10 Most Controversial Horror Movie Moments

After 12-year-old Regan is possessed by a demon called Pazuzu, she becomes violent and lashes out at her family physically and verbally. As her body and mind is consumed by the malevolent entity, two priests are brought in to exorcise the demon from the child's body.

Although audiences had seen scary kids in movies before, nobody had ever witnessed anything of this scale. Linda Blair's performance as Regan is so relentlessly ferocious, it's easy to forget the actress is barely a teenager.

But Blair's career-defining role isn't the only reason why The Exorcist is remembered. It has become infamous due to its shocking imagery. The spider-walk, the rotating head, and the gushing vomit shocked viewers back in the day.

Although these scenes may not be as scary nowadays since they've been parodied to death, one moment that is still difficult to watch is when Regan repeatedly stabs her vagina with a crucifix. When her mother tries to stop her, Regan forces her parent to lick her bleeding genitalia.

It may be debatable whether The Exoricst deserves its title as the scariest movie ever but it's abundantly clear why it's hailed as one of the most controversial.