 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Exorcist
- Review Date: October 4, 2006
- R
- Genre: Horror
- 1973
Common Sense Media says
Trendsetting shocker about a possessed child.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a mature horror film, not aimed at (or paced for) kids. No rock-music soundtracks or look-out-the-killer-is-behind-you scares, but rather an awful sense of corruption as demonic possession takes over an adolescent girl like a loathsome progressive disease. The infamous makeup effects of projectile vomiting and blood, blaspheming, and gutturally obscene language were meant to disturb the viewer as nothing before seen in movies, and they still convey solid shocks.
What's the story?
Linda Blair plays Regan MacNeil, the bright 12-year-old daughter of successful actress Chris (Ellen Burstyn), who can afford to raise the girl in a nurturing atmosphere with live-in cooks and nannies (Regan's absentee father is written off as self-absorbed and oblivious). The first signs of trouble include Regan playing with a Ouija board and claiming she's communicated with a ghost she calls Captain Howdy. Then the girl begins behaving abnormally, urinating in front of party guests and foretelling death for Chris' film-director boyfriend. While Regan suffers grueling medical exams and gets progressively worse, the story line simultaneously follows Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller), a Greek-American Catholic priest with some doubts about his religion. When medical science fails to cure the howling, obscenity-spewing, uncontrollable Regan, doctors point Chris to Father Karras, whose background in psychology includes the now-rare rite of exorcism. Karras summons another priest to help, the wiser and older Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow), and together they begin to do battle with Regan's occupier.
Is it any good?
Thanks in part to Linda Blair's wrenching, Oscar-nominated performance, The Exorcist was a huge hit, earning back 10 times its $10 million budget (a then-lavish sum, outrageous for a "mere" horror flick). Movie historians cite it (along with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) as the conclusive end of old-school spook shows featuring Dracula and Frankenstein and bobbing rubber bats. If you think your teen is ready for this shocking film, keep in mind that audience members in the '70s reportedly fainted and, in some extreme cases, required psychiatric care after seeing Dick Smith's grisly makeup effects on Blair and director William Friedkin's matter-of-fact way of presenting them. Also, the moans, snarls, and profane utterances from Regan (most are actually the dubbed-in voice of a well-known older actress, Mercedes McCambridge) amount to some of the most chilling audio ever done for film.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the film's religious and scientific overtones. Does Father Karras regain his religious faith in the finale, and how does he become almost Christlike? What do you think about the novel's suggestion that this might not be a "real" demon but rather some terrible but explicable mental disorder?
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AGE
classic. just amazing.
Ok you know what? If you are mature, have your mind on right, aren't too bugged by hell or the devil you can see this movie. This movie is not for the woozy or light of heart. Oh, trust me, I watched this with two friends (we have a lot of horror movie parties, this was the first time for all of us watching The Exorcist) and we were scared out of our wits watching it. Violence is so-so, I had to look away when she was in the hospital. Yes, some might call it "disturbing" I was disturbed when she was swinging on her bed for the first time screaming "mother!! mother!". But you know what? I went to sleep like a baby after that movie. It was the last movie we watched and I went to sleep without one nightmare. She pukes, spits, there is some blood, she hits and kicks and punches people. Language is grotesque, but, I mean, she was posessed. Yes, they use the F word, like no 13 year olds have heard that in their lives! And now we get to the infamous masturbating-with-a-crucifix scene. Ok...seriously...regular people who aren't posessed masturbate. If you are really religious I guess it would make you think it was a horrible movie. I respect that. But if you are mature you will really just appreciate this fine work of genius. The Exorcist is amazing, I still can't believe it was made in the '70s...
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AGE
inappropriate rating
this movie may not have butchering, murdering, scary jump out at you scenes but is the scariest movie i have ever scene. as an adult i still do not watch it. i can not believe this movie is rated allowable for teens. it should be no kids. because of this rating for this movie, i do not trust this website and will not use it again to monitor what my kids are exposed to.
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AGE
Terrifying
The possessed child's disturbing tranformation makes it one of the scariest movies of all time. The language is pretty bad and sexual content isn't out of control. Pretty scary movie.
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AGE
Depends on how mature the kid is
Great movie (my all time favorite), some people may not be comfortable with some part in it (ex: when she *bad word*ed herself with a cross), but it's a fantastic and terrifying movie, even though it was made in 1974.
If your kids like scary movies (and don't mind nightmares for the next few weeks after watching this) and are mature enough to handle it, this would be a good movie to consider.
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AGE
The scariest movie of all time will scar you for life, and leave you haunted by the effects.
The Exorcist is the scariest movie of all time. The painstaking process of watching a young girl becoming slowly possessed is like watching a disease coming over a loved one. It is terrifying. The vulgar language and impressive effects was supposed to shock viewers back in 1973, and it is still shocking today. Such as the effects of projectile vomit, transforming into terrifying faces, the soundtrack, and extremely explicit and vulgar language. My grandparents still have their Exorcist barf bags. The combination of disturbing images, vulgar language, and terrifying effect of losing a loved one makes this the most terrifying movie of all time. My suggested MPAA rating, R: Extremely strong/graphic pervasive language, and strong disturbing images
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AGE
Good movie for responsible teens, bad profanity though. watch on tv censcored
Great Movie, The only bad thing is the profanity that the demon possessed girl uses. just maybe mute during the exorcism scene... but anyway, if your kid really wants to see it, your best off watching a censcored version on tv :). hope this review helped!!!
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AGE
The most evil movie ever!!!!!!!
This is one evil movie. It's so evil you'll puke!!!! It's a movie about the devil or Satan. It contains an I love Satan or the devil message. If you love God and worship him, just like me, Don't watch this movie. It will corrupt your mind. If you love Satan or the devil and pratice Satanism, Go ahead!!!!! Watch it!!!!! I highly skip this title for heaven's sake!!!!!!!! Bleh!!!!!!
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AGE
AMAZING!
I loved this horror film. Such a classic. However there are many iffys to it. First of all there is a masturbation scene (not graphic) however the mother is forced to "lick" her possessed child. Gross with vomiting and her scarred face. one scene has her spinning her head and also the famous spider walking scene with blood pouring out of her mouth. The voice is quite frightening and the fathers death is very graphic. Also one scene has the doctors looking into her brain and has very graphic medical uses as sticking a needle in her neck and blood squirting from the artery. Language goes to the last straw with the c word the f word and almost every other profanity word out there. Oh and last but not least the famous peeing on the carpet scene. I enjoyed it but yes this movie IS scary!
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Kid, 9 years old
October 15, 2011
AGE
funny and still a must see!
this is for all the kids out there like me, IT IS SO FUNNNNNNYYYY!!!!! i mean, compare special effects from today, and from 1973. let's compare 127 hours and the exorcist. 127 hours is very realistic, while the exorcist has really fake and boring special effects. yes, its cheezy, but its a must see. and parents should watch out for language and violence.
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| Studio: | Warner Home Video |
| Director: | William Friedkin |
| Cast: | Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Run time: | 132 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | December 26, 1973 |
| DVD release date: | March 26, 1997 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | horror elements, violence, profanity and intensity. |
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