I remember being completely captivated by ‘The Lion King’ when I was a kid. The story of Simba’s journey from a cub to a king, the catchy songs, and the vibrant animation were all things that left an indelible mark on my childhood. Recently, I decided to rewatch it as an adult, curious to see if it would still hold the same magic. To my surprise, while the film’s core themes of responsibility and growth still resonated with me, I found myself noticing nuances and underlying messages that had gone completely over my head as a child. The themes of loss, redemption, and the cyclical nature of life and death were all there, but they carried a depth that I had missed before. It’s fascinating how a movie we adore as children can take on new meanings and layers as we grow older, making us appreciate it in ways we couldn’t have imagined back then.
Not a movie I saw as a child, but the Exorcist affects me a lot more in my late 30s than it did in my teens and 20s. When I was younger, the scary stuff was all surface level (scary voices, levitation, puking, the crucifix scene, etc.) but now I pick up on more character-driven horror elements. At its core, the movie is about a single mother with a demanding and stressful career whose daughter is sick and getting worse while doctors can’t help. She becomes so desperate that she pursues an exorcism, despite not even being religious. On top of that, you also have Father Karras desperately trying to save this girl while in the middle of doubting his own faith.
I think those human elements are why the movie is still talked about as one of the scariest of all time. Even if you’re not really conscious of it while watching, I think that’s why it sticks with people. There’s those underlying elements that everyone can relate to providing structural support for the scary little demon girl puking pea soup and throwing down “your mom” jokes.