THE PARANORMAL PASTOR: Number 4: The Changeling (1980)

JD has reached number 4 on his countdown of paranormal investigation movies, and he believes the Changeling is near to perfection with its realism but gives us too much closure.

Now we are getting to the part of the list where the films are being separated by the slightest margins of error. The Changeling is hands down one of the most realistic paranormal movies made on all accounts, and it has held up well over all the years. This movie is a favorite among investigators, and there are some big reasons why. The Changeling is the reason why I got into paranormal investigation. After seeing it for the first time in junior high, I knew I wanted to get involved in the field.

The movie stars George C. Scott, who plays music professor John Russell. After a personal tragedy, he rents a Seattle mansion. The mansion, however, has a haunted past, and as the movie progresses, that past is revealed.

The strongest aspect of this film is how it follows the classic intelligent haunting pattern. It lays out perfectly the most documented haunting structure in parapsychology. The haunting begins with unexplained sounds then moves to object movement. Things unfold with pattern recognition followed by identity revelation. Things end by getting resolution through acknowledging what the spirit is after.

The Changeling also follows a logical pattern. What I mean is that nothing happens just because it’s scary or the filmmakers inserted something to make your skin crawl. Rather, what we have is the ghost reacting to discovery. The activity increases when the truth is discovered and is then followed by silence when it is acknowledged. I won’t say what that truth is in case some of you haven’t seen the movie yet.

The film also brings in the aspect of historical verification, which is rarely done well in paranormal movies. The film doesn’t use psychic leaps like many others do, where information is gathered from a psychic’s impression. It builds its case using historical archives, medical records, and political history. This mirrors real life investigative confirmation records.

Another one of the film’s strengths is also one of its weaknesses when it comes to being an “exciting” paranormal movie.  There are minimal phenomena manifestations. This is great for accuracy but there are some viewers of the film who find it slow and boring for this reason. What we get in The Changeling are eerie sounds, a heaviness that can be felt, movements, and a creepy atmosphere. There are no jump scares and no spectacular reveals. This is extremely realistic, because as I have said elsewhere, investigators never see full apparitions. This is a rare phenomenon.

Then we have the seance in the film. Oftentimes these sessions are overdramatized for movies. Not so in The Changeling. It’s presented as a controlled experiment. The scene is limited, purpose driven, and carefully stopped when complete. There’s no theatrics. No chaos. This is exactly how legitimate sessions are (or should be) conducted in the field.

If The Changeling gets all this perfect, why is it only in the number 4 spot? As I said earlier, the margin of error is slim for the top four, and they are separated by a razor’s edge. The reason the film taps out fourth is threefold. First, the resolution is great but it’s too clean. Real cases rarely resolve so fully and so nicely. Oftentimes they go dormant rather than end. The movie gives us what we want: closure, moral justice, and narrative completion. This is emotionally satisfying for us viewers but overly optimistic for real cases.

Second, investigator safety is idealized. John Russell never withdraws, never calls for help, and experiences no long-term trauma. Real investigators more often than not will pull out or go get back up. I have also talked to many who have had lingering effects from certain cases, especially those similar to The Changeling. Paranormal investigating is not always this safe.

Finally, the ghost’s motivation is too coherent in the film. The spirit’s purpose is clear, consistent, and intelligible. In the field, most intelligent hauntings aren’t this way. The motives are often fragmented and the communication is ambiguous. Because of this ambiguity the interpretation of what the ghost wants is debated among the team.

Overall, The Changeling is a fantastic movie for paranormal realism. Final score 4.2/5.

Known by his fans as “The Paranormal Pastor,” JD Hill brings a unique and original touch to the dark fiction genre. His twenty plus years in ministry have afforded him the opportunity to encounter people from all walks of life and in a myriad of situations. These experiences have leaked into his stories in numerous ways. He is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and has four children.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing. Thank you for understanding.