Changeling

Universal Pictures | Release Date: October 24, 2008

7.8	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 233 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

PaulCMar 14, 2009

I feel compelled to cast my first ever viewer vote here at metacritic.com because this is absolutely one of the worst movies I've seen in my entire life. Interestingly, I knew little about the film and did not know who had directed it I feel compelled to cast my first ever viewer vote here at metacritic.com because this is absolutely one of the worst movies I've seen in my entire life. Interestingly, I knew little about the film and did not know who had directed it while watching, and was mildly shocked at the end to see Clint Eastwood's name roll through the credit as director. As much as I loved "Unforgiven", you, Clint, are unforgiven for this horrible mess of a film. Grossly overwritten, every line tries it's damnedest to impart extreme gravitas or pith. And every one of these horribly cheesy lines is delivered by a walking piece of cardboard character. Jolie, cue the tears, nominated for best actress? Please, maybe a nomination for best weight-loss not required by a role. The only engaging character of the movie was the killer himself, who imbued his part with the appropriate creepiness that this movie fully deserved. I honestly, honestly have never seen a movie with this level of budget, actors and director be so miserably overwritten, consequently overacted, with an enraging attempt at sentimentality as it desperately tries to salvage itself through emotional manipulation strangely in bed with pure shock value.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful

FranceL.Dec 2, 2008

This is a movie that cannot make up its mind. One minute it focuses on the distraught mother of a missing child, the next it turns its befuddled eye onto a corrupt police system and a crusading priest, then shifts to the horrors of a mental This is a movie that cannot make up its mind. One minute it focuses on the distraught mother of a missing child, the next it turns its befuddled eye onto a corrupt police system and a crusading priest, then shifts to the horrors of a mental institution where the main character is hailed a conquering hero for her stand against the injustices imposed on its patients, and finally the movie becomes a courtroom drama. The story is adapted from a true story, but the film awkwardly changes the chronology so that civil and criminal case are tried simultaneously. Obviously this was done for dramatic emphasis but it just doesn't work. In fact, very little in this movie does, which may be a good thing because I left feeling totally detached from the horrors of the narrative. Save your money. This is not one of Clint Eastwood's better movies.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful

DirtyCashJan 28, 2011

Where to start? Jolie was miscast, but maybe they wanted to make an action flick when the project started, had her sign up, and by mistake started working of a script for a totally different movie. It might explain the title. Or what aboutWhere to start? Jolie was miscast, but maybe they wanted to make an action flick when the project started, had her sign up, and by mistake started working of a script for a totally different movie. It might explain the title. Or what about the irritating self awareness of John Malkovich who'd you, at any point in the movie, expect to break the rule of the 'fourth wall', look smugly into a camera and tell the audience that he's really pleased with his performance so far. Story wise: horrible, unbelievable plot turns, starting right of the bat when a seemingly intelligent woman is given the wrong boy back, her supposed son, who disappeared a few months earlier. The boy is not her son, she takes him home anyway...
Â¤Â¤ Really? Â¤Â¤ The story continuous with Jolie trying to explain to the world that the boy is an impostor who doesn't even match her son's height to which a dentist and a school teacher are willing to testify. Why family members, neighbors, school chums, the family physician, the baby sitter and E.T. the Extraterrestrial weren't asked to help resolve the obvious misconception on the part of the police, was conveniently left out of the tale completely. No, in stead of taking the boy into custody and resuming the search for the real son, the police keep pushing her into believing it actually is her son after which the woman finds herself in a poorly copied tale by Kafka. From this point on the movie reveals itself for what it was intended to be. An endless string of manipulative scenes drenched in an Oscar vinaigrette in both the melodramatic writing and the obnoxiously polished cinematography with a fetish-like attention to props. Some movies get Oscar nods, but this one actually nods back.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

