Is The Exorcist really ‘the scariest horror movie ever’?

Most of the obituaries for William Friedkin, the cinematic icon who died in august this year, focused on his diverse body of work. Affectionately nicknamed “Hurricane Billy” for his force of personality and towering stature among the New Hollywood filmmakers, Friedkin produced a respectable, wide-ranging filmography, from Academy Award-sweepers like The French Connection Rediscovered gems such as the classic box office bomb Sorcerer. Even so, some critics chose to elevate one film above all of the others. This is a film which, fifty years after its release, has still managed to influence popular culture. The Exorcist, which bears the tagline “the scariest movie of all time.”

That’s what critics dubbed it upon its thunderous release in 1973. The ExorcistIt was a gripping story about an actress (Ellen Burstyn), whose daughter is possessed by a spirit. She turns to two Catholic priests for help. Retrospective reviews have since echoed the “scariest movie ever” claim, and critics still hold The Exorcist It is the scariest and most provocative film ever produced in horror history. It’s so firmly considered the genre’s gold standard that critics have since praised modern thrillers like A24’s Hereditary as the “scariest film since The Exorcist.” That reputation has kept The Exorcist’The s The legacy of this film is still alive, even though it has been followed by a variety of sequels, from the mediocre, to the infamous. With the exception of 1990’s cult movie Exorcist 3,.

The Exorcist Blumhouse’s brand is so powerful that they have greenlit a whole trilogy of sequels. Halloween director David Gordon Green, timed to land around the original movie’s 50th anniversary. The original, The Exorcist – Believer, brings Ellen Burstyn back to the franchise to reprise her role as Chris MacNeil, just as Green’s Halloween movies bring back Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. Belief in the Exorcist makes some big, problematic departures from the series’ mold, but it unquestionably wouldn’t exist if the Exorcist name didn’t still carry so much respect today.

What is? The Exorcist Is it still considered the most terrifying movie ever made half a hundred years later? This has been the talking point of critics for over fifty years, even when new horror films have emerged that are equally effective nightmare fuel. It’s true that The ExorcistIt not only traumatized a whole generation of filmgoers, but also desensitized audiences to the point where they can sit through any number of films. See Follow-ups are possible without any flinching. It would be a real treat to see a film that is as terrifying as The Exorcist was in 1973, audiences would be far more prepared for it after having experienced Friedkin’s seminal masterwork.

As it happens, “the scariest movie ever” is impossible to determine. Fears are universal and that’s why there are so many horror tropes. But one person’s deepest nightmare may not have any effect on someone else at all. “Scariest” is immeasurable. And the label doesn’t really get to the heart of Friedkin’s true accomplishment with this film. It’s not known whether The Exorcist It is still the most terrifying horror film ever.

But it’s certainly the most influential. It’s not just because the subgenre of exorcism, still popular with producers today, was almost entirely spawned by it. Recent titles such as The Pope’s Exorcist, The Nun IIThen, My Best Friend’s Exorcism, But because The Exorcist The first horror film in the modern age. The film follows a long line of Hammer horror films, drive-in movies and haunted house spooktaculars. The ExorcistThe playbook was rewritten by merging dramatic text structure with grotesque shock values and social taboos to appeal to mainstream audiences.

Warner Bros./YouTube

Sure, Rosemary’s Baby matches Friedkin’s masterpiece in terms of tension and suspense, but its depictions of violence are relatively restrained. The Original 1974 Texas Chain Saw Massacre It was provocative to say the least The Exorcist, but it didn’t boast a cast of household names that lent it credibility with mainstream movie fans. On release, Tobe Hooper’s now-classic horror movie was widely dismissed as trash. The Los Angeles Times’ critic even called it “despicable” and “ugly and obscene.” The Exorcist couldn’t be so easily pigeonholed.

Friedkin’s movie was — and still is — a suspension bridge between prestige and provocation. The movie rewrote the horror film blueprint, and suggested a way to achieve critical and commercial success. Genre auteurs have studied this route for years.

Friedkin was able to sneak in scenes and sounds that were startling enough for an exploitation movie, much less a film that will be nominated for Best Picture and Best Directing Academy Awards. A movie starring a young girl who is sexually possessed and masturbates in front of a cross should not be nominated for an award by a notoriously stuffy organization. Yet it’s a strangely befitting endorsement, because the film’s vulgarities enhance a storyline that could have easily turned into a standard kitchen-sink drama. The Exorcist The movie has all the makings of an Oscar bait medical drama, especially if the possessing entity Pazuzu is replaced by an illness. And the exorcists are transformed into doctors who must diagnose and treat the disease. Ellen Burstyn isn’t playing a Final Girl or damsel in distress, but a grieving mother. We all know that the Academy is a big fan of family tragedy.

M. Night Shyamalan’s breakthrough film, The Happening, is a good example of a genre auteur who has tried to balance the line between exploitation and human emotions. Sixth Sense Ari Aster’s “Aster” (which is also about a single mother whose son is being haunted) Hereditary. Toni Collette who stars in the two films was deeply moved by Sixth Sense’s thematic power that she says she didn’t even register it as a horror film.

The Exorcist’s influence can be felt most directly in the contemporary “elevated horror” movement, which uses the genre’s conventions and visual language to explore psychological and societal ills. Between A24’s artisanal horror and cerebral social thrillers from the likes of Jordan Peele, elevated horror is dominating the genre marketplace. Friedkin was arguably the creator of the genre: The ExorcistIt was an affirmation to both audiences and critics alike that genre fiction could be just as powerful and as thematically rich as any other form of literature. Elevated-horror filmmakers have replicated Friedkin’s success with chilling portrayals of family dysfunction and grief in films from The Babadook You can also find out more about the following: The Night House. Other directors have taken inspiration from Friedkin’s audacious, uncompromising use of psychological horror to critique and deconstruct religion — most notably 2021’s shattering Saint Maud.

Friedkin’s advice for future generations of horror filmmakers was to remain true to the incendiary spirit of the genre and not to shy away from depicting physical or psychological violence. Before Friedkin, the conventional wisdom said that “respectable” horror avoided grotesque or gratuitous imagery. Some argued that viewers’ imaginations can conjure up more compelling or devastating images than any filmmaker can show on screen. Friedkin’s delight in proving them wrong was evident. This conventional wisdom was proven wrong by audiences traumatized when Regan spider walked down the stairs, or spun her head 180°.

Friedkin’s spirit lives on in the movies that balance shocks with real human drama. The Exorcist’s legacy The modern horror genre thrives. Filmmakers were liberated by Friedkin’s audacity in threading the needle between the taboo and the mainstream, unnerving audiences while also engrossing them in stories of tragedy, pain, loss, and remorse. This genre is now more willing to question social norms and still provide escapist excitement.

Other filmmakers share the credit, of course, but it’s hard to point to a more substantial tectonic shift in the landscape of genre cinema. Hurricane Billy took audiences by storm in 1973, and we still haven’t shaken off the effects. The impact of Hurricane Billy is still felt today. The Exorcist’s release, horror movies were officially no longer marginal ways to fill drive-ins with cheesy monster movies or underground exploitation fare. It was a place for iconoclasts as well as visionaries, provocateurs and authors. The Exorcist The scariest film ever made may not actually be that. It’s not the scariest movie ever made. It is a good idea to useYou will surely have seen the most terrifying movie. The Exorcist

The ExorcistMax is now streaming the movie and it is also available as a rental or for purchase. Amazon, VuduYou can also watch it on digital platforms like. It’s also available on Blu-ray in a The 50th Anniversary Special Edition of 4K.