Flux Films: Forgotten Classics

The Changeling

Not to be mistaken for Clint Eastwood's recent oscar nominated film 'Changeling', which is also quite good, this is a review of the horror film from the 80s which shares a similar name.

I used to be terrified of horror movies when i was younger, i think everyone can remember their first glimpse of a scary film, but gradually as i grew up horror films no longer had the same effect on me. It now takes a hell of a lot for me to be scared by a movie and The changeling took me completely by surprise. I had no idea what to expect, i had just heard that it was a forgotten classic of the genre and it truly is an extremely creepy and unsettling horror. Unlike modern movies that rely on gore and cheap scares to entertain their audiences, the changeling showcases how an emphasis on psychological scares can be far more terrifying for the viewer.

As well as being a disturbing horror, the changeling is a clever mystery film with George C. Scott playing the role of John Russell, a distraught man who has recently lost his wife and only child. Attempting to escape the trauma and leave the past behind him John moves into a new house but in doing so is confronted by a spirit that constantly plagues the house with strange disturbances. I do not want to reveal too much of the plot but it is a very intelligent movie, with a lot to offer for the avid horror fan. This is an exceptional film, genuinely unsettling and thoroughly entertaining throughout. Not many people have heard of the changeling which is a shame, i would rate it as one of the scariest films i have ever seen, not to be missed.

9/10

Here's the trailer, although i tend to find that trailers never age as well as the films they promote. This trailer makes the changeling look as scary as the notebook. Take my word for it though, watch this film alone in the dark and you will probably have to change your underwear afterwards.