by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
How do you offer up something special when it comes to exorcism films when The Exorcist exists? It is hard for a new exorcism film to stand out when you have such a perfect film that sets every trope or cliché. There have been some filmmakers who have been able to make some magic work, like Scott Derrickson and James Wan. With a film like Prey for the Devil, there is a lot of pressure and high expectations for it to be the big Halloween weekend success story. After nearly two years of delays, the time has come to show audiences what this film has to offer.
What does director Daniel Stamm offer up behind the camera to make this film stand out in this common subgenre? Honestly, this might be one of the most by-the-numbers exorcism movies out there. The film clunkily plods along with exposition dump after exposition dump to overexplain everything, including a more modern take with an emphasis on psychology. Mental illness is bumbled quite a bit in this film, and is just used as a guise to hide the truth: the demons are real! Whoever would have guessed that in a film called Prey for the Devil? The only element that feels fresh or unique is the fact this film has (or attempts to have) a heart and soul. It doesn’t focus on mindless scares, but grief and love instead. We might care about the lead, Sister Ann (Jacqueline Byers). Outside of that, the film does not feel fresh at all.
But does the film deliver the scares? The audience might be a bit let down by the distinct lack of scary moments. Don’t get me wrong… there are some. But some is not enough for a modern take. Stamm lets his film shine more when he relies on subtlety, and the background causes tingles to go down your spine. When the film leans in on tired tropes like dream sequences and characters being dumb, it loses you. The biggest, overused horror element is body contortion. There is an obnoxious amount of screen time dedicated to the camera lingering on possessed people being distorted and contorted. But most of the scares are just a collection of obvious tropes and tired rehashes of things we have seen. The ending even tries to “surprise” us, but it is just an obnoxious shock value tease.
Do the actors do enough heavy lifting to make an impact? Byers is by far the shining star in the film. The screenplay gives her plenty to do and offers up plenty of opportunities for her to display a wide range of emotions. Fear, love, and grief come to mind when it comes to the tragic journey of Sister Ann, from abused child to strong and resolute exorcist. Her on-screen chemistry with her young co-star, who plays a possessed girl, is impressive too. The film expands on this dynamic, and it is fruit from an emotional standpoint. The veteran presence of Colin Salmon is much appreciated, even though he is mostly just an exposition-spouting machine. Virginia Madsen is in a similar boat as a walking representation of modern mental health support. There is one priest who has a larger role as Ann’s companion, but the character is so flat and the performance so bland that it is honestly quite distracting.
Is Prey for the Devil any cleverer than the obvious play on words in its title? It is a bland and generic attempt of keeping this subgenre alive. There might be a marginal amount of heart and soul, but from a narrative and horror perspective, this is as basic as you can get.
Score: 4/10
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