From writer, showrunner, and executive producer Kelly Marcel (Cruella, Venom: Let There Be Carnage) comes Apple TV+’s new original series The Changeling, based on Victor LaValle’s best-selling book of the same name. The adaptation arrives just in time for the simultaneously cozy and spooky fall season.
LaValle himself acts as the faceless narrator throughout the series, setting and maintaining the folkloric tone, beginning with “Once upon a time…”
Apollo Kagwa (LaKeith Stanfield, also an executive producer), a used books collector and dealer, meets librarian Emma “Emmy” Valentine (Clark Backo) at a library in Queens. Intrigued by her ability to handle a disruptive visitor, Apollo shoots his shot and is instantly rejected, but it doesn’t stop him from trying several more times until she finally says yes to dinner.
Emma had resisted because of her upcoming move to Brazil for an uncertain amount of time. Their romance is framed as a love-at-first-sight fairy tale, at least from Apollo’s perspective, and there is a meet-cute aspect to it. However, she doesn’t cancel her plans for this man she just met and sort of likes, which is admirable and realistic.
While traveling around Brazil, locals warn Emma not to go anywhere near a lagoon because apparently a witch hangs out there. She makes the objectively unwise decision to go anyway. Her encounter with the alleged witch is strange and unsettling, but not too scary. She ties a red string around Emma’s wrist, three times for three wishes.
When Emma reunites with Apollo in NYC, she recounts the bizarre experience and the strict instructions not to cut the red string. In a sweet but ultimately life-altering mistake, Apollo promises that he will make all her wishes come true and swiftly cuts the string off her wrist (which falls in slow motion, so we know that was a bad move).
Throughout the love story of Emma and Apollo, we get flashbacks to their childhoods, shaped by their respective traumas with both of them experiencing a parental loss. Apollo’s mother Lillian Kagwa (Alexis Louder), a Ugandan immigrant, meets white parole officer Brian West (Jared Abrahamson). We see their relationship play out in pieces from the points of view of Apollo and present-day Lillian (Adina Porter), but the gist is that Brian left when his son was still very young. The present mirrors the past in more ways than one including that Apollo got his persistence (or stalkerish behavior) from his father.
There are some rom-com moments in the first couple of episodes. However, the series is largely suspenseful with early otherworldly things mainly going unseen and creating an unrelenting sense of paranoia. It travels into the surreal the farther we go into the story with the occasional darkly comedic moments (like Apollo’s frustration with people exclusively speaking in riddles).
If you’re familiar with Stanfield’s work, you know that he thrives in horror and surrealism. But he’s proven himself more than capable in drama, comedy, and romantic genres as well. That’s why Stanfield is perfect to play Apollo Kagwa, a sincere and intelligent man thrown into an unimaginable situation.
The trailer keeps the horror-fantasy elements vague, only hinting at portals to other realms, Emma’s unexplained disappearance, and witches. The scariest, most upsetting parts about the series are the real-life horrors of sleep deprivation, not to mention giving birth on the subway and going back to work two months after said birth. Backo expertly portrays Emma’s nearly paralyzing anxiety and fear as a new mother enduring terrifying experiences beyond post-partum depression.
The supporting cast delivers solid performances as well and include Amirah Vann as Emma’s nurturing sister, Kim; Malcolm Barrett as Apollo’s best friend and fellow “literary archeologist,” Patrice Green; and Samuel T. Herring (frontman of Future Islands), making his acting debut as the odd and uneasy William Wheeler. Stanfield and Porter are standouts, both in their scenes together and on their own.
One of the last episodes sees Porter, known for her award-worthy work on shows like True Blood and American Horror Story, performing what is essentially a one-woman play with incredible cinematography and effects. Aside from this somewhat bottle episode, The Changeling feels more like an 8-hour film, although the cliffhangers in each episode remind you that you are indeed watching a series. It’s a wise strategy to premiere the first three episodes at once because not only will this set of episodes leave viewers itching to see the conclusion, but also it feels like the first act.
The Changeling has a similar tone as Servant and Shining Girls (both of which are also on Apple TV+). All three series deal with the supernatural in an urban environment and involve modern technology, though not as over-the-top as an episode of Black Mirror. Servant takes place in Philadelphia, but Shining Girls and The Changeling are set in New York, making everything more chaotic.
The Changeling also has a slate of talented directors who employ voyeuristic shots that validate the characters’ paranoia. Melina Matsoukas (Queen & Slim) directs the pilot, with Jonathan van Tulleken (Misfits), Dana Gonzales (Fargo), and Slick Naim (Snowfall) directing later episodes.
While the central story follows Apollo and Emma, side stories/scenes are introduced at different times, and it’s not always clear how they connect at first. The cuts between timelines are effectively jarring, particularly the quick flashes of violent scenes of the past and the horrible things to come. And, speaking of visuals, the opening credits are a montage of ominous images — a forest, an empty subway, swings moving in the wind, the falling red string, a baby crib — all with a bluish tint and string-heavy tones. Major Are You Afraid of the Dark? vibes.
The Changeling is a folkloric horror-fantasy about the joy and terror of parenthood, with the characters literally and figuratively being thrown into the unknown. Through characters’ distorted memories and nightmares, and the soothing yet foreboding narration of LaValle, the series keeps you in the dark enough to demand your attention and encourage you to collect the pieces. Fans of Lovecraft Country will appreciate the historical elements and representation of immigration incorporated into the story, as well as the show’s commitment to telling a genre tale with people who just happen to be Black.
The first three episodes of The Changeling premiere on September 8, 2023, on Apple TV+ and are followed by one new episode every Friday through October 13.
