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Read the film reference Availability and pricing vary by region.The ExorcistA movie brief.
1973 / Supernatural Horror / Directed by William Friedkin
A mother's desperate fight against an unseen evil for her daughter's soul.
What is The Exorcist about?
An actress notices alarming changes in her young daughter's behavior and health, baffling medical professionals. Convinced of a supernatural cause, she seeks help from two Catholic priests facing their own crises of faith.
Five things to know.
Setup
A young girl's unsettling transformation begins after she plays with a spirit board, introducing an unseen entity into her home.
World
The film establishes a grounded, realistic atmosphere in Washington D.C. before delving into inexplicable, terrifying supernatural events.
Pressure
As medical science fails, the mother's growing desperation leads her to consider the unthinkable: demonic possession requiring an exorcism.
Craft
Director William Friedkin employed demanding techniques, including extreme cold on set, to achieve raw, visceral performances and realism.
Viewing Note
Prepare for a deeply unsettling and intense experience, as the film explores themes of faith, doubt, and innocence lost.
A thought to take with you.
Chris's changing condition is first treated as a medical problem, and her mother pursues help only after those explanations fail. Father Karras faces a related crisis of belief, so the film places a family's fear beside a priest's uncertainty about what he can responsibly promise.
Is it your kind of movie?
Choose it for a slow-building supernatural horror film about a child, a parent, and a priest. It contains disturbing medical and religious imagery.
Sources & scope
This AI-assisted brief is based on the linked secondary reference. Facts and interpretation are separated; it does not claim personal viewing or independent expert review.
Source details checked October 4, 2026. Suggest a correction · Our editorial approach