5 Disturbing Reasons Why This Horror Classic Is Actually Cursed

Horror movies are meant to shock and terrify us as much as possible. But sometimes, the real horror happens behind the scenes. And The Exorcist (1973) is no exception. In fact, it still is the most controversial and influential horror film ever made, and its legacy extends far beyond the screen.

You may have heard of The Exorcist Curse, but if you've never looked into it closely, you don't even know how deep it goes. Some may dismiss it as mere coincidences or, perhaps, a publicity stunt, but others just see it as evidence of something more sinister at work.

And this is for you to decide. Were these just unfortunate accidents, or was there truly something supernatural going on? Let's look closer at what happened on the infamous set of The Exorcist.

The Price of Authenticity Was Too High

A routine stunt scene turned into a very painful moment for actress Ellen Burstyn.

The scene required her character to be thrown across the room by an invisible force, but the moment became all too real. Burstyn was violently yanked by a wire harness with far more force than intended.

The resulting impact left the actress with a permanent spinal injury. The terrifying scream that made it into the final cut wasn't acting at all, it was the very real sound.

In an interview to The Guardian, Burstyn reflected on the incident, saying:

“That was a bad experience. I don't feel that I was complicit in it because I told [Friedkin] not to do it. When I think about it now, why weren't there pads on the floor, why weren't there pads on my back?”

Linda Blair's Injury Had a Lasting Effect on Her Health

Burstyn's spine injury wasn't the only spine injury to happen on set. A young star, Linda Blair, got hurt too.

Perhaps the most heartbreaking casualty of the film's production was Linda Blair, who was just a teenager when she took on the role of Regan. That decision would permanently alter her health.

During one of the movie's most intense possession scenes, a mechanical failure led to a horrific accident. The harness meant to secure Blair during her character's violent convulsions malfunctioned, causing her back to hit the metal beams.

This injury would later develop into scoliosis.

She later said:

“The back injury was far more serious than I ever imagined and really affected my health negatively for a long time.”

A Dark Pattern of Deaths Linked to The Exorcist

Nine people connected to the film's production died during filming or shortly after its release. Among them were actors Jack MacGowran and Vasiliki Maliaros, both of whom passed away before even seeing their performances on screen.

Actor Max Von Sydow offered a more pragmatic perspective in the documentary Fear of God:

“If you shoot something for a year, people are going to get hurt, people are going to die. It's very good for publicity but if you don't believe in the devil, you don't believe in curses.”

Yet even his rational explanation can't fully resolve the unsettling pattern for some people.

Mysterious Fire on Set Almost Ruined the Filming

One of the most dramatic incidents during filming was when a mysterious fire broke out on the set, destroying almost the entire interior of the MacNeil house set.

What's super weird is that Regan's bedroom (you know, the one where all the intense possession scenes happened) was somehow completely untouched by the flames.

The production halted for six weeks because of this incident. And just to be sure, they actually invited a real priest to bless the rebuilt set.

The Exorcist Curse Spreads to Its Audience

The film's dark influence didn't stop at the production. It reached out into theater audiences with frightening consequences

During its theatrical run, viewers experienced unprecedented physical reactions. People fainted, and some even had to leave theaters in ambulances.

Back in 1974, The New York Times reported:

“It's been reported that once inside the theater, a number of moviegoers vomited at the very graphic goings‐on on the screen. Others fainted, or left the theater, nauseous and trembling, before the film was half over. Several people had heart attacks, a guard told me. One woman even had a miscarriage, he said.”

So you can imagine how terrified the crowd was, and what effect the movie had on its viewers. Such a reaction is rarely seen these days. And we can say that it's probably because we became too sanitized to all things horror, but what if there was something more sinister to The Exorcist that made it hit differently? You'll have to decide for yourself.