One of the All Time Horror Masterpieces

Rating: 10/10 (25 July 2016)

So often cited as "the scariest movie of all time", this is not only a horror masterpiece, but a great film in general. There are 3 different character story lines that eventually intertwine. One is a priest in New York who is losing his faith, another is an elder priest searching for a demon around the world, and lastly, a young girl named Reagan who becomes possessed by a nefarious entity. The acting is top notch, the direction is masterful, and there are lots of truly terrifying moments. This is not like today's mainstream horror utilizing cheap jump scares every few minutes. The Exorcist slowly builds tension using atmosphere invoking dread, and dark, morbid themes that linger in your mind long after the credits roll. The possessed Reagan scenes are truly unnerving and as a whole any fan of horror or movies in general need to see this.
Director William Friedkin uses controversial themes of sacrilege and shows us some very taboo, disturbing images to tell a story of mystery and intrigue instead of for exploitative reasons. Despite being such a cultural phenomenon, this is a dark film and its still as scary as it was in 1973.
Even though I was a horror fan since I was a kid, I didn't actually watch it until I was around 20 because of the horrifying reputation this movie has!