Classic Movie Recommendation: The Changeling

Despite what its name might suggest, The Changeling isn't actually about a changeling (a monster that kidnaps people and then pretends to be them), at least not literally.  It's a haunted house movie from 1980, and it's about a musician who moves to a new city after losing his wife and daughter in a car accident.  As you can probably guess, weird stuff starts to happen in his new house, and he eventually realizes that he's living with a ghost.

This is one of those classic movies that hardcore horror buffs usually know about, but for some reason it tends to fly under the radar for most casual fans.  It's an absolutely fantastic film, so it deserves to be seen by a lot more people.  This isn't just a fun eighties cheese fest like The Monster Squad or a guilty pleasure that many hardcore genre fans share.  No, this is a legitimately good movie.  In fact, Martin Scorsese named it as one of his eleven scariest movies of all-time, so you know it's a quality film.

So what makes it so good?  Why would one of the most celebrated directors of all time commend it so highly?  Well, there are a few reasons.  For one, the plot is really interesting.  I know that the description I gave in the intro paragraph makes it sound super generic, but there's actually a lot more to it than that.  This isn't a typical haunted house movie where the ghost is just a huge jerk.  No, he has a really compelling backstory, so there's an actual reason for the haunting.

I obviously don't want to spoil anything, so I'll simply say that it leads to an intriguing mystery about just what happened to him, and the main character has to figure it out step by step, almost like Rachel in The Ring.  This mystery is where the name The Changeling comes from, and when you see it, you'll totally get it.

On top of that, the acting is pretty good too.  In particular, the main character is played by George C. Scott, a former Oscar winner, and he does not disappoint.  He makes you believe that he's a lonely widower trying to start a new life after losing his family, and once the plot really gets going, his performance hooks you and reels you in.  He would've elevated the movie even if the story were mediocre, but the combination of an intriguing plot with his great performance keeps your eyes glued to the screen in a way that few other horror movies can.

And finally, we have the scares.  This movie is forty years old, so it's probably not going to give you nightmares, but it's still pretty effective.  Unlike way too many haunted house movies these days, it doesn't rely on jump scares or creepy ghosts to get the job done.  Instead, it's all about atmosphere, suspense, and the fact that what you don't see is often scarier than what you do, so it manages to convey a sense of terror and dread in a way that hasn't lost nearly as much of its potency as its age might suggest.

All in all, if you're a horror fan and you haven't seen The Changeling, then do yourself a favor and go watch it.  Now.  There's a reason why Martin Scorsese recommends this movie.  It's that good.  It features a great lead performance from George C. Scott, it has an intriguing plot that'll make you want to stick around and find out what happens next, and it has timeless scares that still work four decades later.  There's so much to like about this movie, so it comes with my highest recommendation.  You won't be disappointed.