The last few years have been an ever-changing battlefield when it comes to where any given movie classic is streaming. With seemingly every studio and TV network on the block beta testing a brand-new subscription service, it’s easy to forget that some of the best films of all time are on the OG streamer, Netflix. Unfortunately, time is running out to catch possibly the greatest horror movies of all time on the platform.
If you’ve only been checking in to Netflix to see the network’s original content such as Bridgerton, Ozark, or The Lincoln Lawyer, or the many licensed TV shows on the service like The Crown or Downton Abbey, you may have entirely forgotten that there are some legitimate Hollywood gems available with your membership. And none of their offerings are more terrifying than The Exorcist.
The 1973 classic tells the story of a famous actor and single mother, Chris MacNeill played by Ellen Burstyn, and her daughter Regan, played by Linda Blair. The pair lead an idyllic life until Regan begins acting strangely, and then terrifyingly. When the medical and scientific communities are both unable to help, the unbelieving MacNeill turns to the Catholic Church for help. What is uncovered turns out to be an ancient evil — and one of cinema’s most harrowing depictions of demonic possession ever filmed.
The movie is widely regarded as a key influence in mainstreaming horror movies and is the watershed from which so-called elevated horror of the current day, such as Hereditary, Midsommar, and Get Out spring. The movie was a cultural phenomenon, with lines of moviegoers waiting to see it often blocks long. Even today, it is listed as one of the greatest horror movies ever made, regularly topping critics’ “Best of” lists.
But just avoiding nightmares is no reason to sleep on the horror classic. The movie’s shelf-life has shortened to just over a month, as Netflix has announced it will be removing the film from its lineup at the end of June.
The Exorcist is currently available on Netflix until June 30.