A Hard-Hitting Cinematic Landmark

Rating: 10/10 (29 October 2019)

When this award-winning film was released in the early 1970's, it's hard to imagine how audiences must have responded. It took a truly vicious approach to storytelling, and a big part of its success came from the well-developed characters: something the vast majority of horror movies rarely have these days. When things take a turn for the worse, thanks to the fact that we care about these characters, the impact is just as brutal and powerful as ever.
THE EXORCIST works on almost every level: from the blood-chilling effects, the superior performances (Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair are still the standouts for me, but the entire cast threw all they had into this), and the overall spooky atmosphere still hits me hard as a 39-year old who knows what to expect from start to finish.