Playing at Select Theatres.
Spoiler Alert
Although Altered Reality is not really a ghost story, this hook was what kept me interested. Jack (Lance Henriksen) is watching over Oliver (Charles Agron)–and he’s none the wiser–and I’ll watch any film this seasoned actor is in. With Ed Asner also on the playbill, I was curious! Technically, he passed away in 2021, which meant this work had trouble finding distribution, and thankfully it’s been rescued from the grave!
In this film, Oliver is having family problems. His young daughter died under some strange circumstances some months back, and instead of grieving, he buried himself in his work when he should be with his wife. As a result, this lifestyle has put a strain on a crumbling relationship. His wife thinks he’s cheating on her!
After watching The Veil not too long ago (movie review coming soon), I could predict where this film was going. Here, Oliver attempts to repair those mistakes made not so long ago. Although he tries, the story is hardly supernatural. It’s more about his aching relationships.
And with the narrative sort of centred on the protagonist wanting to buy Spring Manor since it’s been a happy place for him, I wished there was more history behind why this was so. Oliver often finds Jack there, and when the old man reveals he’s known his family for generations, I wondered why this is so. When Jack says to the young man he can change the past, I had to wonder if something got missed in transitioning from one type of tale to another. I had to guess why this was so.
The conversations hints at a lot more strangeness which could have been explored. Had this movie emphasised that instead of the soap opera going on, I’d give this work a higher ranking.
The only moments that I liked were when Henrikson was on screen. Although he’s really showing his age here, his presence saves this film. As a spirit who wants the protagonist to have a better life, the twist ending is welcomed. Nobody should suffer like his family had, and all I can say is that this film believes one timeline can exist instead of many. Multiverse stories are passé, and it’s good this presentation didn’t venture far into trying to explain why this is so, but instead just welcomes that it’s possible to save a family from ruin when there’s a friendly ghost to help!
3 Stars out of 5
Altered Reality Movie Trailer
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