User Reviews

In this sadly forgotten horror film, George C. Scott plays a music composer who has just moved to Oregon to escape the painful memories of his wife and daughter who were killed in a car crash. He rents an old and secluded mansion from the historical society as a place to live. Soon after he moves into the house, strange occurrences begin.

This is one of those horror movies that can be scary without being bloody and gory. It simply relies on atmosphere and frightening, but subtle images to deliver its chills, and it works. I will never be able to understand that "R" rating mainly because there is only very mild profanity and there is no blood or gore. Anyway, I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a good scary ghost story. 8/10.

The first time I saw this film, I was about four years old. I'm not sure if I have slept right since, I am now twenty four and it still haunts me.

The tale of a lonely musician, who loses his wife and daughter in a terrible accident, and then decides to rent an old mansion in the pacific norhtwest, only to find the house has a history of it's own. The film is paced well, set perfectly, and reveals a darker side of the bourgeouis than most are willing to explore. A masterpiece.

I recently bought The Changeling on DVD because I first saw it when I was much younger at around 3 in the morning. I was flipping channels when I found this movie just starting. The first 5 minutes sucked me in and I watched the whole thing. I found the movie to be pretty good and quite freaky as well. Based on that memory I decided to take the plunge again and I was not disappointed. The Changeling displays a quality of movie making that is sadly becoming rare. George C. Scott delivers a fiery performance as usual as Jack Russell, our tormented protagonist. The sets are moody and perfectly fit the tone and atmosphere of the story. This film manages to be spooky without descending into camp, and suspenseful without overdoing it. The supporting cast brings up the rear with fine performances all around, and the music contributes to rather than distracts from the film. Bottom Line: If you're looking for a obscure old movie to curl up and watch with your significant other with the lights out, then you can't do much better than this.

George C. Scott loses his wife and daughter in a car accident, moves to Seattle, and rents a gigantic old mansion with a haunted secret past. This film is skillfully directed by Peter Medak who gets more that even he probably bargained from a solid cast of actors, a wonderful script, and one great-looking eerie old house. Medak creates tons of suspense with the barest sight of blood. This film reeks atmosphere. The house reeks atmosphere. Scott's performance and that of veteran Melvyn Douglass reek atmosphere. Doors creak, balls mysteriously bounce, water runs, windows break in the old house trying to tell Scott about the secret of a young child that once lived there. The script is fanciful yet well-written and very creative. Scott gives an atypically subdued performance that suggests passion, heartbreak, and tenacity. The rest of the performers are very good too. I cannot remember the last time Mr. Douglass gave a poor performance. Some of the scenes that really stand out in my mind are flashback sequences showing the terrible secret that has been hidden in the house for over 70 years. Medak doesn't have a huge budget to work with here, but this movie beats out newer haunted house films like the remake of The Haunting by leaps and bounds. This is one classy scare film!

A man, recovering from the recent deaths of his wife and child in an automobile accident in New York state, moves across the country to Washington. There he tries to move on with his life as a musical composer by moving into a large Victorian style house in the country. Strange things begin to happen, however, water taps turned on, a window smashing on its own, his daughter's rubber ball inexplicably bouncing down a towering staircase and, above all, thunderous bangs periodically echoing throughout the house for no apparent reason.

The man realizes that something is trying to communicate with him in this house, and he begins an investigation of the building's history. And there's something, something going on in that tiny dusty cob web strewn room at the very top of the house, the one with a music box and a small wheelchair.

George C. Scott is a solid presence in this film as the man bewildered by this huge old home, with Scott's wife, the elegant Trish Van Devere, cast as a member of the local historical society instrumental in having secured him this house. Melvyn Douglas appears as a U.S. senator who is somehow related to the house.

Director Peter Medak lets the suspense build slowly in this intelligent Canadian made ghost story. Rather than going for terror, this film goes for subtle chills. There's a seance scene that is genuinely eerie, as Medak's camera returns to that small room and then starts to glide down the stairs towards the seance participants trying to communicate with the spirit.

Some ghost films are all special effects and over-the-top performances of terror. Like the best of the classy, more mature films that explore the supernatural, The Changeling never goes for cheap thrills. This thriller's eeriness is analogous to a tap on the shoulder by a cold finger, only to turn around and find there is nobody there.

