The Exorcist (1973)
Rating – 3/4
**SPOILERS**
Creepy, unsettling, disturbing, and very influential on future works, The Exorcist is a staple of the horror franchise and basis for many sequels, spinoffs, parodies, and any works involving possession. It’s literally good versus evil and there can be no mistakes when dealing with the supernatural. And when you hear the iconic theme song, Tubular Bells, you know the tone is set.
Actress and single mother Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) lives with her daughter Regan (Linda Blair) in Washington, D.C. and has a seemingly normal life. But when Regan starts exhibiting strange and violent behavior, it turns out she’s possessed by a foul-mouthed demon named Pazuzu. Desperate, Chris turns to Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller) and Father Lankester Merrin, a priest who’s had experiences with Pazuzu in the past, to rid the evil inside of her daughter.
It’s a game of wits and mental strength as Regan’s family and friends battle Pazuzu. The situation is unpredictable and foreign to nearly everyone and there’s no underestimating the powers of a demon. And it’s made even more complicated by Father Karras’ crisis of faith, worsened by his mother’s recent death.
And you need to be strong to take down a demon.
Watching the movie, I definitely understand why The Exorcist is so influential on the horror genre. Many possession plots can trace their roots back to this movie, whether for drama or comedy. Jonah Hill’s possession in This Is the End comes to mind. There are so many that I can only list a few here that you’ve seen in other media.
Little girl possessed.
Demonic deterioration of the face. I admit, I can’t look at Regan’s face without feeling creeped out.
Floating above the bed.
People rediscovering their faith through trial and triumph.
A sweet-sounding, yet spooky theme song.
And who can forget the iconic words, “The power of Christ compels you!”
Ultimately, it’s the fear of what can happen to someone you love that drives the horror of the movie and the feeling of having no one being able to understand or help you. It’s one woman alone in her house facing a demon that wants to possess her daughter. Imagine your child being abused, you know the abuser and have evidence, but can’t do anything as not everyone believes in the paranormal. Doctors can’t find anything wrong with Regan and police can’t simply lock her away.
After all, I don’t believe they teach about demonic possession in medical school or at the police academy.
It’s also the shock value that makes the movie effective, if you look at it through a historical lens. The Exorcist broke barriers for its graphic depiction of demonic possession, as well as its violent content and vulgarity. Worse, it’s being done to a child. I definitely believe the stories of people getting sick while watching the movie because no one wants to see a possessed Regan stabbing herself in the genitals with a crucifix.
Admittedly though, while I found The Exorcist scary, I consider it tamer than other horror movies I’ve watched in the past. Maybe I’m just desensitized but it was nothing new to me. I’ve seen more effective possession stories and read plenty of real-life stories that have scared me more. And it’s also the parodies that can dull some of the tense moments. I previously mentioned This Is the End but Richard Pryor’s or Jenna Ortega’s exorcism skits on Saturday Night Live also come to mind.
The Exorcist is scary, but not the scariest movie of all time for me. That part will always be subjective.
But I don’t want to sound spoiled or pretentious because I still enjoyed the movie and appreciate what it gave us. Without The Exorcist we wouldn’t have the cultural icon that set the base for others to follow and build on what makes the movie effective. You’ve got to start somewhere, right? And as a horror fan, it also won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and we know how much the Academy “loves” the horror genre, making it one of the few.
So thank you for giving us this spooky cultural phenomenon, and may the power of Christ compel you to watch it.
