Stephen King Counts This Devastating Horror Film as a Personal Favorite (And You Can Watch It for Free)

With so much experience crafting effective scares, you might assume prolific horror author Stephen King is impervious to them himself, but we’re here to assure you that he is not. In fact, the IT scribe is just as susceptible to well-crafted terror and tension as you or me, dear reader. In an essay for BFI, King previously championed several of his favorite horror films, taking care to call out what makes each effective, including what scares him. The Changeling, one of my personal favorite horror flicks, made the cut, and there are a few reasons you should take King’s recommendation seriously.

Here’s What Stephen King Thinks of The Changeling

“For supernatural horror, I like Peter Medak’s film The Changeling, starring George C. Scott in perhaps his last great screen role,” King writes. “There are no monsters bursting from chests; just a child’s ball bouncing down a flight of stairs was enough to scare the daylights out of me.”

King’s succinct assessment of The Changeling is on point. The film isn’t overly reliant on a lot of flashy effects, it’s a surprisingly grounded story that hinges on emotional turmoil as much as supernatural shenanigans. Not to mention, to King’s point, The Changeling was late actor Scott’s last great role (though he would bring his gravitas to The Exorcist III a decade later). He turns in an exceptional performance that makes the picture resonate in a major way.

The Changeling follows John (Scott), a composer who tragically loses his wife and daughter in a freak accident. In need of a change of scenery, John leaves his home in New York and settles down in Seattle. There, he takes up residence in a palatial domicile that has long gone unoccupied. As the grieving musician stoically tries to process his grief, he begins to think he may not be alone in his new dwelling.

[RELATED – 5 Stephen King Movies That Deserve Reboots]

The opening scene absolutely wrecked me the first time I watched The Changeling. For that matter, it continues to wreck me upon each subsequent visit. Seeing poor John’s whole world crash down before his eyes is tough to endure, yet, it’s a fitting origin story that informs his character’s arc at every step of the way. John moves all the way across the country in an ill-advised attempt to outrun his demons, yet he almost immediately throws himself into figuring out the strange goings on at his new dwelling.

In The Changeling, John’s Tenacity Is Justified by His Tragic Backstory

John’s fixation with solving the central mystery makes perfect sense, considering what he’s endured previously. He’s effectively lost his will to live, so playing supernatural detective gives him a reason to get out of bed each day. Searching for answers begins as a welcome distraction from reality but ultimately gives him a renewed sense of purpose. I can relate. I lost a spouse unexpectedly several years back and I spent a lot of time looking for a way to escape my pain, however briefly. It’s a torment unlike any I’ve felt before.

The central mystery John grapples with while trying to avoid facing his trauma is a compelling one. I won’t reveal too much so as not to spoil anything for the uninitiated, but suffice it to say that William Gray and Diana Maddox deliver plenty of thrilling twists and turns with their screenplay.

Peter Medak directs the proceedings, taking care to frame the mansion with ominous camerawork, gradually ratcheting up the tension with each passing moment. Matters continue to escalate with each frame, culminating in a denouement that will likely have you on the edge of your seat.

The Changeling is a profoundly effective horror film that will devastate and chill you in equal measure. Macabre novelist King sees the picture’s ample merits, and I suspect you will too once you experience it for yourself.

Where Is The Changeling Available to Stream?

If King’s enthusiastic endorsement has you eager to track down the flick, I have the lowdown on how to do just that. As of this writing, The Changeling is streaming on Tubi, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel, plus Shudder and Peacock.

If you have seen The Changeling, what are your thoughts on the flick? Make sure to let us know in the comments below!