1973 Hit Film Was Just Ranked the 'Most Universally Beloved Horror Movie' of All Time
Since its release in 1973, The Exorcist has been scaring and fascinating audiences with its creepy, yet contemplative tale of a possessed child named Regan (Linda Blair). So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Collider recently named the film, based on William Peter Blatty's 1971 novel, as the "most universally beloved horror movie of all time."
Other horror films listed on Collider's ranking included spooky hits like 1982's The Thing, The Shining from 1980, and Halloween released in 1978.
The Exorcist, which has a score of 83 on Metacritic, grossed a total of $430,872,776 worldwide, per Box Office Mojo.
The Director of 'The Exorcist' Shared Why He Thought the Film Was Considered a Classic
In a 2013 panel at the Dallas International Film Festival, the film's director, William Friedkin, shared why he believed The Exorcist has remained so beloved among horror fans. He said that the movie immediately gained quite the reputation for being terrifying. According to Friedkin, the expectation of the film being frightening makes it an even more exciting and unsettling viewing experience.
"The Exorcist came out, people had heard that it was a scary film. You hear something is scary your mind is preset to be frightened, it's like walking down a street in your own life or going somewhere where something terrible has happened, maybe a bad accident," said the director, who died in 2023 at the age of 83.
He also said that scary films like The Exorcist allow audiences to experience something horrifying while retaining their safety.
"When you come into a movie theater, you have that but you are also in a kind of safe darkness," explained the filmmaker while on the panel. "You're sitting in a movie theater, usually surrounded by other people who are going through the same experience, but you know that you can get up when it's over and walk out. You know this isn't happening to you really."
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This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 10:20 AM.