The Changeling

Synopsis: The film opens up with a man named John Russell, played by the great George C. Scott, who is on a trip with his family. They have a bit of car trouble and have to push their station wagon to the side of the road. While John is making a phone call an accident occurs in front of him that kills his wife and daughter. In the aftermath of the accident John moves across the country to teach music at a college. It is there that he rents an old house that proves to be haunted. The rest of the film follows John in his efforts to figure out who the spirit is that haunts the house and why it is restless.

The Good: Even though this film was made in 1980 it has an old school feel to it. The haunting starts off with the traditional creepy sounds and doors opening with no one around. This is very effective in setting the mood for the rest of the film. The tension builds evenly, as the story slowly reveals itself. The story itself is not terribly original, the spirit was wronged and things have to be set right for them to rest, but there are a few touches that give it some originality. In addition to a good story the cast, especially George C. Scott, is very strong and does a great job of selling the premise. With a lesser cast this movie could of become very hokey and laughable. The lighting, direction, and camera work all also add to the movie’s very creepy feel.

The Bad: This movie was a perfect 4 out of 4 until the last 10 minutes. I really don’t like the ending of this movie at all. The character of the spirit haunting the house changes fairly dramatically, giving the film a very weak ending in my opinion.

The Score: 3 out of 4

In spite of the films; weak ending I still highly recommend this movie. It is a very creepy ghost story that works well.

Feel free to contact me at horrorfanreview@aol.com