Although he had something of a renaissance towards the end of his career, the late William Friedkin is best remembered for his imperial period during the 1970s. The Exorcist, a film that has terrified generations of filmgoers, is here re-released in 4K digital for its fiftieth anniversary. Investigation of the out-of-character behaviour of 12-year-old Regan (Linda Blair) leads her worried mother (Ellen Burstyn) away from medicine to the possibility of demonic possession. She enlists Fathers Karras (Jason Miller) and Merrin (Max von Sydow) to save her child. Elements of the film’s dialogue and imagery have passed into pop culture, its shocking elements masking a serious study of spiritual faith.

Notes by Kevin Coyne