I’m on a hunt for the scariest movies of all time! I’ll be looking at films of any era, from any country, and then reviewing them based solely on how terrifying they are.

If you have a suggestion for a horror movie, please let me know on Twitter.

Please be advised, spoilers may lie ahead!!

The Exorcist (1973)

Director: William Friedkin

Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair

It was going to happen eventually. Back in August of last year when I first announced this column, I had touted The Exorcist as being the pinnacle of the genre; a film that genuinely bothered me when I first watched it, and one that has remained iconic not only in horror circles, but as a staple of cinema itself.

My intention was always to return to it as part of The All-Time Scariest, and though I would have liked to have held off a bit longer, today marks a momentous occasion for William Friedkin’s magnum opus. On this very day half a century ago, The Exorcist would terrify cinemagoers across America.

And so, to mark the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary, I am tackling the root question of whether it is not just a great movie, but a legitimately scary one. Hold your noses and keep your crucifix at a safe distance, we’re jumping in!!

To begin, it is worth noting that The Exorcist is not in any hurry whatsoever to kick into gear. It meticulously sets the stage by drip-feeding its characters and settings, and in actuality, the amount of time we spend in the horror that is Regan MacNeil’s bedroom is quite limited outside of the final act.

I timed the events as I watched, and found that ten minutes were spent with Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) in the Iraqi desert. An additional ten minutes would pass before the Ouija board was first presented. Our first jump scare isn’t until half an hour in, and it’s the moment in which the candle held by Chris MacNeil (Burstyn) unexpectedly erupts.

It’ll make you jump, sure, but not in a way that countless other horror films haven’t done. We don’t get to see The Exorcist at its absolute most horrifying until much later on.

The reason I want to emphasise this drawn out series of events is because it creates a sense of significance and world-building. The plight of the MacNeils is presented simultaneously with Father Karras (Jason Miller) losing his faith, allowing their eventual meeting to matter in the eyes of viewers. In a lesser film, Karras’ introduction would be fast-tracked to the point where it’s absolutely necessary, perhaps with a shot of him flicking aside a cigarette moments before he greets Chris for the first time.

Add in some exposition about his stance on the church and the recent death of his mother and BAM, you’ve got yourself a character arc. Now you have more time for spooky things, because that’s what really matters, right?

I call it the Thirteen Ghosts school of cinema, and I absolutely despise it. It isn’t until 50 minutes in that Pazuzu takes over Regan (Blair) once and for all, and it is a dread-inducing moment. Because we’ve grown to know these characters, and because we’ve witnessed the descent into madness by an innocent child, the payoff is that much more impactful. It feels earned, and that’s why it’s so hard to stomach when it finally arrives.

I must confess, I had concerns that I wouldn’t have felt the same resonance towards the scares because I’ve seen this movie so many times. Though it’s been quite a while since I last viewed it, surely being mentally prepared — or even waiting in anticipation — for its tentpole moments would dull its edge.

But I’m pleased to announce this really isn’t the case. Sure, it would have been more frightening the first time I watched it, but this is true of any film. The reason these scenes are so shocking is because of how masterfully crafted they are. Those aforementioned plot beats are now paying dividends because they’re used to lull us into a false sense of security.

The spider walk down the stairs is jarring and awful to watch unfold. I’m getting tingles just thinking about it, but beyond its visceral execution, it is presented right after Chris learns of the death of her colleague, Burke (Jack MacGowran). The slow burn of its narrative makes his off-screen death mean something; we’re invested, we’re distracted, we’re off our guard and vulnerable.

Needless to say, the practical effects are peerless, and visually the film has aged like a fine wine. Friedkin knew had something here, and the restraint of his vision is exquisite. Too many modern directors would muddy the waters with excess, like shaky camera shots or unnecessary symphonic accoutrements.

For the most part, when shit is going down, the film is silent outside of the terrified screams and discordant soundscape of crashing and banging. There is one musical sting that comes out of nowhere during the ‘help me’ reveal, and again, it works because we haven’t been conditioned to expect it.

These scenes are profound and rare. Perhaps nothing is quite as anxiety-inducing as the crucifix scene, so vulgar and so wrong, only for it to double down with that goddamn head turn.

I could reel off any number of scenes, but you get what I mean. They are the peak of horror, carried triumphantly into immortality by legendary performances. Burstyn is outstanding, of course, and the sense of isolation she conveys when nobody can help her little girl raise the stakes even higher. Blair doesn’t get nearly enough credit for her work here, and her combined efforts alongside the voice work of Mercedes McCambridge make even the exchanges between Regan and Father Karras more suspenseful than the entirety of lesser films.

I cannot be effusive enough with my praise for The Exorcist (and I encourage you to read as many articles discussing its legacy as possible). It is, by my summation, a near-perfect film, handily surpassing Nope and Talk to Me as my favourite overall viewing experience for The All-Time Scariest. The latter, of course, is also the current flag-bearer as the highest ranked film I’ve reviewed for this column.

It’s only held the crown for a little under a month, is its reign of terror already at an end? I think you already know the answer to this one.

Final Verdict

For a great film to remain great even upon subsequent viewings is special, but for a scary film to remain scary in that same situation is practically unheard of. The Exorcist is the ultimate corruption of innocence, a movie that takes all of our darkest fears and lays them bare in grotesque, gleeful fashion.

If you’re only ever going to watch one horror movie, this is the choice you absolutely must make. It stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its contemporaries in drama, action or comedy, potentially even surpassing them in how deeply it can touch you.

As anticlimactic as it feels for The All-Time Scariest to have reached the highest rating so early into its tenure, there was no better candidate to achieve this feat. Congratulations and happy birthday, Exorcist. I hope you celebrate with vast quantities of pea soup.