Fantasia '18 Film Review - Lifechanger

Drew (Voiced by Bill Oberst Jr.) has a condition. He rots appearing first on his hands then neck. The decomposing condition forces him to find a new host an act he calls taking. Drew morphs into that new person leaving their body an embalmed shell. Our protagonists first step after a taking is to dispose of that shell. A routine he has down pat after years of repetition involving a hammer, garbage bags, gasoline and a saw. At the outset of the piece, the cycle time has hastened. The rot is now starting after 6 hours of taking a new form where in the past Drew could maintain a persona for years.

The one bright light in his existence is Julia (Lora Burke). She's a fixture in the bar that he frequents along with the puppy Max that greets him every time he approaches. Drew feels that he has a connection to Julia like only one other time that he has experienced before. The benefit and curse of his condition is that he absorbs the voice, shape, look and memory of the people taken. Meaning he has all of their skills, fears hopes and dreams up in his head.

Writer-Director Justin McConnell brings a fresh take to the body snatcher, shapeshifter, replacement narrative. Here outside forces are in control often putting the protagonist under pressure of a quick jump to a new host as the rotting of the current spreads. As forced to do in the Emily (Elista Bako) portion doing the normal fix of ordering in, more for the delivery guy than the food. McConnell alongside cinematographer Sasha Moric feature differing angles and natural light wherever possible to track their characters as they move through the frame.

Lora Burke is the constant in another strong performance coming off her role as the titular character in Poor Agnes. She has suffered tragedy in the past frequents a local bar to get her creative writing juices flowing playing the foil to Drew's different incarnations. Sam White is effective as Dr. Richardson a family man occupying a segment that delivers a memorable line commenting on his proficiency at his profession. Rachel VanDuzer features in one of the longer segments. She is Dr. Richardson's employee having  to deal with a hook up that moves to fast, a nosy neighbour plus a jealous and controlling boyfriend.

Well acted, briskly paced and tactfully shot Lifechanger features a solid linear progression despite multiple central character changes. The ensemble cast succeed in convincing the viewer that they are Drew helped by the repeated encounters with Julia. The film is as much Sci-Fi as horror both elements being vital to the plot of a film that I can strongly recommend.

***1/2  Out of 4.

Lifechanger | Justin McConnell | Canada | 2018 | 84 Minutes.

Tags: Rotting, Corpse, Wound, Farm, Hammer, Saw, Shovel, Duct Tape, Garbage Bags, Gasoline, Writer, Counsellor, Dentist, Detective, Cocaine, Antibiotics, Painkillers, Whisky, Gin.