Once I was rising up, The Exorcist (1973) was one of the terrifying movies I had ever seen, not for gore, however for pure, soul-shaking concern. Watching it felt like crossing a line you couldn’t uncross; it is a horror film that left a mark on me. So when my 14-year-old daughter casually stated she’d by no means seen it, I figured it was time. I anticipated terror. As an alternative, 45 minutes in, she turned to me and requested: “When does one thing occur?”
And similar to that, one millennial’s greatest horror motion pictures turned Gen Z’s “this film’s buns.” She tells me “buns” is dangerous. So, let’s break down my expertise watching one in all my favourite horror motion pictures with my daughter.
Gen Z Consideration Span VS. The Sluggish Burn
She wasn’t bored—simply confused. To her, The Exorcist didn’t really feel like a horror film. It felt like a drama. She’s not unsuitable. Like a variety of the most effective Seventies horror motion pictures, it builds stress slowly. There’s ambiance, dread, thriller. You don’t even know what’s occurring for the primary act. However Gen Z, raised on TikTok pacing and streaming-era pace, expects horror to “begin.”
To my sensibilities, The Exorcist stays terrifying immediately, however in comparison with new horror film releases, reminiscent of Weapons, Convey Her Again, and Sinners, it doesn’t fairly come out swinging. At the moment’s horror motion pictures typically really feel just like the scares aren’t earned; they’re scheduled. That’s not nearly consideration span—it’s about narrative expectation. Horror’s cinematic language has modified.
The Exorcist Is All About Constructing Dread, Not Soar Scares
Watching it together with her felt like seeing it by new eyes, as a result of she didn’t flinch on the attic door slam or the demonic face flashes. When Regan growled in her iconic demon voice, she deadpanned: “She feels like an previous smoker.”
She’s not unsuitable—if the film’s behind-the-scenes lore, then you definately’re conscious that actress Mercedes McCambridge truly chain-smoked and drank uncooked eggs to get that sound, based on director William Friedkin. However to my daughter, it wasn’t creepy. It was kinda humorous.
Right here’s the factor: my child loves horror. She’s powered by your entire Conjuring universe, Hereditary, Barbarian, and each Smiles. However she’s used to hyper-edited, adrenaline-shot horror. The Exorcist, to her, felt like a sluggish museum crawl.
The Satan Isn’t Very Scary To Gen Z
Midway by, I spotted one thing–the spiritual concern wasn’t actually touchdown. I grew up in a Pentecostal family. Crucifixes, Latin prayers, and holy water weren’t simply props—they have been loaded symbols. However my daughter, who’s been raised secular? The iconography didn’t register as scary.
For some Gen Z, particularly with ever-growing secularism, Devil isn’t terrifying. Possession seems like mythology, not a menace. Their fears dwell elsewhere—in surveillance, id, and local weather doom.
The Sensible Results Don’t Maintain Up
Then there’s the sensible results. I nonetheless discover them haunting—the spinning head, the shaking mattress, the pea soup vomit. My daughter noticed Spirit Halloween.
And actually? Truthful. She’s grown up with Stranger Issues (out there to stream with a Netflix subscription), The Final of Us, and A Quiet Place. Horror now is available in practically flawless 4 Ok decision. The seams within the Seventies results are beginning to present, now that it is 55 years previous.
However close to the top, one thing clicked. When Father Karras leaped from the window, she set free a mushy “Whoa.” She didn’t concern the film, essentially, however she revered it. After the credit rolled, I requested if she’d watch it once more. She stated, “Perhaps. It wasn’t actually scary. Simply… fascinating.”
And I’ll take that as a result of The Exorcist is fascinating. It is a scary film that lingers. And with the collapse of the unique plan for the Blumhouse Exorcist trilogy, right here’s hoping Mike Flanagan’s upcoming sequel can strike the steadiness—one thing that bridges the hole between old-school dread and trendy terror. One thing each Millennials and their Gen Z horror offspring may be frightened of… collectively.