Why The Exorcist Is Still One Of The Scariest Horror Movies Ever Made – Screen Rant

The Exorcist has changed the face of horror as we know it today. Here's why The Exorcist is still one of the scariest horror movies ever made.

William Friedkins 1973 supernatural horror, The Exorcist, remains one of the scariest horror movies ever made. Based on the eponymous novel by William Peter Blatty, the filmhas altered the face of horror as we know it today, owing to the fact that the films insidiousness emerges from its vision, which is rooted in genuine terror. This is solidified by a recent ranking of the scariest horror movies by Rotten Tomatoes, in which, The Exorcist is placed at #1,cementingit as a movie-viewing experience that lingers amid the crevices of human memory.

The Exorcist follows a simple, yet effective narrative structure, that is familiar precisely because of how many stories have copied it. Innocent child,Regan (Linda Blair), starts exhibiting strange behavior that later culminates into an agonizing stretch of demonic possession. On enlisting the aid of priests of the Catholic Church, Regans family decides that the situation demands an exorcism, as the evil spirit possessing her claims to be the Devil itself. The directness of this premise has been the inspiration for countless films in the horror genre, including The Omen, The Amityville Horror, Stigmata, and to some extent, The Shining.

RELATED: The Exorcist: What Happened to Regan MacNeil

Horror is a genre that challenges audiences to confront their deepest fears while allowing the space for resolving cultural strife and a catharsis of sorts, tinged with a dose of fatalism. The Exorcist manages to evoke these emotions in the best way possible, which contributes to its status amid the collective consciousness and its immensely compelling nature. Heres why The Exorcistis one of the scariest horror movies of all time.

Upon its release, The Exorcist became such an indelible cultural phenomenon that evangelists felt the need to give sermons on the very nature of evil, hinting that an ancient demonic force lived within the films fabric. However, this only served to fuel its allure, as audiences waited hours prior to its screening, despite reports of frequent fainting or vomiting incidents. The film is akin to a forbidden journey into acute existential despair and darkness, which provokes a compelling suspension of disbelief, a device used potently in this regard. The reason why the film scares audiences even today is because it does not rely on the clichd use of jump scares, which is widely prevalent in the genre. Instead, The Exorcist is more atmospheric, creating an ambiance of suspenseful terror that preys on predominant human fears in various forms. This is similar to Friedkins previous work, namely his 1971 crime masterpiece The French Connection, which captures New York City by exposing its seedy, impoverished underbelly.

A compelling narrative within horror usually hinges upon realistic or surrealistic world-building, compelling characterization, and genuine stakes, and The Exorcist manages to deliver on all three. The film opens with Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller), a young priest who lives in the Christian conclave of Georgetown, a place imbued with beauty and suffering at the same time. These emotions are evoked within the initial shots, accentuated by the plight of Karras mother, who is left neglected inside a decrepit medical facility. As opposed to this, Chris Macneil, mother of Regan, is introduced as living a comfortable existence, which is disrupted when her 12-year-old daughter starts displaying signs of what seemed like a severe mental illness. It is indeed harrowing to witness the futility of medical tests in Regans case, as no amount of scientific inquiry can explain the abject misery and turmoil within Regans soul.

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Why The Exorcist Is Still One Of The Scariest Horror Movies Ever Made - Screen Rant

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero