A Preview of ‘The Changeling’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

LaKeith Stanfield and Clark Backo in "The Changeling," premiering September 8, 2023 on Apple TV+.

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.
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If there is one particular belief about fairy tales that every adult out there holds to, it would have to be that such stories really are just for kids, and well… there’s a lot of merit to that collective line of thinking. After all, they are indeed fantastical stories, the kind that ignite imaginations and teach kids valuable lessons about life and sharing and everything in between really. So, there should be no value in fairy tales when you’re an adult. Because an adult is educated on the world and ready to conquer anything it sends their way. But the fact of the matter is, adults are wrong when it comes to who fairy tales are for. Because in reality, they’re important for people of all ages to visit and revisit, simply because they really do offer us so much.

Because the lessons within them go far deeper than we often expect and they can in fact, help guide us in times of need with their simple and impactful understanding of the world and of life. It’s just the sheer fact that they are written in a simple manner that is catered toward the comprehension of children that really allows for that perception that they’re only for kids to come into play. Which does beg an important question though, in that, if by chance someone took the time to create a fairy tale that was catered toward adults… what would that look like? Because that could create an impactful story that adults would not dismiss as mere child’s play, and well… it just so happens that an adult fairy tale is coming to Apple TV+ this Friday, via the new series, The Changeling.

Which is based off of the novel of the same name by Victor Lavalle and well, this visual version of the story informs us… that adult fairy tales would be nothing short of a mystical horror story. A feat that it accomplishes by introducing us to a man named Apollo. Who has more or less enjoyed the wonder of love at first sight when he meets a woman named Emma, and he is beyond eager to know her and love her, and he is granted that wish. Which leads to a love affair for the ages and well, that’s where this story takes quite the turn. One that is unique in nature and that we will not spoil here. But what we will say is that the turn is not what your imagination would surmise. For when we say mystical horror story here, we’re talking about something quite different.

In that, this is a story that quite frankly… explores the horrors of being an adult. Of how we believe we have it together and understand and comprehend people… when we simply do not. We simply wing it; we hope for the best and we are filled with fear and doubt as we go along and search for that which we desperately want. Which brings about a vastly different type of fairy tale for certain. One that speaks to how in an adult’s mind…we tend to romanticize the world and try and find beauty in what rattles us. Which is what brings forth a nightmarish, mystical journey for Apollo, one that is painfully relatable and uncomfortable in all the right ways. But what matters most, is that it is fascinating and compelling, to the point where you simply cannot look away.

For you must know what is coming next and that alone is worth the price of admission. Because it is rare in this era of peak television to be truly sucked in by a show to the point where you genuinely crave more, but you do here, thanks in large part to the story and the amazing performances present as well. Since LaKeith Stanfield brings a real honesty to Apollo, one that makes him vulnerable and accessible to the audience and he is wonderfully counterbalanced by Clark Backo as Emma, since she really does anchor the story in a unique manner and really, in the end, all of these elements come together to create one powerful and dynamic story. One that is a visual and mental feast for the audience and one that you don’t have to wait all that much longer to enjoy. For Friday will see the show debut on Apple TV+, and we cannot wait to geek out with all of you about this unique horror story. One that explores the human condition in a vastly different manner.

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