There was a big impact on the horror genre when The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin, was released in theatres in the mid 1970s. The movie had its greatest impact on the audience and religious movie goers. At the time if you had not seen the movie you wanted to in order to know what everyone was talking about.
One would tend to react to the movie depending on which group one was affiliated with. Religious moviegoers were not all happy when the movie came out because they felt it showed the power of Satan too much. However, others felt that the power of God was shown more strongly throughout the film. Satanists or other occult worshippers in general loved the movie because it made them feel as if Satan really existed.
The Exorcist also had a powerful impact on its audience because of the gruesome events that took place in the film. The little girl, Regan (Linda Blair), twists her head all the way around at one point and often inflicts pain on herself. These events were very hard and frightening for audiences to watch because of the time period the movie was made. However, the movie did spark questions as to whether or not Satan and God really existed. Audiences were also plagued by wondering if demons can really take over someone's body. In the movie it is as if good and evil are battling and using the young girl to do it. All these aspects of the film haunted its viewers with questions and nightmares.
In conclusion, the film The Exorcist has greatly influenced the world around it, including the viewers and religious organizations world wide. It is a film that will go down in history as the most talked about and scary movie of its time. It will continue to influence future generations and aid in the creation of future films.