The Changeling

If the second half of the movie were as interesting as the first, I’d understand the reputation this movie has as a masterpiece of haunted house horror. But man, that second half just cuts the legs out from under it. The movie is about John (George C. Scott), who loses his wife and daughter in a freak accident. He moves across the country to Seattle into a historical home. Very soon thereafter, it becomes apparent it’s haunted. This is where the movie is strongest, as the creepiness of the haunted house is done very well. The size of the house, the layout, and the haunted house tricks used are all put to fantastic use. But that second half kicks in, and two things go wrong. First is Scott, who never really shows fear. He’s far too stoic, too rational, too confident. The viewer is never given any reason to be rattled or scared, because he isn’t. And as the second half goes on, he goes from not just confident, to dogged in his pursuit of the truth behind the house. A red herring is for no reason whatsoever, so once you start getting glimpses of the truth, the movie has kind of burned you out. And once that truth starts to come unraveled, it stops being a haunted house movie and becomes a murder mystery-slash-justice for the restless spirit movie. It builds to what couldn’t be called a climax by any reasonable person unless your diet consists of Valium and 151. You will need only the edge of your seat when you watch two men who qualify for the senior discount at Denny’s have a slightly tense conversation! It’s not a bad movie, despite all this. It still has great atmosphere, and very slowly builds the tension. It’s not boring, it’s just constructed in a way that doesn’t do it at favors. Hooptober 2021 movie #17/24