Changeling
Universal Pictures | Release Date: October 24, 2008 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
63
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 38 Critic Reviews
Positive:
23
Mixed:
12
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
SlateDana Stevens
All of Eastwood's rigorous craftsmanship seems wasted on a movie whose message never rises above the bumper-sticker admonition that "mean people suck." Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
The script is compelling, the direction confident, the production values professional. But it does not, in the end, feel real. Read full review
50
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
Burdened by a convoluted script and an ensemble-proof leading lady, the director fails to illuminate a particular corrupt system. Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
The trouble with Changeling is that it plays less like reality than like a bare-bones, moralistic rehash of other, better movies, such as "L.A. Confidential" or "Frances." Read full review
50
Dallas ObserverElla Taylor
Biblically classical, tastefully vintage with aerial shots of wet umbrellas and Homburg hats and not a little staid considering its sensational source material, Changeling isn't so much dull as it is an open book. Read full review
50
Washington PostJohn Anderson
Despite a mysterious title, Changeling isn't a mystery. It is, occasionally, agony. Read full review
50
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
The truth about the case of Christine Collins is so shocking and dramatic that embellishment must have seemed pointless, but in sticking so close to the historical record, Mr. Straczynski and Mr. Eastwood have produced a distended, awkward narrative whose strongest themes are lost in the murky pomp of period detail. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
As Changeling strains toward its mawkishly optimistic conclusion, the old-fashioned moviemaking that Eastwood settled into doesn't suit either him or his star. It feels like a corny joke. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Eastwood's grim handling of even grimmer subject matter could have used some paring down toward its histrionic ending, but Changeling is still one of the director's most assured and engaging historical horror shows. Read full review
50
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
An extremely weird and frustrating viewing experience. I think it's that way because Eastwood, 78, can't be bothered to wrangle the vast material into a tighter shape. Read full review
50
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
The result is a film that plays like a creaking melodrama, with good guys and bad guys and precious little in between. Read full review
40
SalonStephanie Zacharek
A glum, listless affair that springs to life now and then, only to sag back into its saggy, depressive cushion. Read full review
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