Everything We Know About Altered (2025): Release Date, Plot, Cast

Nivedita Dubey
November 21, 2025

Summary:

Altered releases today (Nov. 21, 2025) in select theaters and on digital/VOD through Well Go USA Entertainment.
Tom Felton leads the dystopian sci-fi thriller set in a world divided between genetically altered elites and oppressed “naturals.”
Early reviews highlight fun B-movie energy, creative action, and standout performances despite narrative shortcuts.

Altered is the kind of indie sci-fi movie that arrives with big ideas, gritty energy, and a world that feels just one step removed from our own. Directed and written by Timo Vuorensola, the film blends the social anxieties of Gattaca with kinetic, suit-up action reminiscent of Upgrade and Iron Man. With Tom Felton leading a rebellion against genetically enhanced elites, Altered aims to deliver tightly packed thrills in just 87 minutes.

**When Does Altered Release and Where Can You Watch It?**

Altered officially releases November 21, 2025, rolling out in two formats:

1. Limited Theatrical Release

Select indie theaters across major cities are screening the film, positioned as counter-programming to big holiday titles like Wicked: For Good. It’s the kind of movie that benefits from a crowd especially during its punchy, practical stunt sequences.

Exclusively on Apple TV+ (no theatrical release).
Available with an Apple TV+ subscription ($9.99/month after any free trial). If you’re new, you can start a 7-day free trial.

The film premiered earlier at the 2024 Cannes Market screening and saw an initial theatrical rollout in Russia in September 2025. A physical DVD/Blu-ray release is planned for international regions soon.

**What Is the Plot of Altered and What World Does It Build?**

A World Divided by Genetic Upgrades

Altered is set in an alternate-present Earth following a nuclear war that fractured society into two groups:

Genetically enhanced elites (“alters”)
They’ve modified their strength, speed, immune systems, and healing abilities. Many also wear advanced exosuits—sleek, metallic armor with Iron Man-style propulsion and combat tech.
Unmodified humans (“naturals” or “specials”)
They survive in underground slums, treated as inferior and increasingly cornered by systemic discrimination.

The world is bleak but visually compelling—rust, neon, old machinery, and militarized high-tech zones. It’s the type of dystopia where a working man’s tools might sit next to discarded biotech.

Leon’s Journey Into the Elite Districts

The protagonist, Leon (Tom Felton), is a gifted mechanic who can fix almost anything mechanical or digital. He’s a natural—no enhancements, no privileges—and that keeps him stuck in the lower districts.

A job repairing tech in the elite zones pulls Leon into a political powder keg. When a terrorist attack shakes the city and “naturals” are blamed, Leon becomes a target. He’s forced into the center of a rising rebellion, discovering a conspiracy that goes deeper than class inequality.

Action, Armor, and Rebellion

One of the film’s standout elements is the armored exosuit Leon eventually dons—a battered, improvised, yet surprisingly powerful rig built from scavenged tech. Early viewers describe the suit’s debut as a highlight, with Felton leaning into a gritty, anti-heroic edge.

Expect:

practical stunt work
hand-to-hand combat
narrow alley chases
heavy-metal clashes of armored elites vs. underground fighters
themes of revolution, inequality, and the ethics of modification

While the film is PG-13, it still delivers sharp hits and a couple of surprisingly intense sequences.

**Who Stars in Altered? Full Cast Breakdown and Character Guide**

The film keeps its cast focused, prioritizing physicality, intensity, and archetypes familiar to dystopian sci-fi fans. A tight ensemble helps the story move fast without losing character clarity.

Actor	Role	Notes
Tom Felton	Leon	Mechanic, underclass outcast, reluctant hero; Felton plays a grounded anti-hero with emotional depth
Elizaveta Bugulova (Liza Bugulova)	Chloe	A fierce fighter and Leon’s key ally; rising star praised for breakout presence
Richard Brake	Frank Kessler	Main antagonist; elite enforcer; known for chilling villain roles (Barbarian, Mandy)
Aggy K. Adams	Mira	Supporting role with ties to the underground resistance
Igor Jijikine	(Elite enforcer/villain)	Physical, intimidating presence; known from Indiana Jones 4
Daniyar Alshinov	(Supporting)	Adds muscle to the rebellion’s ranks
Sergey Tsyrulnikov	(Supporting)	Ensemble
Aleksey Filimonov	(Supporting)	Ensemble

**How Does Tom Felton Reinvent Himself in Altered?**

Tom Felton has spent years pushing beyond his Harry Potter image, dabbling in indie dramas and grounded thrillers. But Altered gives him something new: a rugged, grease-stained, quietly furious underdog.

Leon isn’t a chosen one. He isn’t even especially interested in rebellion.
He’s a man who fixes things machines, tech, old scraps because it’s the only thing he controls. Felton plays him with a mix of reluctance, intelligence, and bottled-up resentment that works beautifully once the conflict erupts.

When Leon suits up, it’s less about becoming a superhero and more about weaponizing what little he has. Felton leans into the physicality and the vulnerability, giving the film more emotional weight than its budget might suggest.

**Who Is Chloe, and Why Is She Crucial to Altered’s Story?**

Elizaveta Bugulova’s Chloe is the film’s emotional backbone a fighter from the slums who knows the cost of rebellion. Unlike Leon, she believes in something larger. She pushes the plot forward, drags Leon out of his cynicism, and gives the underclass a voice.

Chloe is agile, ferocious, and believable in action scenes. Critics note she’s one of the film’s biggest surprises, with a performance that feels “lived-in rather than performed.”

Her dynamic with Leon is not overly romantic, which helps avoid clichés. It’s more about shared survival and ideology—two people choosing to rise where the world has told them they shouldn’t.

**What Type of Villain Does Richard Brake Bring to Altered?**

Richard Brake is a genre staple for good reason. He specializes in villains who don’t need backstories to be terrifying. In Altered, his character Frank Kessler is an elite enforcer whose enhancements make him faster, stronger, and disturbingly calm in violence.

Brake’s icy charisma fits the film’s tone:
cold efficiency, clipped dialogue, a sense of inevitability whenever he appears on screen.

He serves as a physical embodiment of the class system—genetically perfected, armored, and nearly untouchable. His showdown with Leon is predictable in structure but satisfying in execution.