10 More Horror Movie Answers Fans Had To Wait For
4. The Demon's Identity - Exorcist II: The Heretic
It's hard to fathom how much of a worldwide sensation The Exorcist was. Not only did William Friedkin's bloodcurdling masterpiece traumatise moviegoers across the globe, it became the most successful R-rated horror ever, featured one of the most iconic theme songs of all time, won two Oscars, and elevated the genre as a whole.
This is a remarkable achievement considering how minimalistic the plot is, with The Exorcist centred on young Regan MacNeil being possessed by a demon. The prologue indicates this entity has connections with a talisman in Mesopotamia, but that's not much to go by. By the time the movie is over, viewers still don't know the demon's true motivation, origin, or name.
However, all was divulged in Exorcist II: The Heretic... unfortunately. Upon investigation, it's uncovered that Regan was possessed by an Assyrian demon called Pazuzu, who targets people with psychic abilities. It turns out that Pazuzu took over Regan's body to quash her dormant powers, believing she was the forerunner of a new type of humanity.
Even though The Exorcist worked perfectly by maintaining the mystery, The Heretic threw it all away with a revelation that was stupid and nonsensical.