‘That house is not fit to live in. No one’s been able to live in it. It doesn’t want people…’
Watching The Changeling for the first time in over a decade, aside from being a thoroughly enjoyable experience, I realised that Peter Medak’s film is possibly the most influential haunted house movie ever made. Its DNA can be spotted everywhere from The Woman in Black to The Others to Insidious. It looms particularly large over The Conjuring franchise whilst also providing a lesson in how to build tension and suspense without relying on cheap jump scares. If anything, The Changeling is underrated…
Following the tragic death of his wife and child in a horrific and vividly drawn accident, composer John Russell (George C. Scott) retreats to an isolated Seattle mansion only to find himself haunted by the ghost of a small boy. Essentially, it’s a classic haunted house tale.
The Changeling is an utter masterclass in pacing and atmosphere. While there are long spells in which not much happens, the looming sense of dread never diminishes, and Scott, one of the finest actors of his generation, treats the material with the reverence that it deserves. Inspired by a true story involving ancient Indian burial grounds, city-wide corruption and all manner of other mad stuff, The Changeling is economical when it needs to be, but when the scares do come, they really hit. The repeated motif of the child’s ball bouncing through the corridors, the seance scene, the old music box that plays an eerie tune… The Changeling may not have invented these tropes but it certainly perfected them, and there is no denying that these moments still have real power.
The Changeling is a timeless American classic with a Victorian England sensibility and a black heart – one of the very best haunted house movies.
