When a mysterious entity possesses a young girl, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.
Acting
Linda Blair at 14—terrifying, vulnerable, Oscar-nominated chaos.
Direction
Friedkin tortured everyone for authenticity, and it shows.
Sound
Tubular Bells still chills spines 50 years later.
Director
William Friedkin
Ellen Burstyn
Chris MacNeil
Linda Blair
Regan MacNeil
Jason Miller
Father Damien Karras
Max von Sydow
Father Lankester Merrin
Lee J. Cobb
Lt. Bill Kinderman
William O'Malley
Father Joseph Kevin Dyer
Kitty Winn
Sharon Spencer
Barton Heyman
Dr. Klein
Peter Masterson
Dr. Barringer
Jack MacGowran
Burke Dennings
Rudolf Schündler
Karl
Gina Petrushka
Willi
Robert Symonds
Dr. Taney
Arthur Storch
Psychiatrist
Thomas Bermingham
Tom
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Linda Blair's voice was overdubbed by Mercedes McCambridge, a chain-smoking alcoholic who demanded no credit—then sued when Warner Bros. obeyed.
Evangelical audiences initially protested, then embraced it as proof of demonic reality—the film accidentally became recruiting material for exorcism ministries.
US
