Extremely overrated, and completely hollow

Rating: 3/10 (22 May 2016)

I went into this film with tons of hype, as everyone of later generations, but before you start thinking this is just a biased view of over-expectations gone awry; I am talking mad, "scariest movie of all-time", "I couldn't watch during some scenes" type hype, and it wasn't just a couple of people, it was the entire internet and a pool of varied, different people in real life. Still, I just went into this apparently quintessential horror classic of classics, which I knew had deeply influenced pop-culture and the way people look at the horror film forever, with a fair man's mindset expecting at least something solid. What we get here is the most predictable story and development, with no discernible subtlety or particularity - just the most bland version you could POSSIBLY think up reading this review right now knowing however little you know this moment. The dullest, least dynamic, flat overdose of vivid and boring obviousness in all its early 70's splendor. This film was obviously a complete hoax. It just knew it had something big: a (for the time) graphic depiction of a possessed girl, the satanic/possession theme, with a film studio trick or two (the upside down stairs gallop, the twisting head.. today, just cheap), a mixture of gross and taboo made for shock value pestilence, glorified by the morbid fascination of the bored and willing masses. I swear the "the power of Christ compels you" scene is the longest; you might literally find yourself staring at your watch with the most jaded, defeated expression on your face. There is nothing remotely redeeming about it, no interesting development, morality, point of argument...nothing. You could basically watch a one-scene-parody of it, and that would really, actually do it justice. And that's a really, really, really bad perspective for a film, and I don't believe this is out of line at all.