Review: The Changeling (1980)

I first saw "The Changeling" roughly a decade ago, borrowing it on a whim from the local library. Always a fan of ghost stories and the supernatural, I remember sitting in the dark, all alone in my parent's basement, being absolutely terrified by the events that transpired. It was perhaps the first movie that truly scared me, with a few moments actually paralyzing me with fear. It bothered me so much that a couple scenes have stuck with me throughout the years, and I have long considered it one of the top five scariest movies I had ever seen.

So it is with that memory in mind, along with a renewed interest in haunted house flicks, that I sat down to a repeat showing of Peter Medak's well-regarded horror film. Was it as scary as I remembered? Not even close, though that may partially stem from the simple fact that the only scenes I recalled from that first viewing so long ago were undoubtedly the scariest. But that doesn't mean that "The Changeling" is not an effective horror film. Not in the least. Because what it may lack in outright terror, it makes up for in other ways, from the strong performance by George C. Scott, to the script by William Gray and Diana Maddox (from a story by Russell Hunter) which is certainly above-par for this kind of genre flick. Add in a couple sequences of near brilliance, and you have yourself a real treat for horror film fans.

George C. Scott plays John Russell, a distinguished composer who moves to Seattle following the tragic death of his wife and daughter. Living out of a hotel, he is offered the chance to stay in an old mansion, which is owned, and maintained, by the local historical society. John takes one look at the mansion and takes it, feeling that it would be the perfect place to compose a few more masterpieces. But just like in all movies of this type, it doesn't take long for him to realize that something is not as it seems. From the loud banging noise that fills the house every morning at six, to the faucets randomly turning themselves on, it clearly becomes obvious that something is trying to drive him away. Or is it?

There is obviously more to the story than that, and it is tied together rather nicely (the title will also make sense by the film's conclusion), but I'll leave all the twists and turns for you to discover on your own. But what makes this film so effective, aside from the scares that came from watching it for the first time, is the overall atmosphere. While the soundtrack is generally underwhelming (typical use of orchestral strings in an attempt to build suspense, circa 1980), there is generally a solid build-up to the scares--there are very few, if any, jump scares. Instead, "The Changeling" takes pride on creating that constant feeling of creepiness, something that can be attributed to the very best horror films (it's sad to see so many modern Hollywood features rely entirely on false scare tactics and jump scares rather than attempting to create any kind of atmosphere whatsoever). It's also helped out by the fact that it's a truly underrated horror gem--rarely anyone ever talks about it, despite the fact that it's widely considered by critics to be one of the best haunted house movies of all time (perhaps because it's eclipsed by "The Shining", released just one year later, which is almost unanimously hailed as one of the greatest horror films ever, period). So while my original viewings of films like "Psycho" and "The Exorcist" were ruined by either inadvertently overhearing two people discussing scenes, or by talking to people who directly gave away key scenes (despite my insistence not to), I knew virtually nothing of "The Changeling" heading into it. Isn't that the way it should be? (Unfortunately, Hollywood is too eager to give away the scariest scenes, or even revealing twists, in their own trailers, leaving one to wonder what the point was in even making it in the first place).

"The Changeling" is recommended to any fan of well-made horror movies in general. It has a good story and plenty of good scares that I am fighting the urge to reveal, hence this rather sparse review. The fact that it's obscure enough to have avoided Hollywood's decade-long commitment to ruining countless horror films via remakes and inexplicable sequels/prequels also manages to maintain its positive reputation. It may not be the scariest movie you'll ever see, but it gets special commendation for taking a rather simple premise, and doing a damn fine job of pulling it off.

Rating: * * * 1/2