Altered Review: Tom Felton’s Catch-All Science Fiction Thriller is Genetically Inoperable

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Finnish director Timo Vuorensola is known for his ambitious and often outlandish projects. He’s the creator of the Iron Sky trilogy, a series of films that sends Nazis to space, and also made Star Wreck, a comedic take on Star Trek. Before those, he attempted a reboot of Jeepers Creepers, which, while not realistic, was his most down-to-earth film yet.

Look, I went in knowing this wasn’t going to be a blockbuster. The special effects are definitely low-budget, and it’s pretty much standard sci-fi fluff with some weird political stuff thrown in – the acting isn’t always great, either. Honestly, Altered doesn’t really do anything new, but it does have Tom Felton from Harry Potter, which was a fun surprise! I was really relieved it wasn’t another space Nazis movie, and thankfully, it’s short – only eighty minutes long. It’s not amazing, but it’s a passable way to spend an hour and a bit.

Altered Is A Mess of Regressive, Derivative Mistakes

There’s a strange appeal to how vague the movie Altered is. Most good science fiction uses its futuristic setting to explore deeper themes, like in films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stalker, or Ad Astra. However, Altered feels like a deliberately empty film, hinting at many current issues without actually saying anything substantial about them. It touches on things like immigration raids, healthcare access, drug abuse, police misconduct, and racial inequality within its divided society. Just when you think you understand the film’s message, it shifts again, leaving you unsure of its true meaning.

Okay, let’s talk about the film’s handling of disability, because it’s…problematic. The movie centers around Leon, a mechanic in a wheelchair, played by an able-bodied actor. While the villains’ treatment of Leon is rightfully negative, the film itself seems to view his disability as something to be fixed – a disease he needs to overcome. I really wanted to like the film’s intentions, but it’s unfortunately riddled with outdated and harmful stereotypes. Even when trying to be supportive, it feels like it’s looking at Leon and his community from a very distant, and frankly, alienating perspective. It left me feeling really uncomfortable, and I can easily see why advocacy groups would be upset by this portrayal.

Vuorensola’s struggles are just one symptom of a much larger problem with this confusing story. While the basic plot is straightforward, it tries to tackle too many themes without successfully integrating them. The story is set after a nuclear disaster, and the rebuilt world actually makes existing problems worse, like wealth inequality and unequal access to healthcare. Most people have improved themselves through a process similar to eugenics, genetically modifying their children before birth. However, a small minority – 10% of the population, dismissively called “Specials” – can’t be genetically altered.

Society is deeply divided, creating a stark contrast between the privileged ‘Genetics’ who live in modern, comfortable areas, and the marginalized ‘Specials’ forced to live in slums. In this strangely unequal world, a corrupt politician named Frank is pushing for a law that would allow genetic enhancements to continue even after birth. He claims this will level the playing field, allowing Specials to benefit alongside the Genetics. The movie pretends to hide Frank’s motives, but he openly admits to funding the research – it’s similar to a Senator investing in a weapons manufacturer while simultaneously pushing for increased arms sales. Which, as it turns out, is a familiar scenario.

I just finished watching this film, and it throws you right into a gritty, near-future world. We meet Leon and Chloe – they’re practically family, and they survive by fixing up tech and dealing in a black-market plant that enhances people. Their lives get complicated when a job takes them to a different district, and they’re immediately branded as rebels – think Mad Max meets a really extreme, and frankly misguided, political group. This group feels less like a well-defined ideology and more like someone’s exaggerated fears about radical activism. It’s a wild ride, and the world-building is fantastic, even if the villains are a bit cartoonish.

Leon and Chloe are just trying to make some money, caught between the wealthy elite and radical activists. They remain neutral until they discover a plot to attack a concert by pop superstar Mira (Aggy K. Adams), which motivates them to get involved – along with a desire to restore their reputation. They stumble upon this information when a member of the terrorist group accidentally drops a concert poster he was inexplicably carrying.

Leon decides to become a low-budget version of Iron Man, shifting the movie into a superhero-style story. He teams up with Chloe, who doesn’t have much to do, to try and save the day. Because many of the actors are Finnish, their attempts at American accents sound odd, and it’s obvious that each scene was filmed quickly with minimal retakes.

Beyond the questionable accents, the film’s core idea is even more troubling. The villain sees unenhanced people as worthless, and surprisingly, the heroes don’t seem to disagree – one even insults himself in a similar way. The movie leads you to expect a clear condemnation of this viewpoint, but it only offers vague statements about unity, then repeatedly shows the hero relying on a robotic suit to walk, reinforcing the idea that being ‘fixed’ is desirable.

The movie is surprisingly blunt – it actually has characters refer to the villains as ‘bad guys’ – so expecting subtlety might be too much. Still, even low-budget films should be well-made. Unfortunately, its attempt at deeper meaning feels forced and relies on things it can’t support, especially given the obvious lack of funds. Essentially, the film needed a significant upgrade it couldn’t afford, and it’s definitely not a standout. A sci-fi premise like ‘Nazis in space’ might have been a stronger direction.

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2025-11-19 15:03