All this user's reviews

CritiqueGirlMar 1, 2011

I'm talking bad. If Angelina Jolie is in a movie I would think people expect her to be naked. She was nominated, thrown a bone if you ask me, for her breathy method acting. Jeffrey Donovan is unable to do a Southern accent, among others. HisI'm talking bad. If Angelina Jolie is in a movie I would think people expect her to be naked. She was nominated, thrown a bone if you ask me, for her breathy method acting. Jeffrey Donovan is unable to do a Southern accent, among others. His acting is sub-par. Although I knew prior to seeing the movie what it was about the title "Changeling" led me to believe it was about aliens. The economy had tanked or was tanking and the real estate plunged so no one wanted to see a depressing movie. If it were not for all the aforementioned...it still would have bombed.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

All this user's reviews

[Anonymous]Nov 7, 2008

Clint Eastwood could crap on something and it would get rave reviews so it should come as no surprise that a lot of critics eat this up. Its not as big a disaster as 1 Dollar Baby which dragged and dragged, but then again this hasn't Clint Eastwood could crap on something and it would get rave reviews so it should come as no surprise that a lot of critics eat this up. Its not as big a disaster as 1 Dollar Baby which dragged and dragged, but then again this hasn't received as good of reviews. Well I give credit to Jolie its a different role so thats a positive.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

OscarM.Oct 24, 2008

Awful and boring.

0 of 2 users found this helpful

RandyAMay 15, 2009

A rating of 0 belongs to movies like Cabin Boy, Meet the Spartans and Battlefield Earth. But I am quite comfortable giving this agonizing film a 1. God forbid that Clint could be blamed for poor directing (and I love that guy!) but this film A rating of 0 belongs to movies like Cabin Boy, Meet the Spartans and Battlefield Earth. But I am quite comfortable giving this agonizing film a 1. God forbid that Clint could be blamed for poor directing (and I love that guy!) but this film just seems to struggle and make the viewer inject fluidity by proxy (for those willing to do so). Changeling seems to not so much drown in sorrow but feel dazed and confused in its storytelling. What a sad, sorrowful and agonizing bit of filmmaking.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

JoeB.Nov 16, 2008

Well its a sad story, but I was subjective to the length of it. 2 and a half hours is a little unreasonable. One of the child actors grossly overacted one of the roles. The real crime of this movie though is that it was allowed to slip Well its a sad story, but I was subjective to the length of it. 2 and a half hours is a little unreasonable. One of the child actors grossly overacted one of the roles. The real crime of this movie though is that it was allowed to slip through the cracks and into a theatre instead of remaining in an afternoon spot on the lifetime channel. I am not sure who labeled this movie as a suspense/thriller, but maybe they should actually watch the movie instead of falling asleep within the first 20 minutes of the movie, and label it a drama. And where did the title "the changling" come into play? In short, I would wait till it comes out on bravo.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

BroyaxApr 5, 2021

Soit-disant inspiré d’une histoire vraie, ce film est aussi abracadabrant qu’il est chiant et poussif, à l’image d’ailleurs d’une certaine Angelina toujours aussi jolie mais toujours aussi… peu convaincante ! on n’y croit donc pas une seuleSoit-disant inspiré d’une histoire vraie, ce film est aussi abracadabrant qu’il est chiant et poussif, à l’image d’ailleurs d’une certaine Angelina toujours aussi jolie mais toujours aussi… peu convaincante ! on n’y croit donc pas une seule seconde à cet « échange » alors que les minutes comptent triple et que le marasme des deux heures vingt s’installe !

Les tentatives successives de guimauve échouent lamentablement, l’ambiance est assommante tandis qu’à mi-parcours, le film prend un tournant procédurier encore plus barbant que d’habitude, puis quelques rebondissements improbables et aberrants achèvent de précipiter ce gros film de merde lancinant tout au fond de la poubelle : c’est là sa place à dire vrai, là où il a toujours voulu être.

Papy Clint nous les casse ainsi très sévèrement avec ses conneries pseudo-dramatiques, sa prétention démonstrative, ses effets de manches surannés et sa mise en scène qui ne dépasse pas ici les deux de tension.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews