The Exorcist - A Terrifying, Surreal Movie By Friedkin

The Exorcist 

Friedkin returns! I liked <i>The French Connection</i> but <i>Exorcist</i> is at <i>Sorcerer's</i> level. It's a movie that uses truth and twists it. It twists doubt and challenges faith. I think it's what makes this movie so powerful. It challenges you and your beliefs, particularly if you're a Christian like myself. I can honestly say that I appreciated Friedkin's challenge. There are truly some soul-crushing, chilling moments that were some of the most disturbing moments I've gone through in a horror film. Every character is going through an internal crisis, and it's worth asking what the real horror of this movie is. Pazuzu or the deep internal struggle inside all of us? Seeing the complex swirl of emotions that these characters go through was quite captivating. The climax was riveting and freakish. Max von Sydow plays one of the all-time great horror characters in this movie, and he's used quite skillfully by Friedkin. Sydow has when such a magnetic presence you're watching him every time he's on-screen. When he arrives at the house at night, and we get that iconic shot, it felt so unique from anything I'd seen. Friedkin fills the movie with thoughtful and unnerving conversations about this strange world of ours. The showdown at the end was so different from anything that would happen in movies now. It got under my skin in a way most movies don't always succeed in doing. <i>The Exorcist</i> is far from a normal movie. When people talk about this movie being one of the most horrifying experiences ever and being a cursed film, they're right. There's not a movie quite like this. The film's a constant build-up of anticipation, and it pays off beautifully at the end. It's a unique beast and something only someone like Friedkin could craft. 

Strong Recommend

9/10

- Noah Newcomb