Not a horror film, but a psychological thriller

Rating: 9/10 (1 May 2017)

The Exorcist is considered by many people, the most terrifying film of all time. I would disagree with that statement because I believe that this film is not a horror film, or at least not at this era. This is a thriller were the true horror comes with the building of tension and the thoughts you have after you have watched the film.
There is only one scene in this movie were I was really frightened and that is in the spider-crawl scene. The rest of the movie is still terrifying, but you don't jump out of your seat, you just get immersed by the wonderful tension and cinematography.
The acting is perfect. Every characters seems real and authentic with real worries and ambitions. I especially like Father Damien, who was played by Jason Miller (his first motion picture). He really gives the impression of a broken man that just wants to help.
The special effects are out of this world, to this day, everything you see looks authentic. There is no part of the film were you go "Oh that looks fake". It shows how far practical effects can go.
The tension is also magnificent, you can see Regan slowly get worse and her mother becoming more desperate as the movie continues. The exorcism scenes are chilling and make you feel uncomfortable.
I especially love the ending of the film, which I will not spoil. I believe it is one of the best endings ever because of the shock factor.
There is only one problem I can find with the film, that is the beginning. I do believe that the beginning is very disconnected from the rest of the movie and did not require that much screen time. The beginning gives you some very important information that you will need for later and does a tremendous job at showing, not telling. But it really doesn't feel like the exorcist. I just believe that there was a better way to integrate it to the story.
Many online pages describe this film as the most terrifying film of all time. I wouldn't recommend seeing this film if you just want to get scared with your friends. This film is not the Conjuring (which is very good), it does not give you scares and make you scream.
If you are going to watch this movie, please take your time with it and watch it with your full attention. I would recommend watching it alone to not get distracted. At first, you will believe that this movie is really not that scary, but as the days pass, you will find that this movie really frightens you after giving it some thought.
Not a movie for everyone, but if you the movie is made for you... You will love it.
P.S. I don't know why but I really love the tracking shots in the film, you can clearly notice in which character you should focus when they are introduced, in a crowd. I believe that is masterful directing.