The Changed Review: Low-Budget Alien Invasion Flick Completely Misses The Mark

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Few films can craft compelling narratives around a high-concept sci-fi premise on a shoe-string budget, with the exception of films such as Primer, which is a masterclass in sci-fi storytelling. Michael Mongillo’s The Changed hinges upon the premise of humans being essentially overtaken by extraterrestrials, a concept executed remarkably well by sci-fi staples such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Unfortunately, Mongillo’s film is nowhere close to these films in quality, lacking the conviction to pull off its goofy, underdeveloped plot. The Changed tries to breathe life into an overdone premise, but lacks the drive to veer it into fresh directions, and ends up being an utter misfire.

The Changed opens with rather confusing shots of a green, pulsating void juxtaposed against a person dreaming, which is, perhaps, the first sign of an alien species invading people's psyches. Cut to Mac (Jason Alan Smith) having a conversation with neighbor Bill (Tony Todd), who seems to be acting unlike himself while emphasizing the fact that change is an inevitable element of human existence. He also leans in to kiss Mac, prompting the latter to be taken aback, but Bill laughs it off at the last minute, saying it was just a joke (this action holds importance in terms of the big reveal). Mac and his wife Jane (Carlee Avers) consistently feel that something is off kilter as everyone in their neighborhood seems fundamentally changed and acting quite out of the ordinary. Dismissing this feeling as paranoia, the duo go about their day.

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Apart from the couple, their neighbor Kim (Claire Foley) also feels the same: being a teenager, she sees her friends act strange