It may be a cliché to say it, but, in this case, it's true: if you watch this film, be sure to do so with the lights turned low.

"The Changeling" tells the story of a composer (George C. Scott) who, as the film opens, loses his wife and daughter in a tragic accident. Getting away from it all, Scott buys an old home to get his mind right and to get back to doing the work he loves. Soon he discovers that his house is haunted and filled with secrets waiting to be revealed. To say much more then that would be unfair to the first time viewer.

Suffice to say this is a chilling film with several good scares that aren't achieved by manipulating the audience. By that I mean loud chords of music on the soundtrack or the unexpected cry of a cat or something like that. "The Changeling" works for its scares and succeeds. Another big reason the film is so well done is the performance by Scott. For a change the hero in a ghost story is not a wimp but a strong, self assured man who is going to fight to the bitter end to find the truth and get his life back. Very few actors could have pulled it off better then Scott.

The supporting cast is headed by Melvyn Douglas (in one of his last roles) and Scott's wife, Trish Van Devere who projects a look of total terror as well as anyone I have seen.

Two moments that stand out are the séance scene which is eerie and the unexpected arrival of a child's toy ball. This film will give you shivers. If you are a fan check it out and make sure to watch it with a loved one cuddling up against you with all the lights turned out.

While I am not a big fan of haunted house films, the American public has always been fascinated by the notion of restless spirits at work where we sleep. I consider Mario Bava's "Shock" the high point of this subgenre, though Peter Medak's "The Changeling" comes awfully close in terms of suspense and atmosphere. George C. Scott plays John Russell, a NYC composer/pianist who loses his wife and daughter in a freak accident; decimated, he relocates to Seattle, quickly assuming a teaching position and living in a vacant mansion owned by the local historical society; not long after, Russell is awakened by an inexplicable loud banging, and uncovers a boarded up attic room that portends a revelation I won't give away. The film avoids convention very well (for example, the relationship between Russell and Realtor Trish Van Devere never turns romantic), instead opting for an old-fashioned campfire-story quality where the supernatural is left to our imaginations. While "Shock" was awash in Bava's painterly image overkill (which suited his purposes), Medak is minimalist to a fault: there are some spectacular high- and low-angle shots taken from inside and outside the mansion (like omniscient POV shots from select crevices and corridors) that turn it into a character unto itself; also note the claustrophobic emphasis placed on characters in narrow corridors and stairwells. The first hour of "The Changeling" is very effective, building slowly to two brilliant scenes: the first involves a chest-tightening séance; the second involves Russell listening to the recording of it. But, as is inevitable with film, the plot begins to unravel in its second half, as a string of dark secrets implicating a U.S. Senator (Melvyn Douglas) comes into play. The screenwriters admirably keep the developments as spare as possible, thus maximizing their intended effect--by the end, we are fully convinced that Russell, in his attempts to 'liberate' this spirit, is also trying to purge himself of the grief over his loss. "The Changeling" is a straight-faced, wonderfully subtle horror film, buoyed by fine performances--Scott especially, whose unlikely presence here lends the character and situation a pathos it might not have had otherwise. Think of it as a refreshing alternative to "The Amityville Horror" (both versions).

(By the way, "The Changeling"'s R rating is deceptive; while some scenes are intense (not explicitly violent), it would drift between a PG or PG-13 by today's standards.)

I first saw 'The Changeling' in the mid-eighties and it has lost none of its edge. A few of the reviews I see below seem to be written by those who have read glowing reviews but just didn't get it: Comparisons with 'The Exorcist', a story of demonic possession, are inappropriate. This movie isn't a visual shock feast nor a gore fest, this is a powerful psychological drama. The penultimate ghost story. If you just sit back in a defensive posture and challenge the movie to scare you, you will lose out completely. If however you choose to get involved, you will find yourself going for one hell of a ride. Few scenes in moviedom rival the poignancy, for instance, of the disbelieving George C. Scott character when he is reviewing the tape of the seance and comes upon the inescapable evidence that there IS a paranormal presence in the house. Here I will make my own inappropriate comparison: In the context of this story, Scotts ultimately human and believable response and the collapse that follows is far scarier than Exorcist's Reagan spewing green puke, by a long shot.

