Apple TV Plus has brought forth another eerie and disturbing series for horror fans worldwide. The Changeling has recently arrived on the streaming platform, and a piece of good news for potential viewers: three episodes are already out.
The Changeling follows Apollo Kagwa, portrayed by LaKeith Stanfield. The character is an avid book enthusiast, and the central story kicks off when he meets Emma Valentine, played by Clark Backo. The Apple TV synopsis for the first episode reads: “A bookseller from Queens meets a librarian from Virginia. They fall in love, marry, have a baby, and trigger an unimaginable series of events.” A dark mystery soon follows after “Emma does the unthinkable.”
British screenwriter Kelly Marcel created the fantasy horror show. The scribe behind the Venom flicks and 2015’s Fifty Shades of Grey is another terrifying entry to Apple TV Plus spooky catalog. The streaming platform has already succeeded in the genre with M. Night Shyamalan and Tony Basgallop’s Servant. But, it remains to be seen whether The Changeling can capture similar acclaim.
Is The Changeling series an original story?
The Changeling series is based on the book of the same name. The novel was written by American author Victor LaValle and published to critical acclaim in 2017. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times that same year, LaValle spoke about how “speculative fiction” could help bring forth greater discussion regarding topics like racism and mental health. The author explained how surreal situations combine well with portraying modern-day discrimination. “If I wrote about them directly, I fear that it starts to become too lecture-y and kind of dull, for lack of a better term. But if I blend them with really dramatic situations, I find it’s like a little syrup to help the medicine go down,” he said.
It should be no surprise studios clamored for an adaptation of LaValle’s story as the novel was lauded upon release and won several major awards, including the specific Dragon Award for Best Horror Novel in 2017 and the more general World Fantasy Award — Novel in 2018.
The Changeling on Apple TV Plus consists of eight episodes, with the last one expected to air on Oct. 13. Currently, critics and audiences seem to be warming up to the adaptation, with the series receiving positive receives on both Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb.
So, if you’re looking for something scary and strange and an excuse to bite your nails, The Changeling might be for you! Fans can stream new episodes every Friday.