2. The Exorcist
You all knew it would be coming up somewhere on this list and... well, you were right. The Exorcist is now a household name, renowned worldwide for its controversial religious context, graphic imagery and purported miscarriage inducing fear factor. William Friedkin's 1973 horror film is arguably the most notorious horror film ever made, perhaps even the most notorious film ever made. The Exorcist details the demonic possession of a young girl called Reagan and the exorcism performed upon her by two priests, Father Kerris and Father Merrin. Between the film's superb exploration of Kerris' wavering faith and Merrin's history, Friedkin fits in some real balls to the wall scares before the exorcism commences. The infamous spider walk down the stairs and the candle in the attic sequence stick firmly in one's memory; both boldly standing the test of time. However, the film's more uncomfortable frights come in the form of conversations between the priests and the demon. A standout moment sees the demon repeat something a beggar had said to Kerris days beforehand, asking "can you spare some change for an old altar boy, Father?". This moment may seem insignificant initially, but it's a perniciously significant scene that builds on you - suggesting that if God is omniscient, the Devil has to be also. The Exorcist's manipulation of people's religious leanings as a means of inciting fear proved too much for both the individual and the state. People regularly fainted in screenings and many countries decided to ban the film. Considered too scary for home viewing by The Video Recordings Act, it was refused release in the UK until 1990. Unlike almost every other film on this list, The Exorcist was not banned on the grounds of morally corrupt or visually abhorrent imagery, it was literally just because it was so scary. It actually beggars belief that a horror film could be so successful in frightening its audience that governments decide to just outright ban it. Well done, Friedkin. Well done indeed. Fortunately the film's numerous bannings in no way affected its success - it grossed $441 worldwide at the box office and became one of the most infamous films of all time. Part of me wishes it could have remained banned a little longer, it scared the absolute hell out of me as a child, I blame my parents.