The Exorcist (1973)

The Exorcist (1973)

7/10

Starring

Ellen Burstyn
Max von Sydow
Lee J. Cobb
Linda Blair 

Directed by William Friedkin

I started watching this movie hoping to be scared out of my wits, since it’s often called one of the scariest movies out there. Well, I’ve lost my wits, and this movie freaked the hell out of me.

That’s why I recommend it.

The Exorcist is a 1973 horror film directed by William Friedkin (Rules of Engagement, 2000). It was adapted by William Peter Blatty (who won an Academy Award for it) from his own novel of the same name, written two years before the movie’s release. The novel was inspired by the 1949 exorcism case of Roland Doe.

The plot centers on actress Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), who is in Washington, D.C., to shoot a movie. Her 12-year-old daughter, Regan (Linda Blair), starts behaving strangely, prompting Chris to take her to the hospital. Later, Regan’s physical appearance begins to change, making Chris even more frightened.

Also in D.C. is a young priest working at a university, who’s starting to lose his faith while dealing with his mother’s terminal illness.

With Chris at her wits’ end and unsure what to do, she follows advice from doctors and calls a priest to perform an exorcism on her daughter.

There’s a scene where Chris steps into her house, the lights flicker, and you see subliminal reflections. I actually reached for my room light switch before remembering that wasn’t going to help. That’s one of the movie’s strengths—it’s so engaging, it pulls you in. The actors are on point, and the effects are used in ways that leave a lasting impression.

That said, the movie isn’t without flaws. At some point, the back-and-forth between the girl and the priest feels repetitive. The religious tone gets a bit too much and becomes distracting. The ending, I felt, could’ve been better.

It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won two: Best Sound and Best Adapted Screenplay. The Exorcist was the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture at the 46th Academy Awards, though it lost to The Sting. It became one of the highest-earning movies of all time, grossing over $441 million worldwide.

It was named the scariest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly and Movies.com. IGN’s Top 25 Horror Movies ranked it number one, and it placed No. 3 on Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

The Exorcist is guaranteed to scare and freak you out at the same time. Take the time to check it out.