The Exorcist (1973) Review: Why This Classic Terrifies

What is The Exorcist about?

The movie introduces Chris MacNeil, an actress living in Washington, D.C., with her young daughter, Regan. Their lives begin to change when Regan starts behaving strangely and experiences frightening physical and psychological changes that doctors struggle to explain. Chris takes her daughter to several medical specialists, hoping they can identify the cause and find a treatment. However, as Regan's condition becomes more disturbing, the medical explanations no longer seem sufficient.

Chris seeks help from Father Damien Karras, a Catholic priest who is also struggling with his own faith. After looking into Regan's condition, he begins to think that she is possessed by a demonic entity.

If The Exorcist still gets under your skin, continue with our best psychological horror movies, the best Halloween movies and the modern possession-adjacent scares in our Lee Cronin's The Mummy review. The film's production history is covered on Wikipedia, and its critic score lives on Rotten Tomatoes.

As the situation gets more complicated, the priests attempt an exorcism to free Regan from the controlling entity. The film follows their struggle while showing a mother's desperation to protect her child and a priest's difficult journey toward understanding his faith. Watch trailer

Director: William Friedkin

Writer William Peter Blatty

Main cast Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller

Genre Supernatural horror

Runtime Approximately 122 minutes

Rating

IMDb:8.1/10

Rotten Tomatoes:78% tomatoer 87% popcornmeter

William Friedkin’s direction and vision

William Friedkin’s direction gives the movie a scary reality. Instead of making the horror feel like a fantasy, he presents the story through ordinary surroundings, characters, and situations that become increasingly disturbing. The film begins with the concerns of a mother trying to understand what is happening to her daughter. As Regan’s condition worsens, the atmosphere becomes increasingly uncomfortable, making the audience feel the same confusion and helplessness experienced by the characters.

Friedkin builds tension slowly rather than relying on constant jump scares. He allows quiet moments, long pauses, and unsettling conversations to create fear. The medical examinations are particularly effective because they show Chris desperately searching for a logical explanation before the story moves further into the supernatural. This gradual shift makes the possession more disturbing, as it feels like something the characters can no longer control or understand.

What makes the movie different from other horror movies?

What makes the classic different from many other horror movies is the way it creates fear through a realistic approach , psychological tension, and religious themes. Instead of depending only on sudden scares or a mysterious creature, the film focuses on a mother watching her daughter change in ways she cannot understand. Chris MacNeil’s desperation makes the horror feel personal because the story is not just about a supernatural threat; it is about a family facing something that seems impossible to stop.

The frightening events do not all happen at once. The story begins with strange behaviour and medical investigations before moving towards the possibility of demonic possession. This allows the tension to grow naturally. The audience sees the characters search for ordinary explanations, which makes the supernatural elements more disturbing.

The film also explores faith and doubt, adding deep details to its horror. Father Damien Karras is struggling with his own beliefs and personal problems when he becomes involved in Regan’s case. His uncertainty makes the conflict more human, as he must confront something that challenges both his understanding of the world and his religious convictions. This gives the story an emotional and spiritual dimension beyond the frightening events themselves.

Cinematography and sound

The cinematography in the movie plays an important role in making the film feel unsettling without constantly showing something frightening. The camera often observes the characters in a natural, straightforward way, allowing the disturbing events to unfold without excessive visual effects or dramatic movements. The ordinary rooms, dimly lit interiors, and close shots of the characters help create a sense of unease. As Regan’s condition becomes more frightening, these familiar surroundings begin to feel threatening, especially because they are places where a child should feel safe.

Lighting also plays a major part of the film’s visual impact. Many scenes use muted colours and shadows rather than bright, exaggerated horror imagery. The contrast between darkness and small areas of light creates a cold, uncomfortable mood. One of the film’s most memorable visual moments is Father Merrin arriving outside the MacNeil home at night, standing beneath a streetlight with the bedroom window glowing behind him. The image creates a strong sense of anticipation before the exorcism even begins.

The sound design is equally important. Instead of relying entirely on loud noises, the film uses silence, unsettling sounds, and sudden changes in volume to keep the audience alert. Regan’s disturbing voice, strange noises, and the priests’ serious conversations make the scenes feel increasingly uncomfortable. The sound never allows the audience to feel completely at ease, even during quieter moments. The music is used selectively, allowing silence and natural sounds to carry much of the tension.

The atmosphere develops gradually throughout the film. At first, the story feels like a family drama involving a mother who is worried about her daughter’s unusual behaviour. The medical examinations and everyday conversations make the situation seem grounded in reality.

Why this movie still scare us

More than five decades after its release, The Exorcist (1973) still has the ability to unsettle audiences because its horror feels personal and difficult to escape. Its gradual build-up creates frightening patterns till the end. Strange behaviour, medical examinations, and uncomfortable conversations slowly create a sense that something is seriously wrong. By the time the supernatural elements become undeniable, the audience has already experienced the characters’ confusion and desperation. This makes the horror feel earned rather than dependent on sudden jump scares.

