After a demonic statue is uncovered at a dig in Iraq, archeologist Father Merrin knows that the find will have terrible repercussions. In Georgetown, actress Chris McNeal is at her wit's end after her daughter Regan exhibits violent, bestial behaviour, mutilating herself, yelling obscenities in a guttural voice and showing unnatural strength. When all the medical tests and procedures fail, a doctor suggests an exorcist - Father Merrin.... The special effects may seem a little crude now, and the photography distinctly muddy, but Friedkin's film still has a lot of power, mostly through the hideous transformation of Regan from a young girl to a scarred, bloated creature. Compelling in parts, but one does now wonder what all the hysteria was about. Soundtrack includes extracts of Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells'. (The film was refused a legal video release in the UK until 2000).