Spooky season is upon us. And what better way to celebrate than to watch one of the OG scary movies? The Exorcist came out in 1973, and its latest and sixth installment, The Exorcist: Believer, was just released last week — scroll up to read our review. The film was released to rave reviews even then, cementing its place in the horror hall of fame. Perhaps one of the first movies to introduce children as vessels of horror, The Exorcist follows a twelve-year-old girl (Linda Blair) suffering from a neurological disorder… at least that’s what they think it is at first.

In the age of CGI and deepfakes, traveling back to the golden age of practical effects is a breath of fresh air. While practical effects, especially those from the 70s, may not manufacture the same realism (or uncanniness) of CGI, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and it definitely doesn’t take away from the terrifying events taking place on screen. Hailed as a “triumph of special effects” by Roger Ebert back in the 70s, it is still true half a century later. The flying furniture, projectile vomiting, and rotating heads were done with the best of their abilities back then, which isn’t much by today’s standards, but they are still terrifying and obscene and brutal to watch.

The performances still hold up to this day. The mother’s (Ellen Burstyn) frustration is contagious as she continually argues with the doctors that insist her daughter is suffering from symptoms related to brain lesions when it is very obviously, though not as credibly, something way more sinister. If you’re looking for a fun spooky flick, The Exorcist is not that. It is pure horror, raw in emotion, a flaying of the senses. Approach with caution.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can find The Exorcist on Apple TV and Google Play. But don’t say we didn’t warn you.

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