And the little girl going alone, summoned into the haunted room in her house at night? Forget about it. My hair stands on end.

If 'The Changeling', watched at night doesn't give you a fright, then there are at least six 'Hallowe'en' movies on the rack that should suit your particular needs. The Changeling is something else: the fear of the spiritually macabre.

This is one of my all time favorite ghost stories, right up there with "The Innocents," "The Haunting" and "Ringu."

George C. Scott plays John, a famous pianist and composer who has lost his wife and young daughter in a freak car accident. Grief stricken and heartbroken, he moves to Washington state and rents a wonderful old Gothic mansion. Surprise surprise! It's haunted.

This movie has everything. Dark, spooky stairways draped with dusty cobwebs, a boarded up room with a terrible secret, a shadowy seance scene, ghostly voices and frightening noises that echo through the huge house, political intrigue and a very solid looking ghost who scares the absolute hell out of anyone he shows himself to. It boasts a well thought out plot with several great twists and a very angry murder victim, who doesn't want to be at peace - he just wants revenge, and boy does he get it.

Fans of "Ringu" will enjoy this tale of murder, ghostly revenge and bodies thrown down wells. Just watch it, preferably on a dark and stormy night with all the lights turned off. I dare you.

THE CHANGELING is by far the scariest film I have ever seen. It's not because of scary monsters or gory F/X. This film has very few gory moments or F/X. It scares with great story telling, sounds and dark corners. It's actually quite a sad story as well. The acting is excellent and the director is quite accomplished. I am a huge movie fanatic and HORROR is one of my favorite genres; and I realize there are very few actually good horror movies, so take my word this is great film making. WATCH IT ALONE and you will be very unpleased by how scared you are. This is not a film to watch with a group. I tried that once and everyone thought it was boring. You need the quiet to pay attention to build the natural tension and fear. Enjoy. They don't make them better than this. This is up there with AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON as the best of the horror genre!!!

I just finished watching this film about 10 minutes ago. I was compelled to add my comment here so as to offset some of the reviews here on IMDb that claim this movie is the "scariest movie ever". I know now that I am vastly different than most of the people who saw this film and commented on it, because at no point during my viewing of this film was I all creeped out. The Exorcist was creepy. The Omen was creepy. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre genuinely disturbed me. This movie is not only boring, but TOTALLY predictable. The story is also quite pointless, leaving anyone with a brain to wonder why the ghost is doing what he is doing, and what the general point of the film was to begin with. As for the acting, I have no complaints. And if it wasn't for the decent acting, this movie would have sucked 10 times more than it already does. Maybe if I was like 8 years old, this movie would have been a little scarier, but at the ripe age of 29, and with hundreds of GOOD horror movies watched, I have to rate this film with a 4 out of 10. If you want a really good haunted house film, watch The Legend of Hell House.

Talk about FUN...this one is FUN.

I'm with the people who say this is one of the most frightening haunted house movies ever. For me, it really is, and it's influenced many movies that came after it, including "The Others."

Like Robert Wise's "The Haunting," this film's ethereal manifestations are largely auditory: unidentifiable, rhythmic booming sounds coming from deep within the house, etc.; and in this case there is an amazing stereo mix that exploits 3D effects and pulls you into the scenes. It sounds great. I wish "The Haunting" (the real one, not that other thing) had such a mix!

George C. Scott is amazing as a composer who absolutely refuses to be frightened by the weird phenomena, ever. Watch his face throughout the proceedings--this character is a tough cookie, but most people who watch this one don't fare so well. Well worth a rent or a buy.

A good story here, if a bit on the slow side. It's hard for me to give these older movies good scores, as they really aren't as frightening as people say. A lot of loud noises and a few nasty scenes, but otherwise this has way too much in common with the Shining. The acting and music are pretty good, and it's definelty worth a watch if you like these older movies.

I found this to be a pretty solid haunted-house thriller...and better than I remembered so I have changed a few things in this review. The cinematography was admirable, mainly in the first half of the film and the special-effects near the end were excellent. That was capped off by a wheelchair chasing Trish Van Devere and a railing catching fire. In all, kind of bizarre and interesting scene.

