100 Greatest Horror Movies Of All Time
5. The Exorcist
Every single frame of William Friedkin's The Exorcist is dripping with dread, from the scorching deserts of Africa to the seemingly unassuming suburban streets of Washington. Though everyone remembers Regan's projectile vomiting and masturbating with a crucifix, it's the slow build that precedes these explosions of supernatural violence that makes them so effective, particularly Father Karras' nightmares about his late mother.
In fact, in most cases it's what you don't see that's more terrifying than what you do. A scene where Ellen Burstyn's Kris is told that her daughter was the last person to see her murdered friend Burke alive, with the stairs leading up to Regan's bedroom always in frame, is oppressively haunting, a reminder that the demon could be doing god knows what mere feet away. Hell, The Exorcist is so good that it'll make you petrified of a flight of steps.
The escalation of horror is masterfully crafted as well, and every time you enter that bedroom you know Regan's condition will have only deteriorated, and you brace yourself for what fresh hell is going to be in store for both you and the characters.
It works because everyone is giving their all; though Friedkin ensured that the demon's face would be enough to scare movie-goers for decades, it lingers so vividly because of the horror that's unable to be concealed on the face of every single cast member.
[JB]