SPOILERS AHEAD!

Who was Regan MacNeil?

Regan was the main character in the movie “The Exorcist.” She was the character to get possessed by the demon Pazuzu. Regan was usually a child who was described as shy, and it wasn’t like her to behave aggressively. Chris, her mother, is determined to be a good mother; spending all of her days off with Regan. Since she is an atheist, Chris does not teach Regan about religion, and without Chris’ approval, Regan learns about religion from Sharon, Chris’ secretary.

At first, Regan’s possession is not noticeable, other than the occasional change in mood and attitude. Soon though, her changes become evident and Chris knew this wasn’t right. It took her some time to realize that Regan’s bizarre changes were not normal.

What is “The Exorcist”?

The film starts in Georgetown where Chris and Regan live alone during Chris’ divorce. Chris worked on a film directed by her friend Burke. For most of the filming, Chris lived in a nice house with Regan and two servants, Karl and Willi, with her assistant, Sharon, over often. 

Throughout their time living there, Chris heard noises in the attic and Regan told her that it was her imaginary friend “Captain Howdy.” After hearing about this friend, she noticed a change in Regan’s behavior. Chris hosted a party and Regan appeared during the party and peed on the carpet in front of her guests. After Chris put Regan to bed, her bed shook violently, leaving both of them paranoid.

Regan then became violent. She took medical tests which didn’t find anything physically wrong with her. During a house call, a demon possessed Regan’s body, causing her to gain abnormal strength. One night, Chris found the house empty except for Regan. Someone they knew, Dennings, was later found dead at the foot of an outdoor staircase under Regan’s window. When the body was found, its head was turned backward.

Regan got worse, and her body became covered with marks and sores. A doctor mentioned exorcism as an option. The detective working the case visited Chris, explaining that the only cause for Dennings’ death is that he was pushed from Regan’s window. As the detective left, Regan stabbed herself with a crucifix. As Chris was in shock, Regan turned her head backward and mocked Dennings’ voice.

Chris asked Karras, a priest, to help her with Regan which he agreed to do. Over meetings, Regan projectile vomited into Karras’ face, spoke in tongues, and reacted violently when tap water was sprinkled on her, which Karras had said was holy water. Pazuzu said it will remain in Regan until she is dead. Chris told the priest that whatever possessed Regan killed Dennings. At night, Regan’s nanny called Karras to the house. They saw the words “help me” on Regan’s skin. Seeing this, Karras decided to do the exorcism.

Karras performed the exorcism alongside another priest, Merrin. As they performed the exorcism, the demon attacked Karras in a physiological sense, causing him to leave the room and leave Merrin to continue. When Karras re-entered the room, he found Merrin dead. Karras told the demon to take him instead of Regan. The demon began to possess him, freeing Regan. Karras then threw himself out the window and died, getting rid of the demon, too.

How successful was “The Exorcist”?

“The Exorcist” was seen as a cultural phenomenon.  Earning more than $200 million in the U.S. during the winter and early spring of 1974, the movie made over $950 million. The success came from the fact that the movie was new and did not depend on the same old horror movie tropes. “The Exorcist” is now known as one of the best classic horror movies.