George C. Scott stars and Van Devere and an aged Melvyn Douglas provide noted supporting roles. There are very few dry spots and overall, its a decent horror film and not an expensive DVD purchase - so grab it, if you can. The suspense build beautifully. Nice direction by Peter Medak.

Retired composer tries to rebuild his life after witnessing his wife and child die in a freak auto accident; after moving into a renovated, historical mansion, he is drawn into the 70-year-old murder of a child which took place in the attic of his new residence. Solid scare-story with slamming doors and banging pipes. The obvious question comes up soon enough (though not with any of the characters on-screen): why would one man want to lease such a large estate, full of rooms he would never have any need of using? Plot-holes aside, as well as the brackish cinematography, there are many good scenes here, particularly an intense séance (and its aftermath) and the digging up of human remains in a nearby house. In the lead, George C. Scott keeps a calm head throughout; he doesn't exude much of his personality with this role, but he acquits himself well with the spooky goings-on. As a paranoid politician who figures in the mystery, Melvyn Douglas has even less to work with than Scott. However, when these two splendid actors face off it makes for grand entertainment indeed. **1/2 from ****

Its a pretty good ghost story. It wasn't the best piece of cinema I have ever seen, but it does build up pretty nicely to the end. It was not as scary or as suspenseful as I would have liked, but still worth renting.

Never seen the late George C Scott in a film like this before,but i think he just about got away with it.Before you watch it make sure you can watch it without interuptions,prefarbly when its dark,that way you'll get more involved.

The film is about a ageing music composer who,after a car accident in which is family are killed,buys a mansion,all is well to start with but soon there is loud banging at night and soon we see a medium being called in to find the ghost of a young boy called Joseph who was murdered in the house 70 years ago,Mr. Scott then trundles through the film trying to find the reason he was killed and by who.A totally enjoyable super natural movie that as a few twists and turns,a few scenes will make the hair on your arms stand up,having said all this the ending was a little predictable.

Composer John Russell (George C. Scott) loses his wife and daughter in a freak accident, and moves from New York to Seattle to start over. But the historical mansion he moves into hides a nasty secret: not only is there a ghost, but a murder and a family secret that could have major consequences for a political empire.

I picked this movie up a few years ago after hearing my "friend" Trixie speak so highly of it. I am not really sure why I give her opinion so much weight, as she has mostly led me to watch horrible garbage like "Lucky" and "Red Riding Hood" and hideous films like "Slaughtered Vomit Dolls". She did show me "Strings", though, so I guess she did something right.

Now, do not get me wrong. "The Changeling" is a good movie. It has a slow, suspenseful pace and interesting characters. But it is a horror film that requires the right viewing environment. It has to be savored like a fine wine, not watched at a party or while getting drunk with a friend. There is plenty of effort going into the mood and atmosphere, but no blood and no body count. I watched this film a second time and enjoyed it much more than the first, knowing ahead of time that I had to savor the pacing. This is not a film for those with ADD.

The atmosphere, as I said, is key. This is a "mood" picture, with the musical score really carrying the film. On top of the score is the incorporation of classical music -- the protagonist is a composer -- and that only adds to the layered feel of the film. How much the music carries the film may be overlooked if you do not open yourself to it, as it is both powerful and subtle.

I found George C. Scott to be a wonderful and capable actor, although his Patton voice was distracting at times. I kept waiting for him to say "Americans traditionally love to fight", but he does not. This is not Scott's fault -- this is my fault for listening to Jackyl. Yes, you can hold that against me. Chainsaws as musical instruments are cool.

The character of Minnie Huxley also set a nice tone. I appreciate the ominous elderly person in a film, especially after "Crazy Ralph" in "Friday the 13th". This film not only anticipates "Friday", but more so "Stir of Echoes" -- Russell composes a song not unlike the music box (Kevin Bacon plays the Rolling Stones on his guitar) and both try to find a murder victim by digging in a house.

Director Peter Medak is now considered one of the "masters of horror". He may deserve this honor, he may not. His career is varied so that I do not think he necessarily gets thought of as a horror director. But, I will say "The Changeling" was notable and influential -- Martin Scorsese, for one, considers it inspiring -- and for that Medak deserved recognition. I would personally suggest you see this film, though do not go out of your way.

