Changeling, The

Spooky goings-on ensue when composer John Russell (Scott), having lost his wife and child in a road accident, moves into a long unoccupied mansion. But while he tries to mourn and resume his work, he finds himself himself face to face with the supernatural when it transpires the place is haunted by the ghost of a long dead child. Bit by bit Russell pieces together to mystery to unearth cruel events from years before and learn the truth about the changeling of the title.

Although Russell's detective work involves some unbelievable leaps of logic, the tale is a strong one, and moving to boot. Russell works through his own trauma as he works out the fate of the ghost child that haunts his house. Best of all, the movie also has some chilling moments and great jumps. At one point, a toy ball that belonged to Russell's dead daughter and which he keeps in a box downstairs, bounces down the stairs. He finally drives across town and dumps it in a river. When he returns, the ball, damp, bounces down the stairs again.

Peter Medak's The Changeling is one of those films that shows the unseen is far more effective than the graphic, this is all the more frightening for steering clear of gratuitous violence and gore, concentrating instead on spine-chilling effects and shocking twists. You'll want to keep the lights on! The occasional silly moment (notably the heroine, played by Van Devere, being chased by a haunted wheelchair) crack the mood somewhat, but at least offer some light relief.

Oddly, Mendak has spent most of his career directing TV (his few feature excursions include 1998's Species II), when The Changeling sits as an interesting companion piece to the year 1980's classic haunted house movie, Kubrick's The Shinining.

Verdict
An underrated member of the haunted house movie genre, The Changeling is something of a minor classic. For the most part it's imaginative, understated and effectively creepy.