“The Power of Christ Compels You”… to watch “The Exorcist”!

When The Exorcist was first released in theaters literally half a century ago, audience members were filmed fainting, throwing up, and running out of sold out theaters due to the horrific things that happen throughout the film. 

Rotten Tomatoes has since rated it at 84% saying that “with remarkable special effects and an eerie atmosphere, [The Exorcist results] in one of the scariest films of all time.” That being said, I highly recommend checking this movie out before reading on.

Based on the novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist (1973) follows the story of a sweetly playful 12 year old girl named Regan MacNeil, who becomes possessed by the demon Pazuzu. 

For the sake of getting the full effect of the movie, I chose to watch the Extended Director’s Cut, which features some script changes, demonic faces edited in during post production and a horrifying deleted scene in which Regan quickly descends a staircase bent over backwards headfirst. 

Time- 10

This December marks the 50th anniversary of this movie’s theatrical debut, and people still talk about this movie as top tier horror, especially within the supernatural subgenre. When I was a kid, I was afraid of the very image of Regan’s possessed face because of how horrifying the scenes my father would describe were. This movie has literally caused generational fear and for that reason alone, I think it is the ultimate champion of standing the test of time. In addition, I think the length and pacing of this film are perfect. At just over two hours, it seemed like the movie split it’s plotline perfectly in half: the first hour was meant to build characters and their interactions and the last hour was just for vile, all-out demonic terror.

Rewatchability- 6

As much as I rave about this movie, it’s honestly not one I personally enjoy watching very often. As I said before, I was actually quite petrified of it growing up. Images of Regan’s head spinning and using a crucifix in a violently sexual way were seared into my head the first time I saw it, so I don’t often need a rewatch. I do, however, really enjoy watching it with those that have little or no experience with it. 

Cinematography/Editing- 8

There are many camera angles, lighting techniques, color choices and practical effects that transform into a chillingly haunting atmosphere. The movie was created on film, so it has a slight graininess over the entirety of it. That, as well as certain lines of dialogue, displays the movie’s age a bit.

Plot- 7

The Exorcist has a great combination of storyline and being scary, unlike a lot of horror movies that have strength in one or the other. Every character, including the demon, has a backstory and many have development, especially one of the priests helping Regan, Father Karras. However, there are many plot points and details that are easy to forget; like how Regan becomes possessed in the first place, that her father is in Europe or that her mother is an actress, but I think that’s because of how disturbing most other scenes are.

Acting- 8

The actors absolutely sell this story, especially Linda Blair, who was just 13 years old during filming. Every character wears a face of pure terror and speaks with quivering voices throughout the film too. The mother expresses the distress of not understanding what her daughter is going through phenomenally too. However, there is a slight blandness to the dialogue and portrayal of the regular people, I think because of the time it was created.

Costume Design/Special Effects- 9

For the early ‘70s, the special effects and make-up in this movie are extraordinary. Regan’s face really was one of the only things that kept me up at night growing up, before I had even seen the film. Additionally, the way she crawls backwards down the stairs, how her head fully rotates and projectile vomits were completely outrageous to be seen on film at that point because every effect and stunt had to be done practically. One stunt in particular even caused Linda Blair to have a lifelong back injury. Is it wrong to deduct a point for something that was required back then?

Gruesome Factor- 9

There’s a whole lot of vomit throughout the second half of this movie, whether it’s all over Regan and her bed or she spews it all over the priest. I think that’s the purest form of gruesomeness, next to the use of blood, which this movie also uses disgustingly but wisely. Overall, most of the things that Regan goes through are completely inhuman and unbelievably disturbing.

Shock Value- 8

The most shocking thing about this film at that point in history was its use of religious themes in a horrifying way. There were very few films released previously to this that had done so, let alone ones that brought in audiences as vast as this did. It seemed as though religion was something that remained pure and untouched by the darkness of scary movies, so The Exorcist had created such a terrifying subgenre of horror that… many Catholic people actually loved it because it displays “a positive reaction to the power of faith!”

Believability- 9

I suppose depending on religious beliefs, this may or may not seem super believable. I personally grew up in a Christian household and have continued to have this faith into my adult life, so after all this time, it’s still an incredibly believable movie for me, especially when considering make-up and special effects. Throughout the movie, the terror this family is going through can be felt because of the way the relationship between Regan and her mother falls apart as she begins to lose herself and her mother is left helplessly grieving in confusion. Religion aside, loss of self, relationship issues, and feelings of helplessness, grief and confusion are all very common for humans, so it’s likely for anyone to at least empathize with the MacNeil’s. 

​Ending- 7

I find the ending of this movie pretty fulfilling, as it’s really nice to see Regan reunite with her mother after the demon leaves. Although, I wish more was known about what happened to Pazuzu after he’s cast out as well as the MacNeil’s after they leave the house. But, the ending is good enough and there are several sequels that don’t need to exist. 

Total: 81%

As said before, a lot of people, including myself, think this is one of the greatest horror movies of all time. I’m really curious to see if anything I review will top this one!