The Exorcist
Movie • 1973 • Horror
Report12-year-old Regan MacNeil begins to adapt an explicit new personality as strange events befall the local area of Georgetown. Her mother becomes torn between science and superstition in a desperate bid to save her daughter, and ultimately turns to her last hope: Father Damien Karras, a troubled priest who is struggling with his own faith.
This movie contains 57 potentially triggering events.
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Your Triggers
Yes
1
No
56
Unanswered Triggers
Yes
0
No
0
Abandonment
Yes
0
No
10
Is a child abandoned by a parent?
22 supporters
Yes
14
No
3
3
Dr.Teatime
Regan has an absentee father who doesn't show up in the movie.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
13
Abuse
Yes
0
No
13
Yes
1
No
12
Yes
0
No
32
Yes
6
No
31
4
SparkieKong
Regan does beat the snot out of her mom, but it's just the demon and not really her.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
8
No
2
Yes
0
No
15
1
text
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone gaslighted?
26 supporters
Yes
8
No
23
1
Aulynduel
A mother tells her daughter’s doctor that something unexplained happened and he told her that it wasn’t the problem, that it was a hallucination.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
43
No
6
5
SparkieKong
Yes and no. She's possessed and to keep her from hurting herself or others, she's tied to a bed. It's not abuse per se... as her family is trying to protect her, but some might feel it to be.
3 comments | Add comment
Addiction
Yes
40
No
0
0
burntheworm
misprescribed mediation is injected often in this movie. no person suffers from addiction, and when drugs are brought up the mother says "i dont even smoke grass". all drugs in this movie are used in ways that would be medically responsible-ish (for the 70s) if the patient were not demonically possessed.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
No
30
Does someone abuse alcohol?
5 supporters
Yes
39
No
4
4
calvinball81
A secondary character is shown drunk and verbally abusive in several scenes.
1 comment | Add comment
Animal
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
1
No
36
Yes
0
No
38
Yes
0
No
39
Yes
55
No
5
17
Buzzhive17
Around the time stamp 00:09:55, there are two dogs fighting each other, but they're only on screen for a little while and the rest is just intense growling
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
34
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
45
Yes
0
No
15
Yes
1
No
43
Yes
0
No
42
Yes
0
No
13
Yes
0
No
42
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
41
Assault
Yes
13
No
1
Yes
15
No
0
Is there pedophilia?
61 supporters
Yes
3
No
12
3
burntheworm
the possessed child is twelve years old and demands sexual things of many of the adults around her. none even remotely reciprocate her demands, but if you are uncomfortable with a twelve year old demanding to be assaulted by most people she meets this may not be the movie for you.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
13
Yes
4
No
7
Yes
0
No
11
Is someone restrained?
11 supporters
Yes
27
No
0
1
the main character is restrained to her bed while she's possessed to detain the demon
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
44
No
1
6
SparkieKong
Technically the demon Regan's possessed by assaulted her with a crucifix.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
2
No
7
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
4
No
13
3
Anonymous
See the section on genital trauma.
1 comment | Add comment
Bodily Harm
Is there shaving/cutting?
1 supporters
Yes
6
No
32
5
Regan is shown with more cuts on her face as the movie progresses, but she’s never seen cutting them.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
1
No
7
Yes
8
No
1
Yes
8
No
1
Does someone struggle to breathe?
13 supporters
Yes
30
No
3
3
TheDreammweaver
In a lot of scenes with the demon wheezing can be heard.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
11
Yes
0
No
31
Yes
0
No
15
Yes
2
No
10
Yes
0
No
41
Yes
0
No
38
Is there body horror?
27 supporters
Yes
20
No
0
2
Dr.Teatime
Regan turns her head in a full circle.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
34
Does a head get squashed?
32 supporters
Yes
0
No
39
7
Anonymous
No, but a girl literally spins her head in a complete circle.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
15
Yes
0
No
34
Yes
0
No
13
Yes
0
No
34
Yes
13
No
0
Yes
41
No
0
Does someone have a seizure?
3 supporters
Yes
46
No
1
2
Raygender
A child experiences convulsions for much of the film due to demonic possession. She is initially theorized to have a seizure disorder.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there genital trauma/mutilation?
