Summary
- Stephen King praises 1980 film "The Changeling" for its terrifying atmosphere, sans gory creatures or jump scares.
- King's love for supernatural horror extends to other movies such as "From" and "Silo," calling them worth watching.
- "The Changeling" is currently available for free streaming on Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Shudder, and Peacock.
Even though Stephen King has been crowned 'The Master of Horror' (alongside John Carpenter) over the past 50 years of successfully petrifying his readers, the legendary author isn't averse to being scared himself. Although it's certainly hard to imagine, especially given that the terrifying books IT and Salem's Lot were conjured from his mind, it seems as though there are quite a few films that keep him up at night, and one of them is a supernatural terror that brave Stephen King devotees can stream for free.
King is undoubtedly one of the planet's biggest horror writers, who has sold millions of books across every corner of the globe, and it's easy to see why. Not only does he capture the darkest parts of readers' imagination and bring them to life in a twisted puppet show, but the Maine native also offers a sense of escapism and nostalgia, while also blending terror with relatable human experiences. Naturally, many directors have flocked to King's writings to adapt many of his books, with some of the most recent being The Life of Chuck, Welcome to Derry, The Long Walk (written under Stephen King's pseudonym Richard Bachman), The Running Man, and countless others that include Carrie, which are in currently in development. For those who enjoy King's movie and TV show recommendations, one starring George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, and Melvyn Douglas should be on your watch list.
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Stephen King Counts Supernatural Film The Changeling as a Personal Favorite
As reported by ComicBook, Stephen King previously revealed in an essay for the British Film Institute that The Changeling, a 1980 supernatural horror film directed by Peter Medak and starring George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, and Melvyn Douglas, terrified the life out of him. King said that due to the simple yet creepy atmosphere of the movie, which didn't include any gory creatures or in-your-face scare factors, it was more than enough to keep him up at night. “For supernatural horror, I like Peter Medak’s film The Changeling starring George C. Scott in perhaps his last great screen role,” King penned. “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.”
For those wondering what the plot of The Changeling includes that scared King so much, it follows the story of John Russell, his wife, and daughter, who all head off on vacation, but before they get to their destination, their car gets stuck in snow. While calling for roadside help at a phone box, John's wife and daughter are tragically killed by an oncoming truck that smashes into the car. Grieving for their loss, he moves to an old mansion to get away from it all, but soon after moving in, John begins to experience unexplained and terrifying supernatural activities within the walls of the historic house.
Previously, Stephen King said that his number one scariest film as an adult was watching George A. Romero’s low-budget creation, Night of the Living Dead, while also mentioning that when he was 16 years old, Robert Wise's 1963 movie The Haunting was the scariest film at the time. However, it's not only movies that King has a soft spot for, as he loved From and Silo too, calling them both "worth his time."
As for where King fans can watch The Changeling and see what all the fuss is about, it is currently streaming on Tubi for free, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel, plus Shudder and Peacock.
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- Release Date
- March 28, 1980
- Runtime
- 107 Minutes
- Director
- Peter Medak
- Writers
- William Gray, Diana Maddox
Cast
-
George C. Scott -
Trish Van Devere
Source: ComicBook