Horror history was changed forever in 1973 with the release of William Friedkin‘s The Exorcist. This masterclass in dread was a smashing critical and box office success that reevaluated the perception of horror movies. In a time when they were still called mindless fun and gory shlock, The Exorcist challenged that perception and scared people with its chilling premise about a young, innocent girl (Linda Blair) being taken over by a demonic spirit. It shocked, stunned, and completely terrified viewers out of their minds, while also telling a pretty well-crafted and paced story. With its success, now they can be unrelenting nightmares but also gripping masterpieces with perfect writing, direction, and high production values. Nominated for ten Academy Awards and winning two for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound, The Exorcist became the most acclaimed horror movie up to that point, forever pushing the genre further into the spotlight as one of the most recognizable forms of filmmaking in the entertainment world.
Today, The Exorcist is widely considered one of the greatest horror masterpieces in history, a film celebrated for its timelessness and iconic terror. It truly feels like a nightmarish experience with every rewatch, and there is, of course, no denying its impact on popular culture. Yes, it’s a cinematic achievement unlike any other, but really, it’s not without a few rivals. Many iconic films throughout history have competed for the scariest and greatest horror movie of all time, with some, like The Exorcist, rising to the top of the list, while others failed to even get a mention. With so many masterpieces out there, only a few could definitely top this one’s legacy. Let’s take a look through the horror pantheon and call out three other masterpieces that are arguably better than The Exorcist. From a Best Picture-winning thriller to a horrifying monster classic, these three challenge The Exorcist‘s legacy, its scare factor, and overall impact on the horror genre.
‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)
For a while, The Exorcist held the title of the most acclaimed horror film. Well, that was until that title was given to the late Jonathan Demme‘s 1991 masterpiece, The Silence of the Lambs. An absolute masterclass in suspense, mystery, and mounting dread, this psychological crime thriller shocked the world when it was released, becoming a major hit critically and financially. Based on the popular novel series by Thomas Harris, it’s an eerie mystery that follows an FBI trainee who is asked to probe the mind of a brilliant convicted cannibal to help track down another serial killer before he murders the daughter of a powerful state senator. Winning the rare “Big Five” at the Academy Awards, meaning Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress, it has joined the elites as one of the most acclaimed films in motion picture history.
The Silence of the Lambs fired on every cylinder to become perfect. From Demme’s talents behind the camera, the perfect pacing and build-up, to Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster‘s exceptional, Oscar-winning performances, there’s so much fascination to behold with this one, and it just keeps getting more incredible with age. It reigns today as the most award-winning horror movie ever, and is the only one of this genre to win Best Picture. Ageless, exciting, and undeniably memorable, The Silence of the Lambs has The Exorcist beat in more ways than one.
‘Psycho’ (1960)
Before The Exorcist horrified generations past the ’70s, the great Sir Alfred Hitchcock was already doing so in the ’60s with another horror game-changer called Psycho. Oscar nominees Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh star in this pulse-pounding mystery of a Phoenix desk secretary who steals from her boss and runs off into the desert. But after stopping at an isolated motel one night, she meets the seemingly friendly owner, Norman Bates, who lives with a reclusive, sickly mother. But as their night progresses, Norman soon reveals he’s not as kind and harmless as he initially appears.
Released in 1960 as one of the earliest influences on the current slasher subgenre, Psycho is widely considered Hitchcock’s crowning achievement, his masterclass in suspense and terror that continues to scare and influence modern pop culture. Considering it’s endlessly praised for its influence, some could argue it changed cinema more than The Exorcist. Psycho brought so much new to the landscape of horror, as it was a boundary pusher that broke censorship codes, got a lot more risqué and violent, and pushed for darker storytelling. It’s a proto-slasher, codifying the subgenre by introducing a lot of its famous tropes, like a human killer, a twist reveal, the killer dressing up to murder his victims, and an iconic murder weapon (a kitchen knife in this one). What Psycho has done for horror is unlike anything the genre has ever seen. With its timeless feel, endlessly praised story and character, and its tight grip on pop culture, Psycho will likely always be hailed as the most significant horror film in history.
‘The Thing’ (1982)
At the end of the day, The Exorcist can truly be topped by what so many horror lovers consider to be the most gripping, anxiety-inducing, suspenseful, and claustrophobic horror movie of all time, and that’s 1982’s The Thing. Kurt Russell, Keith David, and the late T. K. Carter lead an impressive cast in a chilling premise about an American research team in the Antarctic tundra as their base becomes under attack by a shapeshifting alien creature that’s able to disguise itself as any one of them. Paranoia and desperation ensue as the survivors try to stop this creature before it can take over the world. Created by the legendary John Carpenter, this science fiction horror masterpiece is a trailblazer, a genre-defining classic that has inspired countless horror movies today and continues to be ranked highly as an all-time great of the genre. This enduring acclaim is still amazing, considering The Thing famously flopped hard upon release, being a commercial and critical bomb. Alas, it has since been widely praised and endlessly rewatched.
The Thing quite improves with age, showing a high level of competence and passion behind its creation from Carpenter and his crew, with him even stating this film was his best work ever. The writing is top-notch, the performances of the twelve-man cast are all flawless, the setting perfectly captures the fear and isolation of the tone, and of course, the practical make-up effects artist Rob Botton used to bring the alien creature to life on the big screen continues to hold up remarkably well today, even overshadowing most modern CGI effects. When it comes to it, The Thing is a perfect horror masterpiece, a top contender for sure that’s just as brilliant and influential in the genre as The Exorcist, and in some ways, exceeds it.