Nicolas Cage Says This Movie’s Final Scene is The Scariest Ever

Nicolas Cage has watched a lot of horror movies in his life. As a longtime cinephile, he knows what makes a film truly scary. But when NME asked him which scene in movie history he finds the most frightening, Cage didn’t hesitate. “There have been many, but I think that The Exorcist really took it to a whole new level,” he said. “I think the final exorcism scene in that movie, I would say, would be the scariest film in cinema history.”

It’s interesting that Cage picked a classic instead of some obscure horror film. The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin and released in 1973, was more than a movie, it became a cultural event.

The film tells the story of a young girl possessed by a demon and the desperate attempt by two Catholic priests to save her through an exorcism. It starred Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller, and Linda Blair. The screenplay was written by William Peter Blatty, based on his own 1971 novel.

When it first came out, The Exorcist shocked audiences. People fainted, vomited, and ran out of theaters during its premiere screenings. According to reports, even the studio executives were stunned at the audience’s reaction during sneak previews, but they knew the movie was something special.

Crowd reactions included standing in freezing cold or rain for hours just to see it, sometimes even rioting outside the theater.

Critics at the time gave mixed reviews, but many praised its intensity. Stanley Kauffmann of The New Republic called it “the scariest film I’ve seen in years—the only scary film I’ve seen in years.” Arthur D. Murphy of Variety described it as “an expert telling of a supernatural horror story,” while Joe Dante of Castle of Frankenstein called it “an amazing film, and one destined to become at the very least a horror classic … there has never been anything like this on the screen before.”

Roger Ebert gave the film four stars, praising the actors, particularly Burstyn, and the special effects, but admitted, “I am not sure exactly what reasons people will have for seeing this movie; surely enjoyment won’t be one … Are people so numb they need movies of this intensity in order to feel anything at all?”

The Exorcist also became the first horror movie to earn a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards, showing that it wasn’t just terrifying, it was groundbreaking. Modern viewers might not be as shocked, since today’s horror films often rely on CGI and extreme gore. But in the 1970s, nothing like The Exorcist had ever been seen. For Cage, who saw the film as a child, the final exorcism scene clearly left a lasting impression.

Even decades later, the movie’s impact is undeniable. Fans still remember the fear it inspired and how intense it felt to witness those scenes on the big screen.

The Exorcist remains a landmark in horror filmmaking and a reminder of how powerful a movie can be when it truly frightens its audience.

First reported by NME.

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