Not Scary, But Still Pretty Good

Rating: 8/10 (16 November 2009)

The Exorcist was one of those famous movies I had heard about all my life but never seen. A lot of people called it the definitive horror movie. Netflix claims, "If this horror classic doesn't terrify you, maybe you need a shrink."
Maybe I do. I didn't find the movie particularly scary, though I know it gained its reputation almost immediately upon release. A video on YouTube even shows crowd reactions from the audiences of 1973. A theater usher goes so far as to describe how "as soon as they faint, I get out the smelling salts." Another theater patron proclaims she's "not going back in there."
This huge rift in reaction can only be attributed to the desensitization of modern audiences. I actually saw Paranormal Activity the same day as The Exorcist and the former was easily the scarier of the two. Nonetheless, both films are miles ahead of the gory slasher flicks that masquerade as horror these days.
I'm not criticizing The Exorcist. While it's true the horror aspects are somewhat tame by today's standards, the film still excels in a number of ways. Take for example the intriguing verbal sparring match between the demon and Karras. The priest interrogates the demon, trying to find if this is an actual possession or a simple case of mental illness. The demon states it is Satan himself, a claim designed to fool Karras into thinking the latter, as Satan doesn't possess humans. The demon also attempts to torment Karras by claiming his recently deceased mother is being sodomized in hell; he responds that if it's true, the demon should be able to produce his mother's maiden name. He cannot.
The Exorcist boasts a memorable theme, characters that were well played and worthy of emotional investment, and a climax brimming with tension. It's not the scariest movie ever made as some might claim, but I won't fault the movie for that. Even without being scary it succeeds brilliantly.
8/10