The movie tells the story of John Russell, a New York-based composer, who loses his wife and daughter in a tragic accident. Hoping to put his troubled past behind him, he moves to Seattle and rents a Victorian-era mansion, where he hopes to work on creating some new music. He soon realizes that his new home has some unusual issues. John continually hears unexplained noises in the house. Then all the water taps turn on simultaneously, and he sees the ghost of a drowned boy in the bathtub. He later finds a hidden space in the attic that looks like a child’s bedroom.
John decides to investigate the history of the house and enlists the aid of Claire, the woman who rented it to him in the first place. Luckily, she also happens to be a member of the local historical society. They discover that the history of the house is a dark one, filled with lies, madness, money, and murder. When John holds a seance to see if he can contact the spirit haunting his home, the recorded tape of the session includes the voice of a child named Joseph, who once lived in the house. John and Claire follow the trail of secrets linked to Joseph’s untimely demise, which brings them to a confrontation with a United States senator. The shocking truth behind these supernatural events is ultimately revealed, leading to a fiery climax.
The Changeling is an intense thriller and includes some truly frightening sequences, Director Peter Medak uses everyday objects like a child’s ball, a wheelchair, and a music box to amp up the scare factor. Medak was the third director assigned to The Changeling after Tony Richardson and Donald Cammell both left the project. The atmospheric cinematography is by John Coquillon.
The story for the movie is loosely based on real-life events, according to writer Russell Hunter, who claims he experienced paranormal phenomena while staying at the Henry Treat Rogers mansion in Colorado. The screenplay by William Gray and Diana Maddox is based on Hunter’s story. Though the film is set in Seattle, it was mostly filmed in Canada, except for some exteriors and establishing shots.
The movie has a terrific cast, with George C. Scott giving a strong performance as John, and his real-life wife Trish Van Devere doing a fine job as Claire.
You’ll also spot several familiar faces in supporting roles, including John Colicos, Jean Marsh, Barry Morse, and Melvyn Douglas, who was later featured in Ghost Story (1981), another creepy supernatural tale. The Changeling has become something of a cult favorite in the years since its original release, and the movie has several famous fans, including Martin Scorsese and Guillermo del Toro. If you’re looking to experience something really scary this Halloween season, The Changeling would fit the bill.
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This post was previously published on CultureSonar.
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