Review: The Exorcist

Dir. William Friedkin (1973)

The Exorcist certainly has a reputation. From being protested by the Catholic church to making people pass out in the cinema during its theatrical run, it’s one of the godfathers of controversial horror. The difficulty with these kinds of films is that they run the risk of becoming comedic with age. Sometimes, as audience expectations and standards shift, the original experience of watching a movie like this with fresh 70’s eyes will be lost forever. Also, many films since The Exorcist have in some way, re-used or payed homage to iconic elements of the movie. This too can make it hard to go back to the source material of all this praise and ripping-off; running the risk of being underwhelmed. 

The narrative’s setup seems simple, an actress thinks her daughter is possessed by a demon. A priest who doubts her claims is tasked with finding out. Despite the stripped-down story, there is so much time spent really getting to know all the characters involved that the emotional weight of the movie is carried, not by frights, but by the nuanced performances of the actors and the personal struggles of their characters. While this is The Exorcist’s strength, it’s also a weakness. There’s a distractingly long and vague buildup which attempts to set up exactly what and why the events that take place are occurring...but it really only succeeds in muddying the water of what should be a crystal clear story. 

This blip aside, The Exorcist is a masterfully crafted film. It kicks off quaintly enough at first, tricking the modern viewer into thinking that any shocks to come will be antique scares from a simpler time. Oh boy. There are some downright uncomfortable moments here that go further than many current horror films will even dare to go. This ramp up gets pretty intense; though, as feared, the iconic moments don’t always hold up very well (head spinning and spider walking, I’m looking at you). Despite slight 70s cheese moments, there’s enough meat on these bones that have stood the test of time. The acting is great, the characters are interesting, the story is engrossing and sometimes surprising, the horror is chilling and shocking, and the cinematography is sublime. I’m always amazed at just how great the composition and lighting in this film is. It appeals to horror fiends and movie buffs but has retained enough of its shock value over the years to still alienate most everyone else.

Despite the Catholic church’s boycott of the movie when it was initially released, I found the movie to be unexpectedly reverent of the church’s beliefs. The priests are portrayed as flawed individuals, some have doubts, some drink, some gamble, but overall they all have good hearts and a desire to change the world for the better. They are the flawed heroes, not the villains. Though it’s pretty understandable that the church would want to avoid being the hero of a work of art so shocking and potentially offensive, the movie really ends up being great PR for them amongst the horror set...a group often passed over by the church. That aside, there’s some pretty extreme language, visuals, and legitimately horrifying occurrences, despite the age gap. So, with that in mind, the boycott makes a bit more sense.

Should You See the Exorcist?

By and large, this movie HOLDS UP. If you are a fan of classic, slow-burn horror in general, you have to see this. It hasn’t aged perfectly but it’s fair to say that this is still one of the scariest movies of all time. If horror isn’t your thing, you probably want to avoid this one. It may be one of several pinnacles of the genre for fans, but it’s not a great entry point if you don’t consider yourself part of that community.

-Josh Evans