One of the all time best horror movies

Rating: 9/10 (24 February 2001)

Forget the Screams, I know what you...and Urban Legends flooding the market today, this is the real stuff, this is true moviemaking by a director with control of the medium. This movie had a strong impact on me when I saw it many years ago, and I can still watch it with great reward today. The sad thing is that you realize how hard it would be to make a movie like this within the Hollywood system today, where the chills and thrills should be presented in full force from beginning to end, leaving no room for ambiguity and character development. Friedkins choice of a documentary approach to the material works brilliantly, and the deliberate pacing, the orchestration of the buildup to the horrific scenes, is masterful, as is the subtle use of music and sound effects. Something that should be studied by all serious moviemakers working today. It´s sad that Friedkin´s made a lot of unspectacular movies after this one, but I guess he has had a hard time working within a Hollywood system in which the standards of storytelling has gradually been lowered.