Prey for the Devil (Mini-Review)

Prey for the Devil tells the tale of a woman with the hopes of becoming an exorcist. When Sister Ann was young her mother suffered from a demonic possession. Now that she's older, she has decided to pursue a career as an exorcist. This proves difficult as women aren't allowed to become exorcists. But when Natalie arrives things start to change for Ann. The nun begins to believe the same demon that possessed her mother is now in the body of the young girl. Prey for the Devil was released in 2022. It was directed by Daniel Stamm. It stars Jacqueline Byers, Posy Taylor, Colin Salmon, and Christian Navarro.

There are no mid or post credits. However during the first part of the credits there are things from real life exorcisms shown. I wish I could have paused the credits in the movie theater so I could soak in all the information.

A good majority of the trailers for this movie talked about it being a mystery of whether Ann was chosen by the devil or God. This is not a major plot point of the movie. There are a few instances where her connections to victims is talked about and one character even states that it looks like Ann has a close connection to the devil. So if you, like me, were looking for this question being answered you will be disappointed. Luckily enough the actual film is a good time.

This movie is tense and delights in building up an atmosphere. Ann is breaking barriers in a profession that doesn't take women. There are also creepy moments littered throughout the film. This movie is not one for those looking for a movie that will make you think deeply. But it's great for those looking for a good time. Not every movie has to be philosophical to be good.

One of my favorite parts of Prey for the Devil is the very ending. It is schlocky but so good at the same time. Ann is now a big target for the devil and he is sending his demons after her. I actually want a sequel to see what she does next. This wasn't how I thought I'd feel before I watched the movie.

I'm a former Catholic which makes one part very awkward for me. At one point Ann, with a friend pushing her to, attempts an exorcism on a woman. This woman was raped and she's sad because she lost the baby. With Roe V. Wade being repealed, this sub-plot should have been changed. There are government officials (and those who could become government officials soon) that think abortion should be illegal even in the cases of incest and rape. So seeing this woman's trauma treated as if the rape was no big deal and losing the child was everything is just...yeah...leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I would recommend Prey for the Devil to horror fans.