The Exorcist (1973)

Moviegoers credit The Exorcist as one of the best horror movies of all time. It was directed by William Friedkin and is based on a novel of the same name that was published in 1971. The story follows a young girl named Regan, played by Linda Blair, who was possessed by a mysterious being. Her worried mother seeks the help of two priests.

The film showed us countless terrifying and memorable sequences, but the scene where Regan fully transitions to a possessed demon was certainly one of the best. The devil Pazuzu shows his face, and the director shows this with a frontal shot masked in darkness. Unlike typical horror flicks in modern cinema, this film used makeup and old-school film trickery to create this visual masterpiece. This iconic scene certainly showcases this, and it continues to haunt viewers to this day.