The Exorcist: Believer director says 'shock value' isn't necessary for horror

'The Exorcist: Believer' director David Gordon Green says audiences have become “desensitised” to horror.

The upcoming supernatural film is a direct sequel to the 1973 horror classic 'The Exorcist' in which Linda Blair starred as Regan MacNeil, a 12-year-old girl who is possessed by a demon.

The new flick follows another family whose daughter, Katherine (Olivia Marcum), is demonically possessed.

And Green insists the movie is not about trying to be as “shocking” or provocative” as you can be, because it’s practically impossible to “shock” people these days.

Speaking to SFX magazine, he explained: “If you were to show an audience a young girl saying, 'Your mother sucks c*** in Hell', everyone would laugh now.

"At the time, that's an extremely disturbing, totally f*****-up thing for a young performer to say. But now we've desensitised that. We've done that, and then 10 times that."

The filmmaker feels that horror has evolved with the new movie, adding: "So the shock value isn’t as relevant or necessary, I don’t think. To me, this is not a movie about how provocative or shocking you can be.

"It’s about the unnerving uncertainty of childhood illness for a concerned parent that has no answers."

In 'The Exorcist', the 12-year-old girl is possessed by the demon Pazuzu.

The sequel has garnered theories that the demon could return to torment another family, but David is staying quiet on the matter.

When he was quizzed about who the antagonist of 'Believer' is, the director replied: "I’m so tempted to tell you the name of our demon, but we don’t say it in the movie. So part of me just wants you to figure it out.

"Or if you’re a demonologist, then you know, and then if you have a friend that’s a demonologist, that’s a great dinner. I’m sorry, I’ll probably say at some point, but I’m holding back as long as I can."

'The Exorcist: Believer' arrives in cinemas on October 13.

The Halloween horror special issue of SFX magazine is available to purchase now.