I was thinking today about old movies that truly made their mark in the history of filmmaking and one of those movies that always pop into my head is The Exorcist which are This movie is not just a horror movie but a truly terrifying experience so much so that even today most people consider it to be one of the scariest movies in history
I first saw the movie when I was younger and to be honest I didn't catch everything then but it was clear that it wasn't like every other horror movie and The tone the music and the direction all differed from everything else I had a sense that the horror in it wasn't in your face footage of blood or monsters murdering people but a real psychological horror that made you squirm throughout.
I think what makes The Exorcist so scary is that it's founded on an idea that can reach anyonethe idea that there are these invisible forces that can take over you or someone you love and regardless of what you do to get rid of them they're always more powerful than you and The film is about this young girl Regan who begins behaving strangely and slowly the unmistakable symptoms manifest that she's not herself When doctors can't explain her sickness her mother consults priests in a bid to have the evil spirit inhabiting her exorcised.
The acting in the film was excellent especially Linda's acting as Regan that made you believe what was happening to her was real. The effects were so powerful for the time and scenes like vomiting green vomit or her head spinning 180 degrees have become horror staples.
Today, despite the advances in cinematography and improved graphics technology, I still think The Exorcist has an impact that is not found in modern horror films. Perhaps because they rely more on psychological terror than just scary images.
I await new horror films that can manage to achieve the same level of genuine horror don't just rely on momentary shock But no matter what the future holds because the Exorcist will forever be one of the most frightening films of all time.
