ALTERED

(director/writer: Timo Vuorensola; cinematographer: Anton Bakarti; editors: Serik Beyseu, Sergei Nesterov, Artemly Shevchenko; music: Ryan Otter; cast: Tom Felton (Leon), Elizaveta Bugulova (Chloe), Aggy K. Adams (Mira), Richard Brake (Frank Kessler), Aleksey Filimonov (Howard); Runtime: 87; MPAA Rating: PG-13; producers: Andreas Klein, Marko Moellers, Doris Pfardrescher, Juris Razquiajevs; Go USA Entertainment; 2025-Canada-in English)

“An inane dystopian sci-fi action film.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

An inane dystopian sci-fi action film written and directed by Finnish filmmaker Timo Vuorensola (“Iron Sky”/”Jeepers Creepers: Reborn”) as if he’s tripping on laughing gas. The performances and script are mediocre. Too little thought went into its ridiculous story.

In the future, in a large city, humanity is crushed after a recent world-wide nuclear attack, as a new economic caste system of haves (the Genetics) and have-nots (“the Specials”) emerges.

The wheelchair bound scientist Leon (Tom Felton), of the inferior “Specials” class, cannot be genetically modified or altered for body enhancements like all those who hope to be successful. He lives with the teenage ward Chloe (Elizaveta Bugulova), whose parents died and he promised to look after her if anything happened to them.

Leon goes from a rebel to a vigilante fighting against political corruption and corporate greed for the oppressed when he dons a specially made mechanical suit and comes across a magical flower giving him “flower power.” Now that he can walk, he heroically fights for the cause.

The film is bogged down by a low budget, a heavy-handed story, a blandness, stilted dialogue and an unappealing bleak atmosphere. I would recommend instead some of the similar films of this genre, like Elysium.

REVIEWED ON 11/26/2025  GRADE: C-
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