42 supporters
Yes
46
No
0
8
TheDreammweaver
The demon stabs Regan (looks like Regan stabs herself) in the genitals with a crucifix.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
41
Yes
51
No
1
Does someone fall down stairs?
3 supporters
Yes
23
No
1
1
burntheworm
two men fall down the stairs to their deaths, one onscreen and one off.
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone fall to their death?
6 supporters
Yes
58
No
0
4
sereqnity
At the end of the exorcism, the demon enters Father Karras and while possessed he jumps out the window, rolls down a large flight of stairs and falls to his death
1 comment | Add comment
Is there eye mutilation?
1 supporters
Yes
1
No
41
10
Leota
No, but physically altered eyes (ex. rolling in the back of the head, bloodshot)
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone stabbed?
5 supporters
Yes
11
No
4
2
Anonymous
Yes, in the genitals with a metal cross
2 comments | Add comment
Is there excessive gore?
49 supporters
Yes
3
No
18
3
i don't know what would be considered excessive, but some parts are pretty upsetting and/or disgusting
2 comments | Add comment
Children
Yes
0
No
13
Does a kid die?
25 supporters
Yes
0
No
44
4
Raygender
No, but the plot centers around a child in mortal danger.
1 comment | Add comment
Is a minor sexualized?
58 supporters
Yes
18
No
0
2
Dr.Teatime
The demon possessing Regan says a lot of vulgar things, telling others to fuck her and such.
1 comment | Add comment
Creepy Crawly
Yes
0
No
12
Death
Does someone sacrifice themselves?
7 supporters
Yes
18
No
0
2
Anonymous
It happens at the end of the film. A major character kills themselves to save Regan, the possessed child.
1 comment | Add comment
Does a major character die?
1 supporters
Yes
18
No
0
3
One of the major characters dies at the end
1 comment | Add comment
Does a non-human character die?
1 supporters
Yes
3
No
13
0
burntheworm
the demon probably does at the end
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
17
No
0
Disability
Yes
0
No
20
Yes
0
No
10
Drugs/Alcohol
Yes
0
No
19
Family
Yes
0
No
31
Does a parent die?
6 supporters
Yes
46
No
4
5
sereqnity
The priest's mother dies
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
36
Yes
0
No
26
Yes
3
No
9
Fear
Are there jumpscares?
28 supporters
Yes
55
No
2
3
Quad
At least twice in the movie there are “subliminal images” of a demon that pop up for a millisecond or though. Debatable whether they’re jumpscares, but I say they are. Made me jump. There may be more jumpscares though, I didn’t finish the movie.
3 comments | Add comment
Is someone possessed?
8 supporters
Yes
79
No
2
16
AdhesiveMadMan
It's called "The Exorcist" for a reason.
4 comments | Add comment
Are there ghosts?
5 supporters
Yes
39
No
12
0
burntheworm
the possession is done via demon but the demon seemingly channels a priest's dead mother to taunt him
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
39
Yes
1
No
13
Yes
0
No
11
Yes
0
No
15
Is there a shower scene?
5 supporters
Yes
8
No
31
5
Leota
There is a bath scene though (not sexualized)
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
14
Gross
Does someone wet/soil themselves?
11 supporters
Yes
50
No
0
6
Regan wets herself during the party scene after telling a man he’s going to die.
2 comments | Add comment
Does someone vomit?
56 supporters
Yes
114
No
1
12
sereqnity
The girl projectile vomits on the priest when she first meets him. She also vomits during the exorcism
8 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
16
Yes
0
No
12
Does someone spit?
8 supporters
Yes
54
No
0
5
Regan spits at a docter towards the very beginning.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
32
No
1
Yes
1
No
14
Large-scale Violence
Are there 9/11 depictions?
4 supporters
Yes
0
No
16
1
burntheworm
movie is from 1973
1 comment | Add comment
Law Enforcement
Yes
0
No
28
Yes
0
No
12
LGBTQ+
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
15
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
0
No
15
Loss
Is a priceless artifact destroyed?
2 supporters
Yes
0
No
11
1
burntheworm
no, but the movie does open on an archeological expedition in iraq. it is shot very neutrally and nothing is destroyed, just excavated and observed.
