Based on Victor LaValle’s best-selling novel of the same name by, The Changeling is a glum, tangled horror story being promoted as a dark “fairy tale for grown-ups,” adapted as an eight-episode Apple TV+ series by creator and showrunner Kelly Marcel (Saving Mr. Banks, Fifty Shades of Gray) and directed by Melina Matsoukas (Queen & Slim). Drawing on Scandinavian folklore and in-depth historical knowledge of New York City — not to mention a good cast and big production values — it seems like it ought to be better than it is.

The Changeling follows a loving couple — rare-books dealer Apollo and librarian Emma (LaKeith Stanfield and Clark Backo) — parted by the terror surrounding the birth and traumatizing infancy of their first child, Brian. Emma is either suffering from a truly appalling case of postpartum depression, increasingly convinced that “this is not a baby,” or her encounter with a “wise one” in Brazil embroiling her and her child in a demonic spell. Of course, Apollo has his own troubled history involving his Ugandan mother (Adina Porter) struggling to overcome the trauma of her own past and a father (Jared Abrahamson) who mysteriously disappeared. It seems that all throughout his alienating childhood, Apollo was haunted by a recurring nightmare of his father’s monstrous return — a dream that might not have been a dream after all.

Ultimately, Emma disappears, and Apollo goes in search of her in a surreal odyssey through New York City.

All of this is conveyed in a maddeningly convoluted flashback structure, leaping back and forth through time in a two-generation tale of ever-darkening horror. The voice-over narration (by The Changeling’s author Victor LaValle) doesn’t help much in clarifying things or making them more interesting.

So many elements in the series are supposed to throb with significance, yet they all wind up canceling each other out — the nineteenth-century Norwegian sailing ship, the red-thread bracelet, the blue smoke, the Harper Lee–signed copy of To Kill a Mockingbird, the three wishes, all the dreams and portents. It’s one of those viewing experiences that makes you aware of when you’re supposed to be moved, or thrilled, or anxious, without ever actually experiencing those feelings.

I feel a bit bad about not liking The Changeling — it feels like lots of people working hard to crank up something meaningful and memorable. And its fantasy storytelling is rooted in the grim realities of multigenerational economic hardship, racial injustice, and family trauma that can be captured so effectively with supernatural overtones. Once again we find ourselves exploring a narrative of the black experience in America via the horror/fantasy genre, the territory that’s the specialty of Jordan Peele, beginning with Get Out. It’s a shame that so many of these projects have such a muted impact, and that in the case of The Changeling, the combination of writing and direction makes a slow-paced muddle of the material.

The subdued effect of the series seems especially unfortunate for lead actor LaKeith Stanfield, who is also an executive producer on the series. This seems like the tenth time he’s invested himself in a major role that should vault him to big, next-level stardom — but doesn’t.

Stanfield’s been in films since 2013, including The Purge: Anarchy (2014), Selma (2014), and Straight Outta Compton (2015), plus a number of prominant music videos. I’ve been rooting for him since his terrific performance in a small but pivotal and attention-getting role in Get Out (2017). Since then, he’s been playing lead roles in the series Atlanta (2016–2022) and the films Sorry to Bother You (2018), Uncut Gems (2019), Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), The Harder They Fall (2021), and The Haunted Mansion (2023).

He’s a successful actor — even a “name” actor — always working steady, winning and nominated for many awards including an Oscar nomination for his work in Judas and the Black Messiah. But he’s still hanging on the brink of true stardom, the kind that can get a film made and compel audiences into theaters around the world. This in spite of the fact that he seems to have it all — fabulous acting chops, on-screen charisma, good looks, and even a poignant backstory, vaulting himself out of searing poverty in dusty desert towns like Victorville, California. It seems as if all he needs is the iconic role that locks a “star image” into the public imagination.

But once again, it seems this isn’t the one.

However, only three episodes have dropped so far, and possibly the series will achieve a cumulative impact over the course of its next five episodes, as the long and complex backstory gets worked out through flashbacks. Though I admit I probably won’t have the patience to stick with it.