The Changeling review: Apple’s new horror series is a nightmarish experience that parents might want to avoid

But it’s the first episode that sets the tone. Directed by veteran music video filmmaker Melina Matsoukas, and shot by Euphoria and The Idol’s Marcell Rév, episode one of The Changeling catches you off guard by pretending that it is a lush love story, the sort that treats New York City like the giant movie set it often feels like. LaKeith Stanfield stars as Apollo Kagwa, the son of an immigrant mother who was abandoned (or was he?) by his father when he was just four. After a youth spent with his nose buried in a book, Apollo grew up to join a profession that only cinema can make this romantic: he became the buyer and trader of rare books, but through the show’s eyes, Apollo might as well be a dapper watchmaker living in the Swiss Alps, or the tailor of fine suits operating out of Savile Row.

One day, Apollo comes across a pretty librarian named Emma, and after a persistent few weeks, successfully gets her to go out with him. After having experienced the entire plot of a romantic comedy that unfolds entirely off-screen, Apollo and Emma get married, and soon, become parents to a baby boy that Apollo names Brian, after the father who abandoned him. But this is when things begin to get weird.

It seems, initially, that Emma is experiencing a particularly devilish bout of postpartum depression, but very soon, it’s clear that something is truly wrong with her. Emma grows to detest spending time with baby Brian, who becomes increasingly attached to Apollo. Pushed beyond breaking point — Apollo is supportive, but only for some time — she ends up committing a horrific crime and disappearing from the face of the earth.

A parable about the horrors of parenthood wrapped in an epic odyssey that unfolds inside fantastical corners of New York — along the hallways of decrepit apartment buildings and on the shores of strange islands; through concrete jungles and in the company of a coven of witches — The Changeling is a challenging series, an ever-evolving beast of a show that demands the viewer to submit themselves fully to the filmmakers’ creative vision. Based on the novel by Victor LaValle — he also serves as the series’ narrator, offering whimsical commentary about the power of storytelling and, oddly enough, the dangers of social media — the series is created by Kelly Marcel, who remains best known for her work on Fifty Shades of Grey and the Venom franchise. Neither of them would give you even the slightest indication of this show’s unique tone and texture.

But does aesthetic accomplishment alone warrant a recommendation? The Idol looked gorgeous as well, but that didn’t stop it from being a pile of nonsense. The Changeling is equally well produced — the images are often striking, the performances excellent, and the themes potent — but unlike that HBO show, it is never morally reprehensible. Despite this, it isn’t going to be for everybody. Which is actually a welcome change of pace from the norm. The streaming era has been responsible for propagating a rather homogenous idea of entertainment — a landscape where nobody is allowed to offend or transgress, but is instead encouraged to pander and serve.

Of all the platforms, Apple has been the most willing to take risks. But the nature of the beast is such that there will come a day when even Apple stops chasing artistic clout and starts producing subpar ‘content’ that could exist just about anywhere else. Films such as Ghosted and Spirited were an indication of just how close we are to this honeymoon period coming to an end. The Changeling is simultaneously a valuable reminder of what streaming can be, and also a striking rejection of what it has become.

The Changeling
Creator – Kelly Marcel
Cast – LaKeith Stanfield, Clark Backo, Adina Porter, Samuel T Herring
Rating – 3.5/5