Lifechanger Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Lifechanger Blu-ray Movie Review

A world of shape-shifting Horror

It's not every day you see an independent horror film which manages to feel creative and original. The genre has essentially covered every facet of horror storytelling tenfold. Audiences know exactly what to expect out of most modern horror films. Yet with Lifechanger, writer/director Justin McConnell has something different in store for audiences. McConnell surprises with a indie horror success which feels like it was partly inspired by Tales from the Crypt while also working as a gory-horror film mashed up with a slice of old-school drama.

Lifechanger follows a shape-shifting serial killer, Drew (voiced with eerie perfection by Bill Oberst Jr.), as the beast shifts from one life to another on a constantly evolving basis. The shape-shifting monster takes on human-form and must devour and transform into other human beings in order to survive. With the ability to take on any shape or form, the beast transforms from man to woman (and back again), traversing across the land in search of new human beings to devour and morph into while channeling and devouring all of the energy from the living. It's an interesting concept that feels like it could have been taken right out of the pages of The Twilight Zone.

What really sets Lifechanger apart from your typical gory-horror films is that the storytelling ends up transforming into something different as well: the character journey of the beast turns into a dramatic film about what obsession can do to a soul. The beast becomes obsessed with finding a lone woman, Julia (Lora Burke), who is someone they have a passion for and for whom they will stop at nothing to be with. This makes things much more complicated and interesting. The story takes some surprising beats while laying the groundwork for an unconventional conclusion.

Lifechanger also has some interesting production elements. The special effects work is surprisingly good for a smaller-budget production. The sequences showcasing the gruesome transformations are well-designed aesthetically. There is interesting cinematography by Sasha Moric (The Guardians, Recall) and even a nightmarish score composed by Sean Motley (Blood, Sweat, and Terrors).

Writer-director Justin McConnell (Broken Mile, The Collapsed) has formed a unique horror story that has more to say than your typical independent horror-outing. The film is a fascinating character-study of the shape-shifter Drew while simultaneously delivering on the horror-quotient. McConnell actually has an interesting directorial style which feels creative and fresh. The film has some pretty interesting longer takes as well. These moments help the film to be an engaging watch. Lifechanger is compelling horror and it stands out from the pack as a fresh stab at the genre.

Lifechanger Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Lifechanger is presented on Blu-ray with a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. The film has generally strong video quality. However, the film presentation isn't quite perfection and does have some minor drawbacks. There are some noticeable scenes where the video seems a tad too tightly compressed. The film also has some banding in the source (especially during some of the night-time sequences). These moments aren't particularly distracting but it's worth noting that the presentation isn't quite flawless.

Lifechanger Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The audio is presented in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The film has a energetic surround sound design. It's clear that a lot of time and effort went into working on the sound design for this film. However, the soundstage can feel a bit amateurish. Though clarity and definition are pristine (and the release should be commended on those merits) the surround design itself feels like a overdone attempt at recreating the bombastic sound of a big-blockbuster movie. The rear surround channels feel over-utilized, the mixing feels too chaotic, and it can sometimes be a bit distracting. In terms of resolution alone, this release is impressive on an aural scale. However, the sound design was not as professional as it could have been.

Lifechanger Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary with director/writer/producer Justin McConnell

Audio Commentary with actors Lora Burke, Jack Foley, Sam James White, Steve Kasan, and writer/director Justin McConnell

Change and Adapt: The Making of Lifechanger (HD, 1 hour. 44 min. 15 sec.) is a surprisingly in-depth "making-of" documentary about the film's origination and production. It's a first-rate documentary that truly delves into the creative process of putting the film together. I was flabbergasted by how good this bonus feature was as it delves into the filmmaking more than many releases with significantly bigger budgets. The production work, casting, screenwriting, and direction are all glimpsed at with an attention to detail which is highly commendable. I was fully invested in the making-of documentary. It even made me appreciate the film that much more.

Deleted Scenes (HD, 25 min. 1 sec.) (With optional commentary) and featuring an introduction by writer/director Justin McConnell

Original Score by Sean Motley (which plays back the score music while displaying a message about availability to download via BD-ROM in the MP3 format).

Red Band Trailer (HD, 1 min. 53 sec.)

Official Trailer (HD, 1 min. 41 sec.)

Art/Still Gallery is a click-through photo gallery featuring early posters, storyboards (with art by Darryl Shaw), sketches by Sean Grady, test photographs for the actors, and behind the scenes production stills.

Lifechanger Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lifechanger is an impressive feature from writer-director Justin McConnell. The film has a creative concept. The idea of following a creature transforming between human bodies is one that is well developed here. This is a gory horror film that is also surprisingly thoughtful. While the presentation quality feels somewhat inconsistent, the Blu-ray release comes jam-packed with bonus features and is absolutely worth a look for genre fans.