Prey For The Devil Review

Prey for the Devil is a horror film that fails to offer anything new or original to the genre. The story follows Anne, a nun with a troubled past who dreams of becoming an exorcist, but the Catholic Church does not allow women to learn the rites. The film addresses the fact that demonic possession is almost always a superstitious person's explanation of profound mental or physical illness and the horrors of previous church practices. However, the film's use of symbolism and imagery is either handled without grace or intended as poorly planned propaganda. The scares don't work, the presentation is a mess, and the messaging is either confused or unforgivable.

One of the major issues with Prey for the Devil is that it is a rip-off of other exorcism/possession films like The Exorcist franchise, The Conjuring franchise, The Possession, and The Last Exorcism. Horror is a genre known for its rip-offs and it is unfortunate that the exorcism/possession trend seems like it should have been left in the past by now. It's still here, but hopefully, a particularly unpleasant jaunt through those familiar catacombs will finally bury it for good. This lack of originality makes it difficult for the film to stand out among its peers and leaves the audience feeling unimpressed.

The film's use of symbolism and imagery is either handled without the slightest grace or intended explicitly as poorly planned propaganda. For his part, director Daniel Stamm already made a smarter and better version of this film twelve years ago with The Last Exorcism. Screenwriter Robert Zappia has a less prestigious career, with iconic horror hits like Halloween: H20 in his past. The cast is serviceable, though largely unremarkable. Jacqueline Byers is asked to carry a lot of the film with her reactions alone, and she rises to the occasion. Colin Salmon does a decent job with the stern yet wise teacher role. Exorcism and demonic possession are clearly ideas that inspire Stamm, but the concept has always been fraught with unpleasant ideas.

The film's portrayal of mental illness is also a major issue. It steps dangerously close to depicting people with mental illness as heroes for killing themselves to save others. Prey for the Devil demonstrates even less tact in a subplot about a rape victim who feels so ashamed for aborting the resulting fetus that she willingly allows the devil into her body. If this disgusting concept was unintentional, it represents immense creative laziness and a cloying urge for shock value. If it was intentional, Prey for the Devil becomes hateful propaganda on top of being generally garbage. This lack of tact and understanding of sensitive issues is a major problem and detracts from the overall quality of the film.

In addition to the lack of originality and the poor handling of sensitive issues, the scares in the film also fall flat. Every element of this film that's meant to be scary is tedious at best and miserable at worst. Maybe it'll draw a shocked gasp from an unprepared audience member at some point, but expect a silent theater otherwise. There are, at most, one or two big scares that aren't fully stolen from a better movie. Originality is hard to come by in such an oversaturated subgenre, but a dedicated viewer could isolate every cheap pop and find the film it first appeared in within a few hours. The film's use of scare tactics is uninspired and fails to leave a lasting impact on the audience.

The film's presentation is also a mess. The story feels