One would be surprised to discover that actor George C. Scott, star of Patton for which he won an Academy Award, Hardcore and Dr. Strangelove would end up appearing in a horror film but suffice it to say, he did indeed in the movie The Changeling released in 1980. Whether it was just a good script or roles were getting harder to find as he got older, much like when Fred Astaire starred in Ghost Story or Van Johnson in Killer Croc, it mattered not, for the man would give his usual brilliant performance and make this picture all the better for it.

As a whole, director Peter Medak would craft a tense and moody film with a few scares and some genuinely uncomfortable moments for the audience to sit through. As far as haunted house films go, it ranks among the best though a large part of that is due to Scott and the performance he gives as the grieving husband and father who is simply looking to move on with his life. This all comes about as the movie begins with the death of John Russell’s family, the character played by Scott. That becomes hard to do he realizes as some unusual noises make themselves heard within the house he is staying in. Those noises as viewers would soon find out, would end up belonging to a little boy, murdered many decades previous by his father, a very difficult scene in the movie to sit through. It is here that the title of the film would come into play as the father would supplant the boy with another who would then grow up to be a very influential senator. Scott for his part, would investigate the boy’s death so that he might try to discover what it is the child wants, whether that is peace or something else. A confrontation takes place and the house, still inhabited by the spirit of the boy, makes itself known to the Senator who had taken his place in life and claims some small measure of peace through fire and death.

Scott is great, the man giving yet another powerhouse performance, though this one would be a little more subtle in nature given the material and of who his character is. That does not mean that Scott is not able to flex those dramatic muscles he has honed over the years, he simply does it in a less bombastic fashion, aside when it is called for that is. Also starring would be Trish Van Devere as Claire, the woman from the historical society who would help Russell on his investigation. Van Devere for those not in the know was also the wife of George C. Scott and as such, the two had an easy chemistry on the film and would play off of each other quite well, making the film all the better for it. Melvyn Douglas, Jean Marsh, Barry Morse and John Colicos would help to round out the cast among others, each proving to be a great addition to the leads.

Where the ghost is concerned, it was never shown explicitly nor was it needed as the dramatic presence of Scott was enough to make the horror get over. The rest of the special effects were adequate and when stacked against other horror films, they might not seem as good but were effective enough when combined with the script and the performances that The Changeling stands as one of the best haunted house movies to ever make it to the big screen.

4 out of 5