The Exorcist (1973)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: William Friedkin

Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max Von Sydow

Running time: 122 minutes

Adapted from William Peter Blatty’s novel of the same name, published in 1971, The Exorcist tells the story of Chris MacNeil, an actress living on location with her pre-teen daughter Regan. When the young girl starts exhibiting strange behavior, her mother brings her to a doctor, but no clear diagnosis can be made about what is ailing Regan. After a while, fearing that her daughter might be possessed by some evil spirits, Chris will consult a young priest/psychiatrist, who will seek approval from his superiors to conduct an exorcism on the girl.

Considered by many to be the scariest movie of all-time, this horror classic is really effective at setting a tone. At first, all seems fine in the MacNeil household, with lots of mother-daughter love to go around. But, we know something is looming, just around the corner. When young Regan starts showing signs of something being terribly wrong with her, it starts slow and builds to a crescendo where all hell breaks loose.

Visually-speaking, The Exorcist was really innovative for the genre in the 1970’s. The special effects were amazing, and that is somewhat surprising, considering the era in which the movie was made. The acting was also good.

Personally, I would not go as far as saying that this is the scariest film of all-time, but that is just me. I think that this hesitation on my part to give it that particular title is because I don’t believe in evil possessions and exorcisms. Movies that scare me have to be based on what I consider to be a little more realistic than supernatural.

That being said, The Exorcist is a really effective film that has become an ageless classic. All elements contribute to making this movie very entertaining. Whether it scares you profoundly or not, it will keep you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what happens next. Most people have seen it already, but it endures the test of time and deserves multiple viewings through the years, if you like the genre.

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