The Exorcist first hit theaters in 1973 and quickly earned a reputation as the scariest movie ever made. That year, The New York Times even reported that during its premiere screenings, audiences began vomiting and fainting from fear – with one woman allegedly even having a miscarriage right in the theater. While most of these claims are likely false, they showcase just how shocking and terrifying the movie was. Since then, five more movies and a TV series have been released in the franchise, with more sequels on the way.
Find out how to watch every Exorcist installment in chronological order with our guide below.
If you want to watch The Exorcist franchise in order of release dates, it would be:
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The Exorcist (1973)
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Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
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The Exorcist III (1990)
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Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)
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Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)
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The Exorcist series (2016-2017)
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The Exorcist: Believer (2023)
But if you want to watch the series in chronological order, here’s how:
The Exorcist actually has pretty murky beginnings – with two rival prequels telling the same origin story in two different ways (this is the result of some classic Hollywood studio drama). 2006’s Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist and 2004’s Exorcist: The Beginning both star Stellan Skarsgård as Father Lankester Merrin, and both films center around Merrin encountering the demon Pazuzu for the first time in the late ‘40s and learning of the evil force’s backstory that dates back to around 500 A.D.
However, most fans can skip over these films as their vibes are very different from the later installments. The next chapter in the saga is the original 1973 movie where the young Regan (played by Linda Blair) gets possessed by Pazuzu, turning her into the iconic bedridden, green, scab-covered monster that the film is famous for.
In 1977, Blair reprised the role of Regan for The Exorcist II: Heretic. This time around, Pazuzu is back and wants Regan once more. But in the sequel, we also learn that Regan has certain telekinetic powers, which is why the demon chose her. However, this new twist made the film feel more sci-fi than horror, which has given it a controversial legacy amongst fans.
The Exorcist III came out over a decade later in 1990. The movie follows a minor character from the first film, Detective Kinderman, as he investigates a series of murders in the Georgetown area. It’s later revealed the killings are being committed by various people who are possessed by a deceased serial killer that gets his power from Pazuzu. The plot is totally bonkers, but the movie is considered a cult hit among fans.
Next up chronologically would be the FOX series The Exorcist which aired from 2016-2017. The first season starred Oscar-winner Geena Davis as Regan, now as an adult. Pazuzu once again comes for her, this time attacking her at her weakest point by going after her children. Seeing no other options to save her family, Regan finally gives in and lets Pazuzu take her, turning her into a murderous, soulless minion.
In 2023, the franchise returned once again with The Exorcist: Believer. The movie takes place 50 years after the original and follows two young girls who go missing in the woods. When they mysteriously emerge a few days later and start showing strange symptoms, a desperate father reaches out to Chris MacNeil (played by Ellen Burstyn, who reprises her role from the first film) for help. Naturally, all hell breaks loose and the girls devolve into fully possessed beings.
Two more Exorcist sequels are currently in the works. Until then, find out where to chronologically stream every entry in the franchise using our guide below.
