bazookamouth-221-898097 Other than a particulary creepy turn by Timothy Spall and a decent lead from Erana James this really is very average. First half of the movie is encouraging when Spall (who is has some sort of mortality to maintain and possesses children to continue this) has the upper hand over Erana and the little boy but tails off badly from around the time Erana James starts the process to become a witch via a secret coven of her boyfriends family. The boyfriend is a witch apparantely? I didnt know guys could be witches Latter stages of the movie it gets batshit crazy. Spall gets dissolved with Erana using some witch trick. Anyone watching for Melanie Lynskey beware, she has limited screentime (15 mins). Lucy Lawless was in the movie, I barely recognised her. She played one of the witches.

ariestarzga I really went in to watching this film with high hopes. Teenager discovers she has hidden powers and tries to rescue her younger brother. Story starts off well and had my interest for about 30 minutes in and THEN it fell flat. The actors are actually perfect but the movie tried to form chemistry between the main actor and actress in a way that did not fit with the movie. There was a lack of build up for the audience, I kept waiting to be amazed while the main actress discovers herself but truth is she remained boring until the very end. This movie could have been great, may be lack of funding but something was wrong so therefore i could only give it a 3/10.

cbturner-86745 The Changover is a refreshing young adult film with its relatable portrayal of Laura (the main character), family dynamics and of post-earthquake Christchurch. What stuck out for me is that this film isn't condescending towards teenagers, like many are of the same genre. Instead The Changeover shows how many New Zealand teens live and what things place importance in their lives. What also makes the film so special is the great sound track and cinematography which beautifully mirrors the characters and plot. I would highly recommend The Changeover to both young adults, parents and families.

pinky-41761 The Changeover was always going to be a tough film to make. Based on a book by New Zealand's favourite children's writer, Margaret Mahy, The Changeover centres on a very real family, who live in a very real place - post-earthquake Christchurch. Christchurch is another character in this beautifully-shot movie. The jarringly empty sections, the scrappy, pot-holed streets, the containers used as dwellings and business premises, all add to the unsettling feeling as the film unfolds. Miranda Harcourt and Stuart McKenzie use every one of their considerable skills to bring this story to the screen. Brother and sister Laura (Erana James) and Jacko (Benji Purchase) live with Kiwi battler Mum Kate (Melanie Lynskey). Laura has second sight, and fears for her brother's life. Enter the creepy Carmody Braque, played brilliantly by Timothy Spall. Out of the darkness comes help for Laura - a family who share her supernatural gift. Harcourt and McKenzie pull the best out of their cast and crew to make this my 'movie of the year'.