Entertainment
Apple TV Has Great Sci-Fi Shows, but This Twisted Horror Fantasy Deserves More Attention
When it comes to horror, films tend to dominate the genre, likely because it’s easier and perhaps more palatable to take your dose of terror and tension in bite-sized chunks. There are certainly horror series that are wildly popular, like Mike Flanagan‘s collaborations with Netflix or the classic American Horror Story. But they all navigate that challenge of maintaining (high-strung or undercurrents of) tension for hours on end. So, if you’re looking for another horror series that is a masterclass in sustaining tension, then Apple TV needs to be your next stop.
Based on Victor LaVelle‘s horror fantasy novel, The Changeling is a series that tosses you into a hellish version of the labyrinthine New York City streets, where multiple storylines across generations collide. The narrative itself is mind-bending and elusive, but the show grips you tightly into its claws, creating such visceral fear that it is impossible to look away. Even if you can’t quite differentiate reality from fantasy here, you feel the intensity in your bones. This hidden gem masters the ability to keep viewers on tenterhooks and needs to be on every horror fan’s must-watch list.
What Is Apple TV’s Fantasy Horror Series ‘The Changeling’ About?
While the storytelling approach to The Changeling is multi-generational, the central storyline revolves around the seemingly average couple, Apollo (LaKeith Stanfield) and Emma (Clark Backo). We watch their meet-cute, their montage of falling in love, and the moment they realize they are going to start their own family. But there is something sinister hanging over them. On an overseas trip, Emma had met a mysterious woman who had tied a red string around her wrist and claimed that three wishes of hers would come true if the string was never cut. When Emma returns from the trip six months later, Apollo cuts said string.
This Underseen, Free-To-Watch Horror Series Based on Real Events Is Terrifying From Start to Finish
It did what the Conjuring franchise couldn’t.
The woman’s words start to carry more weight when Emma psychologically spirals after the birth of their son. She starts losing sleep, receiving texts that disappear (or does she?), and eventually believes the newborn isn’t human at all. Is it postpartum depression and PTSD or is there truth to her fears? It all comes to a head one fateful evening, where an unimaginable incident occurs and Emma disappears into the night. As such, the series follows Apollo’s fantastical and horrifying search for Emma, which is layered with traumatic stories from their childhood (including absent fathers and house fires), and of their parents’ lives.
‘The Changeling’ Is a Masterclass of Visceral Performances From Start to Finish
The Changeling‘s ability to maintain tension and the audience’s attention is borne out of the cast’s stellar performances. In the lead is Stanfield, whose eyes are as poignantly expressive as they are in his previous roles, like in Get Out. From the wide-eyed innocence and determination to not be like his absent father to the twitching fear and rage later in the series, we are utterly trapped in the emotional depths of his eyes. Among his general acting prowess, Stanfield’s ocular talent allows the camera to indulge in plenty of close-ups, an intimate way to heighten the eerie feelings in the atmosphere. Everything Apollo feels as he caws his way through the dark underbelly of New York is immediately felt by us.
Next to him is the equally attention-grabbing Backo, who carries the weight of blurring the lines of reality in The Changeling. During the early episodes, Backo’s psychologically demanding performance creates the backbone of the show’s mystery, as Emma is the first to show signs of the potential curse looming over their family. We are constantly questioning if Emma is experiencing a severe form of postpartum depression and PTSD from her childhood, or if she really sees something we cannot. But Backo’s grueling performance ensures both interpretations carry equal weight — it doesn’t matter what the truth is, because the impact is so powerful.
Later in the series, it is Adina Porter playing Apollo’s mother, Lillian, who delivers a powerhouse performance that cinches what makes The Changeling‘s mastery over tension so meaningful. Porter flits in and out of the present timeline (where Alexis Louder takes over the role of young Lillian in the flashbacks), and usually leaves her two cents in a take-it-or-leave-it manner. But in a later episode, Porter dominates the screen with a gut-wrenching, soulful performance that weaves Lillian’s traumatic backstory with the pitfalls of everyday life in the present. She reminds us that things like low wages and mental illness are just as harmful and terrifying as the creepy forest, allowing the atmosphere to creep into the show’s discourse.
Tension Is the Source of Horror in Apple TV’s ‘The Changeling’
The first season of The Changeling isn’t necessarily meant to be fully understood, but is supposed to be felt. It only covers half of the source material, so the season establishes multiple moving parts that will be explained in a potential second season. As such, building tension and anticipation is paramount in this season and becomes the epicenter of all the horror felt by the audience. While the performances are the cornerstone to achieving this, they are supplemented by unsettling camera angles and non-linear storytelling. By oscillating between timelines, it creates a disorienting effect that keeps us on our toes while still allowing the power of generational trauma to be felt. Everything is designed to keep us off-kilter, sustaining a truly unsettling watch from start to finish.
The Changeling is a completely underrated horror series that succeeds in making every scene brimming with tension, whether that be due to trembling anticipation or overflowing fear. Stanfield, Backo, and Porter lead us down a dark and sordid path, where the harsh realities of everyday life are reimagined into insidious visuals that cause just as much damage. Featuring scorching performances and a haunting tale, these eight episodes deserve a bigger audience and will entice you from its first eerie scenes.
- Release Date
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2023 – 2023-00-00
- Showrunner
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Kelly Marcel
- Writers
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Kelly Marcel
