The Changeover review: A teenage girl must rescue her young brother from the clutches of evil in this old-school Young Adult tale.
The Changeover review by Kat Hughes.
The Changeover Review
Based on the 1984 young adult novel by Margaret Mahy, The Changeover is a New Zealand-set modern fairy-tale which sees a young girl, Laura (Erana James), battle to rescue her younger brother Jacko (Benji Purchase) from the clutches of Timothy Spall’s monsterous being, aided by the local male-witch, Sorensen (Nicholas Galitzine).
At the heart of the story is the relationship between brother and sister. More than that though, there is a notable mother-son dynamic. Laura spends most of her days looking after her young brother whilst her single mother works. It’s an all too common scenario in modern times and it’s interesting to see it played out on screen.
The secondary relationship is that between Laura and Sorensen, which is fairly formulaic in terms of the Young Adult story. It’s not as dynamic as the bond between siblings, but it does offer a gothic-fantasy love element that will keep tween girls engaged.
The Changeover Review
Timothy Spall is never better then when he’s playing the bad guy, and this is no exception. His villain is the most mysterious of the piece and he is truly unsettling in several scenes. This is especially true during his first encounters with Laura and Jacko, there’s something clearly off about him but in a much more sexual predator way than he is actually revealed to be.
Fans of Young Adult fiction will find many elements to enjoy within The Changeover, it’s not quite as saccharine as some others on the market, and it has a nice foreboding tone. However, the problem with The Changeover is that, although the source material is older than the likes of The Craft and Twilight, it feels like a pale imitation. What, back in the day, would have felt mysterious, new and exciting, just feels rather dated now.
The Changeover review by Kat Hughes, June 2018.
The Changeover was reviewed at the 2018 Sydney film festival.