1 comment | Add comment
Medical
Is electro-therapy used?
15 supporters
Yes
3
No
36
1
burntheworm
no, but the phrase "shock therapy" is used to refer to a therapy that is jarring instead of actually using electricity
1 comment | Add comment
Are needles/syringes used?
18 supporters
Yes
59
No
0
6
sgeorge2
There is a prolonged scene of Regan undergoing a procedure that requires a needle to be inserted into her throat while she is conscious and clearly distressed, and this is supposed to be suspenseful to the viewer as we wonder if she will have another possession attack.
2 comments | Add comment
Is there a mental institution scene?
16 supporters
Yes
43
No
3
6
spaghettiregretti
Father Karras' mother is put into a mental institution early in the movie, there is only one short scene here
2 comments | Add comment
Is there a hospital scene?
7 supporters
Yes
58
No
1
6
AdhesiveMadMan
A young girl is put through two medical procedures: Carotid angiography, and pneumoencepholography. The former was performed by actual medical staff and the procedure was carried out in real-time.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
0
No
40
Mental Health
Yes
1
No
14
Does someone have a mental illness?
12 supporters
Yes
8
No
6
2
Anonymous
There’s literally a mental institution scene where some of the people pictured were actual patients being filmed without knowing
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
48
No
0
5
sereqnity
While possessed she hurts herself with a crucifix multiple times
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
11
Is a mentally ill person violent?
17 supporters
Yes
2
No
21
7
Raygender
A character is incredibly violent due to possession, but this is initially attributed to a mental or neurological illness by family and doctors.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there D.I.D. misrepresentation?
12 supporters
Yes
14
No
3
3
Anonymous
There is mention of the possessed girl possibly having a “split personality”, and the demonic possession is sometimes referred to as “her personalities”
2 comments | Add comment
Does someone attempt suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
48 supporters
Add comment
Yes
13
No
0
Is reality unstable or unhinged?
10 supporters
Yes
4
No
9
0
burntheworm
there are a few dream sequences but it is made clear when the characters are sleeping ahead of time
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone have a meltdown?
5 supporters
Yes
3
No
9
0
burntheworm
there are many instances of regan acting uncontrollably, and near the end she is holding herself shaking in the corner of a room begging for her mother to help her. this is more evocative of a meltdown than truly being one, but keep it in mind.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
24
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
0
No
13
Is there body dysmorphia?
17 supporters
Yes
13
No
32
7
TheDreammweaver
No body dysmorphia, that’s a self image disorder. There is body horror but 0 body dysmorphia.
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone say "I'll kill myself"?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
24
Yes
33
No
0
Is there a claustrophobic scene?
14 supporters
Yes
3
No
31
2
I consider some of the hospital scenes a little claustrophobic
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone have an eating disorder?
22 supporters
Yes
0
No
41
9
NotAgainAllison
NO BUT SHE DOES HAVE AN NJ TUBE SO THAT COULD TRIGGER SOME PEOPLE
1 comment | Add comment
Is there autism specific abuse?
30 supporters
Yes
0
No
31
3
burntheworm
no character in the movie has autism, but while theyre misdiagnosing regan they give her some medication thats been used on kids with ADHD and autism. that paired with her being regularly restrained does evoke a few things related to autism specific abuse.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
41
No
0
2
sgeorge2
At the end of the film a man jumps from a window and dies
1 comment | Add comment
Noxious
Yes
16
No
0
Yes
0
No
13
Does a baby cry?
12 supporters
Yes
8
No
17
5
BrookletHill
In an early scene where Father Damien goes to his mothers apartment, you can faintly hear a baby crying in the background
1 comment | Add comment
Is there shakey cam?
1 supporters
Yes
14
No
25
5
TobiWobi
There are multiple “earthquakes” during the exoricsm
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
15
No
0
Is there obscene language/gestures?
4 supporters
Yes
23
No
0
5
The demon says a lot of unpleasant things through a child's mouth
2 comments | Add comment
Are there flashing lights or images?
23 supporters
Yes
18
No
22
7
Quad
At least twice in the movie “subliminal images” of a demon pop up on the screen for a millisecond or so. Just one flash each.
