Reviews of The Changeling
Displaying all 2 reviews
Christopher Smith
24Nov09
Solid old-fashioned haunted house chiller from director Peter Medak retains a great spooky atmosphere through simple but effective lighting, sound, and camera tricks. The plot is plodding at times, and it gets a bit hokey toward the end – but there are a number of memorable horror set pieces, another strong performance from the always entertaining George C. Scott, and an excellent score by Rick Wilkins. Maybe not a classic, but a solid horror effort.
- Currently 3.0/5 Stars.
Salem Kapsaski
17Nov09
Composer John Russell (George C. Scott) witnesses his wife and daughter being killed in a freak car accident. Stricken with grief the widower decides to move and start a new life. He leases a wonderful old mansion on the county side and starts teaching music, but something is not right with his new house. Strange noises and unexplainable occurrences lead him to the attic, where an old mystery is waiting to be solved and he soon discovers that his house is haunted by the unresting soul of a young child.
I have never been a fan of haunted house films, with very few expectations; this subgenre is usually quite bland, with your usual nonsensical plots and cheap moving furniture effects that won’t even impress your grandmother anymore. This is why The Changeling came as such a pleasant surprise. There were some great spooky moments and chilling atmosphere, but I didn’t really find it scary. The Film’s strongest part was the script and I was more intrigued by the mystery and how it would all resolve. John was a very likeable character, a compassionate and logical person, it also helped that the always-excellent George C. Scott played him.
The ending was a little predictable, but I really enjoyed the ride. (4/5)
- Currently 4.0/5 Stars.