Landing at or near the top of best horror films of all time, The Exorcist scared the tar out of me as a kid, and even in high school. Watching it as an adult, although it's not nearly as scary, it is a really well-made, complex horror film which has a number of levels of interpretation. Long story short (and everybody knows it anyway), a young girl named Regan acts strangely and is found to be possessed by a demon after playing with a Ouija Board. Before her mother comes to this conclusion, however, she has her daughter undergo much medical testing. Finally, her mother calls upon a priest (with his own issues and a background in psychiatrics) to exorcise her daughter's demon(s).
The best aspects of this film are how the filmmakers are not afraid to take time to build up suspense, and take time to establish the characters of Regan and her mother before throwing them into the possession nightmare. Even after 30 years, the film has some genuinely shocking parts and was banned in Britain for many years (and may even still be banned today). The special effects are good and not distracting and limited to "necessary" effects. And the film is not just about demonic possession, but encompasses broader subjects like adolescence, family relationships, The Church, ancient evil, modern medical practices and their fallibility. And it's genuinely scary, particularly to this lapsed Catholic. It's so very much about what is unknown in the world. What else can you say?
