12 Best Horror Movies About Demonic Possession

This genre would not exist without The Exorcist. It has a special place in cinema as a movie that transcended the confines of the silver screen and became a phenomenon. Just a few notes of Tubular Bells are enough to send a chill down the spine.

When you think of The Exorcist, you think of the final act. There’s terror woven into the very fabric of that climax, but the film is more than this desperate showdown between faith, frailty and devil himself.

The Exorcist is a film of two halves. In the first half, we see the decline of Regan and the desperation of her mother, powerless to help as her daughter succumbs to the ravages of possession. As her decline escalates, the devil shouts from Regan, ‘This hour is mine.’ And the next hour of the film really is.

By the time the priests have mobilised for that final act, what has already happened to Regan is monstrous. It’s upsetting and from this point on, we truly see the devil.

For a horror movie, especially of 1973, The Exorcist is long, at just over two hours. You don’t feel this at all. It marches along at a swift pace, it doesn’t miss a beat. It’s a masterclass in storytelling on screen. This was recognised from the start, the film was nominated for ten and won two Oscars, unheard of for horror.

But it’s the legends that go with the film which elevate it to mythical status. The whole set burnt down during filming and several cast and crew members died before the film was completed. This led to many believing the film to be beleaguered by the presence of the devil himself. Perhaps he was annoyed that he was being played by a little girl.

On release, which bizarrely was at Christmas, the audiences reacted like no audience before. There was vomiting in the aisles, fainting in seats and queues round the block.

In short, this movie is an icon.