The Exorcist (1973)
★★★ — The Exorcist (1973)
William Friedkin directed The Exorcist off the back of his Oscar-winning crime thriller The French Connection (1971), giving Warner Bros. reasonable confidence in a project that was, by any measure, a significant gamble. The $12 million budget was substantial for the era, and the source material, William Peter Blatty's 1971 bestselling novel (which Blatty himself adapted for the screen), was already notorious before a frame was shot. Filming took place largely on location in Georgetown, Washington D.C., and on sets in New York, with a notoriously difficult shoot that ran well over schedule. Linda Blair, cast as the possessed Regan at just thirteen, had no significant prior credits, making her central performance one of the more remarkable breakthrough moments in 1970s Hollywood. The film landed at the peak of a broader cultural anxiety around faith, youth, and social disorder in post-Vietnam America, and its box office return, north of $440 million worldwide, made it one of the highest-grossing films ever made at that point.
There’s no denying the cultural significance of The Exorcist. It’s a landmark film. One of the most influential horror movies ever made, and the blueprint for almost every supernatural, religiously charged scare-fest that followed. The story of a young girl’s possession and the priests who try to save her didn’t just shock audiences in 1973; it terrified them. People fainted, walked out, claimed it was cursed. It wasn’t just a film, it was an event. But watching it for the first time around 2003, over thirty years after its release, the experience was… different. I was about 14, primed for something truly terrifying, and honestly, it didn’t deliver the way I expected. It’s slow, deliberately paced, more like a psychological drama than a horror film for long stretches. The build-up is methodical (almost too much so) with long scenes of worry, medical tests, and quiet dread, before we even get to the full-blown head-spinning, green-ooze moments most people remember. And by modern standards, it’s not really scary in the way today’s horror is. No jump scares on loop, no relentless gore. The horror here is more about violation, helplessness, and the collapse of rationality. The famous effects still hold up surprisingly well, and there are moments (like the crucifix scene) that carry real shock value. But overall, it feels more like a solemn, disturbing ritual than a film designed to frighten you moment to moment. It’s important. Absolutely. Groundbreaking without question. But as a standalone horror experience today, it’s more fascinating than frightening. One you appreciate more for its legacy than its ability to keep you up at night.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 1973 | Watched: 2025-07-29
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel · Sky Go · Now TV Cinema
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK
Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.
Related on Movies With Macca
More from William Friedkin: Cruising (1980) · To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) · The French Connection (1971) · Killer Joe (2011)
More with Ellen Burstyn: Requiem for a Dream (2000)
More from the 1970s: Fantastic Planet (1973) · Here and Elsewhere (1976) · Italianamerican (1974) · Punishment Park (1971)
More horror: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) · Viy (1967) · Nightmare City (1980) · Angst (1983)
More drama: Viy (1967) · Wonder (2017) · A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Beautiful Boy (2018)
