Quite simply, the scariest movie ever made.

Inspired acting, literally haunting soundtrack, stark, fearless cinematography, sturdy characterization and a story so horrifying you could pleat your pants with it.

"If you look at a classic horror movie like THE EXORCIST, part of what makes it so scary is that it feels so damn real."
--Frank Darabont, director (SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION).

I remember when you’d walk in dark places or be alone at night, there was that Fear that this movie instilled that The Devil could possess you at any turn, at any minute – you didn’t even have to be “bad” for a possession to overcome you.

all that guff that the catholics told us – that if we were “Bad” , we would go to hell or get possessed – but this movie changed all that – here was a loving family, a beautfil innocent child –arbitrarily possessed by the devil

The movie existed in a world where gods and devils existed – it never doubted itself for one second. Thus, we never doubted its veracity either and were pulled headlong into the tale

And we never doubted it – the movie was constructed so that it remove all doubht – maybe it could be argued that her peeing fiascos and swearing at doctors was all psychosomatic, but things like turning her head 360 degrees and knowing about Father Carris’ mother; levitating  removed all doubt that we were looking at a REAL possession.

Suspension of disbelief. It means that a movie is so good at pulling us into its world that we suspend our disbelief in the fact that we are watching fiction. The irony of THE EXORCIST is that it was so successful in purveying the world of religious myth as reality that it reinforced people's unfounded beliefs in the fiction of demonic possession.