The Exorcist

Teenager Regan MacNeil undergoes a terrifying transformation that her mother, a Hollywood actress, cannot explain through conventional medicine. Desperate, she turns to Father Karras, a Jesuit priest experiencing a crisis of faith. The diagnosis: demonic possession. In 1973, William Friedkin directed the horror film that redefined the genre, featuring practical effects that provoke revulsion and a critique of secular rationalism that remains disturbing decades later.

The Exorcist remains the horror film that has most disturbed audiences across all generations. Friedkin filmed evil with the same documentary realism as everyday life. Linda Blair's makeup is legendary.