9) The Exorcist

When young girl Regan MacNeil begins to show signs of demonic possession, her mother enlists the aid of two priests to save her soul. But it’s going to take a lot more than mere ritual to exorcise this entity, which appears to be growing stronger by the day…

Some movie theaters famously issued “barf bags” for their audiences to vomit into. Nearly forty years on, the film retains its power to shock, not just because of its effects, but because of its sincerity. It is based on a book by a devout Catholic, adapted by an agnostic filmmaker who has remained coy as to whether he believes in the events that inspired the story.

The spectacle of a young girl spouting profane, necrotic curses at the camera was profoundly upsetting to audiences at the time, and it hasn’t lost that edge as horror movies gradually slip into safer areas like pastiche and gorn.

I think there’s a cream for that.