Celebrated author Victor LaValle’s horror fantasy novel The Changeling had an atmosphere and allure that succeeded in fusing genres with expertly devised characters. Fifty Shades of Grey and Let There Be Carnage screenwriter Kelly Marcel, clearly a fan of the book, tries to faithfully adapt The Changeling for television using an overhaul of backstory for several characters. After four episodes, Marcel proves that the weight of a complex novel is often too difficult to translate perfectly.
The Plot of The Changeling
Apollo, a used book dealer, wants desperately to make up for his father abandoning him through the start of his new family. His wife Emmy starts acting strangely in the wake of their new baby’s birth, and before Apollo can make sense of it, she does something unforgivably terrible. The rest of the series follows Apollo searching for Emmy after she disappears into a world of darkness and fantasy.
The Burden of the Inexplicable in The Changeling
Though we can boil down the premise of The Changeling to simple dark fantasy, unsuspecting viewers lured in by the appeal of standout lead actor LaKeith Stanfield discovered that it took three hour-long episodes out of eight for the plot description to manifest. Marcel writes the entire series while saturating her take on the novel with perplexing mysteries and unexplained absurdity, all contained in a non-linear timeline. The first episode shows four backstories alone; to say a lot is going on in The Changeling is a massive understatement.
Even when focusing on Apollo and Emmy (Clark Backo), The Changeling feels intentionally scattered for extra confusion. Before the fantasy and horror elements rear their ugly heads to their fullest extent, the show’s dark fairytale undercurrent requires establishing the early tone as a romantic love story and a pregnancy/motherhood drama. Before the thrilling side can even begin, The Changeling is crumbling under the weight of its ambitions.
LaKeith Stanfield in ‘The Changeling’
The Changeling Has Everything It Promises, But Cohesion Is What It Really Needs
Ultimately, The Changeling has extreme surface value, with engaging visuals both in the dark and light sides of the show and enthralling, nuanced performances from Stanfield and Backo. Still, the fact remains that this adaptation will be too unwieldy for most viewers. With its attempt at immersion leading to drawn-out pacing, The Changeling has yet to illuminate the themes beyond their familiar introductions, and no explanations or satisfaction are within sight. Bravo to those who can meet the series on its terms and stick with it through four more weeks, but there will be no easy pathway to the end.
The Changeling is streaming now on Apple TV+.