This paper examines William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973) through the lenses of horror film theory, gender studies, and religious criticism. It argues that the film’s enduring power stems not merely from its shocking imagery but from its exploitation of 1970s anxieties about youth, female autonomy, and the collapse of traditional authority structures. Special attention is given to the film’s representation of possession as a metaphor for puberty, illness, and familial breakdown.