him, even asking if she can come inside with him as “his wife won’t be home for a while”. This is both incredibly forward and out of character, which is only the start of the madness which ensues later on. Once Jane comes home from work and explains that her supervisor made a move on her too, it’s clear that something else is going on beyond people simply trying their luck.

Shortly after this, another neighbour Bill (Tony Todd) stops by trying to reassure the family that there’s nothing to worry about, but it’s clear that he’s been affected by what’s going on as he soon tries to overpower the family. This prompts them to take action and interrogate Bill, tying him to a chair in their basement. It’s from this moment onwards that we get to learn more about what’s really going on here.

The Changed is a slow-burn, which is very dialogue heavy and relies on the strength of its performances to get the message across. Thankfully these performances are impressive, especially when it comes to the creepy performances by those who have “changed”. There’s something so captivating yet terrifying to these changed humans, who are desperately trying to coerce others into joining them, with no clear explanation as to the reason why. This sense of uncertainty and dread continues throughout the film as more and more of the neighbours start transforming into idealised beings, almost in a zombie-like state.

While simple in its execution, The Changed explores this concept of a lost identity well, and as more and more people start becoming affected by the change, people start to mourn the loss of their neighbours and friends, but it also raises the question of whether or not you’d be willing to join the herd. When everyone around you is transforming, could you be tempted to join and see what it’s like? Is it easier to simply give in?

Director-writer Michael Mongillo is mainly known for his work on short films, but it’s nice to see him branching out and creating something feature length. The pacing was done well on this occasion as it builds to a dramatic third act. The actors shine later on in the film, and the casting really elevated the film overall as I felt convinced by their performances.

I was especially impressed by an eerie video message broadcast to the nation, which highlights the helpless and desperate state they’ve found themselves in, yet delivered in an inappropriately cheery manner a la Battle Royale.

Overall it’s an unnerving, eerily slow burn of a film, which will definitely have audiences asking questions around what they’d do in this kind of scenario. I’m now looking forward to seeing what Michael Mongillo and the team do next.

Movie Rating:

The Changed trailer