The Changeling is directed by Peter Medak and co-written by Russell Hunter, William Gray and Diana Maddox. It stars George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas, John Colicos and Jean Marsh. Plot finds Scott as John Russell, a music composer whose life is shattered when an accident kills both his wife and young daughter. Relocating to Seattle, Russell rents a large Gothic style mansion from which to bury himself in his work. But he soon discovers he is not alone in the house, there is a ghost here and it desperately wants his help with something...

Not a teenager or a scantily clad bad actress in sight here, for this is a traditional haunted house spooker for the adults, one that has a distressing mystery at its core that's just aching to be solved. Chief writer Russell Hunter has based much of the film on an incidents that happened to him in real life when he moved into a house in Denver. If you believe him or not is not really the point, because it does not take away from just how well executed The Changeling is, both as a scary movie and a well thought out drama. There's limited characters in the narrative, thus keeping the film free from filler and the clumsy character set-ups that mar so many horror films these days. It's also worth noting that it doesn't suffer from dating either, as Nicole Kidman starrer The Others proved 21 years later, a haunted house tale can be effective in any decade if the writing and direction is spot on. The Changeling has both, plus a towering and believable performance from Scott leading the way.

Medak clearly knows that an imposing house is a key element. Utilising the big spaces to emphasise Russell's loneliness, he sweeps his camera around the sets (this is not a real house, it's a brilliant mock-up creation by the designers) to give the feeling of a spirit observing proceedings. The house is always a main character and acts as the perfect backdrop to some ghostly goings on (excellent work from the sound department too). The chills are genuine, the attic room is creepy personified, a rubber ball, a wheelchair, a bath sequence, an old water well and even the gentle tinkling from a music box, all induce the hairs on the back of the neck to stand to attention. And there's a séance! Oh yes indeed, a séance that's tape recorded, more chills down the spine on the way there as well. All played out to some lush unholy musical arrangements from Ken Wannberg (the music box theme composed by Howard Blake).

Setting it apart from conventional haunted house movies is that it has a most intriguing story to tell. One of murder, greed, deception and grief. The latter part is often forgotten when talk of The Changeling arises. John Russell is absolutely stricken with grief, this stops him from being one of those characters who you shake your head at because they refuse to leave a clearly troubled house. His grief process, which makes him the ideal host for what this spirit wants, means he has no fear, some unhappy ghost can't hurt him anymore than he is hurting anyway. It's a neat and seamless meditation on grief that's threaded into the story. The last quarter of the film slips into action territory, which is a little jarring given the smooth pacing Medak has favoured up to that point. But although the scares have gone, the intelligent story has come full circle and the film closes down triumphantly without copping out or having resorted to unimaginative formula.

An essential viewing for those who like haunted house movies; especially if you like slow build and genuine mystery as well. 9/10

This movie was made in 1979, so obviously it's going to be dated, but it's very well made and it has a great story. Younger viewers might not appreciate it as much today, in the age of modern horror "classics" like the Conjuring and Hereditary. However, you can really see the influence this film must have had on a lot of modern film makers. Great cast and great characters. It's definitely worth watching.

"The Changeling" started off in a promising way. It was spooky, was filmed at interesting angles, and seemed to have a touch of class. I was very interested for about half the film.

However, once the mystery was over, the movie devolved into a farce. I wish I could say that I enjoyed it, but for the last half of the movie, "there was no there there, to quote a famous line. The end was completely ludicrous, to boot.

The supposed villain of the film was not villainous at all, and the viewer winds up feeling sorry for him rather than satisfied. In retrospect, i suppose that could be in keeping with the identity of the ghost in this haunted house story, but it just didn't work.

5 out of 10, based on the first half being pretty good.

this is quite possibly the scariest movie that i have ever seen. the first time i saw it i was really young and was completely traumatized. i practically had nightmares about it and would think about it a lot. i refused to ever watch it again, just seeing the cover in the video store would make my heart beat faster. many many years later, a friend of mine convinced me to watch it again, it was still very creepy. the worst part is that since then i keep seeing all these abandoned wheelchairs in the creepiest places. in fact, there is one outside my window on the side of the street. i keep expecting wheelchairs turn and start moving on their own!! :(