4 comments | Add comment
Paranoia
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
0
No
19
Pregnancy
Yes
0
No
18
Yes
0
No
31
Yes
0
No
29
Yes
0
No
18
Yes
0
No
35
Yes
0
No
32
Prejudice
Yes
0
No
33
Yes
0
No
37
Yes
0
No
33
Are there homophobic slurs?
29 supporters
Yes
40
No
1
9
Leota
Regan says the F-slur while possessed
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
3
No
21
0
burntheworm
there is a scene where a drunk man at a party harasses a swiss server by calling him a nazi over and over. when the server is held back after hitting him, he can be heard yelling "i'm jewish!" as he is pulled away from the man harassing him. the swiss man is seen to be fine later in the film.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
24
Is there hate speech?
18 supporters
Yes
46
No
0
6
sereqnity
Reagan says many offensive things while possessed
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
1
No
39
Yes
7
No
22
Yes
0
No
26
Yes
0
No
14
Race
Yes
0
No
10
Relationships
Yes
0
No
14
Religious
Is religion discussed?
9 supporters
Yes
14
No
0
2
burntheworm
the main exorcist is undergoing a crisis of faith over the course of the movie
1 comment | Add comment
Are there demons or Hell?
8 supporters
Yes
14
No
0
3
jdpamv
Yes, the whole plot is about trying to exorcise a demon.
1 comment | Add comment
Sex
Is there sexual content?
33 supporters
Yes
53
No
0
3
Foul language/sexual remarks made by the demon possessing Regan…
2 comments | Add comment
Is someone sexually objectified?
23 supporters
Yes
17
No
0
2
TobiWobi
The demon calls Regan a sow and proceeds to do sexual things to her own body
1 comment | Add comment
Are there nude scenes?
19 supporters
Yes
4
No
12
3
Metta
no nudity on screen. there is one bathtub scene but we don't see the characters body below the shoulders
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
17
Is there BDSM?
12 supporters
Yes
1
No
7
2
spencerinjection
Minor spoiler
No BDSM but the demon does sexually torture the child it is possessing in one scene and force her to sexually torture her mother. None of this is consensual BDSM obviously, but if someone is triggered by BDSM, this scene will be triggering.
No BDSM but the demon does sexually torture the child it is possessing in one scene and force her to sexually torture her mother. None of this is consensual BDSM obviously, but if someone is triggered by BDSM, this scene will be triggering.
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone lose their virginity?
8 supporters
Yes
1
No
9
0
burntheworm
ummmm the scene where the 12 year old stabs herself repeatedly in the genitals with a cross results in a lot of blood going everywhere. it is likely mutilation but you could also read it as the demon "popping her cherry" and making her bleed that way. it is probable that she does lose her virginity in this instance.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
27
No
11
8
reeah
The demon shoves the mom's face into Reagan's bloody pubic area while having Reagan scream "lick it"
2 comments | Add comment
Sexism
Yes
0
No
17
Sickness
Yes
0
No
12
Does someone have a chronic illness?
6 supporters
Yes
8
No
4
5
Cryptid_Crow
The eldest priest takes nitroglycerin tablets for a heart condition.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there dementia/Alzheimer's?
15 supporters
Yes
9
No
5
4
The priest mother gets put into an hospital for dementia
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
No
8
Social
Is someone homeless?
4 supporters
Yes
12
No
6
6
BrookletHill
Father Damien talks to a homeless man near the beginning of the movie.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
11
Yes
0
No
10
Is existentialism debated?
6 supporters
Yes
2
No
6
0
burntheworm
themes of death, god, and the afterlife are present throughout the movie
1 comment | Add comment
Spoiler
Yes
0
No
33
Yes
1
No
10
Does it have a sad ending?
1 supporters
Yes
16
No
26
5
TheDreammweaver
Yes and no. Regan isn’t possessed anymore but the priests who saved her died.
4 comments | Add comment
Vehicular
Yes
0
No
33
Yes
0
No
15
Yes
0
No
34
Yes
0
No
32
Violence
Yes
0
No
35
Yes
50
No
1
Yes
0
No
32
Yes
1
No
32