The film also explores a fear that is deeply connected to human beliefs: the possibility that evil exists beyond our understanding. Through Father Karras, the story raises questions about faith, doubt, and the limits of human thinking. The idea that neither medical science nor personal belief can easily explain what is happening adds another layer of uncertainty.

Its atmosphere also contributes to its remembrance. The familiar family home becomes a place of fear, while the restrained cinematography, disturbing sounds, and practical effects make Regan’s condition difficult to forget. The film often allows uncomfortable moments to continue instead of quickly moving away from them. This gives the audience time to absorb what is happening, making certain scenes linger in the mind long after they end.

Themes of the movie

1. A Mother’s Love and Sacrifice

The mother’s determination to save her daughter gives the film its emotional centre. She refuses to give up, even when doctors cannot explain Regan’s condition and the situation becomes increasingly frightening. Her actions reflect a parent’s willingness to seek help wherever possible to protect a child. This theme makes the horror more personal because the audience understands that Chris is not fighting for an abstract idea; she is trying to save someone she loves.

2. The Limits of Science and Reason

Chris turns to medical professionals to understand what is happening to Regan. The doctors conduct examinations and attempt to identify a medical explanation for her condition. However, their efforts fail to provide a positive answer . This creates a conflict between scientific reasoning and the possibility of supernatural forces.

3. Human Helplessness

The film repeatedly places its characters in situations where their usual methods of solving problems are no longer enough. Chris cannot protect her daughter through ordinary means, while the doctors cannot find a solution. Father Karras also faces uncertainty as he tries to understand the situation. Their helplessness creates much of the film’s tension and reflects a broader fear of losing control over circumstances that deeply affect our lives.

4. Guilt and Personal Suffering

Father Karras carries emotional pain connected to his relationship with his elderly mother and his own spiritual struggles. These personal difficulties influence how he approaches Regan’s case. His character shows how guilt and grief can affect a person’s sense of purpose and belief. His involvement in the exorcism becomes connected not only to Regan’s suffering but also to his own search for meaning and redemption.

5. Sacrifice and Redemption

Sacrifice becomes especially important as the story reaches its conclusion. The priests place themselves in danger in an attempt to save Regan, and Father Karras’s final actions give this theme particular weight. The film connects sacrifice with compassion, suggesting that confronting evil may require someone to put another person’s well-being before their own. Redemption is also linked to the possibility of finding purpose through an act of courage and selflessness.

What I liked

What I liked most about The Exorcist was the acting, the setting, and the way the film approaches horror through both religion and science. The performances feel convincing, especially the way the characters react to the frightening situation. Ellen Burstyn portrays a mother who becomes increasingly desperate to save her daughter, while Linda Blair makes Regan’s transformation disturbing and memorable. Their performances help the audience connect with the characters instead of seeing them as people in a typical horror story.

I also liked the setting and the way the story develops around an ordinary family home. The familiar environment makes the frightening events feel closer to reality. The bedroom, the medical rooms, and the quiet surroundings all contribute to the uncomfortable atmosphere. The film does not need to take place in an abandoned building or a haunted house to create fear; it turns an everyday setting into a place where the characters no longer feel safe.

What I didn’t like

Although The Exorcist has many strengths, I did not particularly like the disturbing blood, gore, and some of the graphic scenes. While these moments contribute to the film’s horror, certain scenes feel excessively uncomfortable to watch. The physical transformation of Regan and the disturbing imagery can be overwhelming, especially for viewers who prefer psychological horror over graphic visuals. I understand that these elements are intended to make the possession feel frightening, but at times, they take away from the more subtle tension that makes the story effective.

I also felt that the pacing could be uneven, particularly during the more intense parts of the film. Some scenes move quickly from one disturbing event to another, leaving less time to process what is happening. I would have preferred a more balanced pace that allowed the emotional reactions of the characters and the tension between science and religion to develop further before moving into the next frightening moment.

The Exorcist cast

The Exorcist ending explained

The ending is quieter than people remember. Father Merrin dies of a heart attack in the middle of the exorcism, and Karras, left alone with Regan, loses his temper. He beats the possessed girl and dares the demon to take him instead. It does. In his last moment of control, Karras throws himself out of the window and falls down the stone steps outside, taking the demon with him. Father Dyer reaches him in time to give him his last rites.

So the film's answer to Karras's crisis of faith isn't a speech. It's a choice. The priest who couldn't pray anymore ends the story by giving his life for a child he barely knew. Regan remembers nothing, but when she sees Dyer's collar she kisses him on the cheek, a small sign that something of what happened stayed with her.

Where to watch The Exorcist

As of October 30, 2026, The Exorcist streams on HBO Max and AMC+ in the US, according to JustWatch. It is also available to rent or buy on the major digital stores. If you want more of the same mood after it, our list of the scariest movies of all time puts it at number one, and The Conjuring movies in order covers the modern possession series it inspired.

Final Verdict

The Exorcist (1973) remains a memorable horror film because it offers more than frightening images and supernatural events. William Friedkin’s direction, the convincing performances, and the realistic setting make the story feel deeply unsettling. I particularly liked how the film explores the conflict between science and religion, showing how the characters search for answers when faced with something they cannot explain. This approach gives the story more depth than a typical possession horror film.

My rating: 8/10

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