Prey for the Devil [Includes Digital Copy] [Blu-ray/DVD]

Director: Daniel Stamm Daniel Stamm

Overview

Directed by Daniel Stamm, this supernatural drama follows the life of a 25-year-old nun named Sister Ann (Jacqueline Byers) who feels that she has a special gift for performing exorcisms. She is hampered by the fact that only priests are allowed to perform exorcisms in an official capacity. When one of her mentors notices that she may have what it takes to help, she is allowed as an observer at first. But Sister Ann's gift will eventually be tested when she encounters dark forces that have ties to her life in the past. Co-starring Virginia Madsen and Ben Cross.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/03/2023
UPC:	0031398333586
Original Release:	2022
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Lions Gate
Language:	English
Time:	1:33:00

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Jacqueline Byers	Sister Ann
Virginia Madsen	Dr. Peters
Colin Salmon	Father Quinn
Nicholas Ralph	Father Raymond
Ben Cross	Cardinal Matthews
Christian Navarro	Father Dante
Debora Zhecheva	Young Ann
Tom Forbes	Matt
Lisa Palfrey	Sister Euphemia
Posy Taylor	Natalie
Velizar Binev	Father Bernhard
Cora Kirk	Emilia
Koyna Ruseva	Ivan Rangelov
Ivan Rangelov	Priest
Anton Dimitrachkov	Priest
Elizabeth Gibson	Sister Kylie
Martin Taskov	Priest
Emona Ilieva	Lazar Kirilov
Lazar Kirilov	Priest
Christian Levchev	Priest
Tedi Dinh	Priest
Zheliazko Isakov	Priest
Daria Mitusheva	Voices
Owen Davis	Emcee at Pub
Nathan Barr	Composer

Technical Credits

Robert Zappia

Todd R. Jones

Daniel Stamm	Director
Robert Zappia	Screenwriter
Todd R. Jones	Screenwriter,Screenwriter,Producer,Producer
David Brooks	Executive Producer,Producer
Michael P. Flannigan	Executive Producer
Brad Kessell	Executive Producer
Scott Niemeyer	Executive Producer
Jessica Malanaphy	Producer
PK Hooker	Sound/Sound Designer
Jill Trevellick	Casting
Vladimir Kaloyanov	Sound Mixer

Editorial Reviews

The hair-raising horror/thriller Prey for the Devil, directed by Daniel Stamm, offers a different take on the exorcism genre. It stars Jacqueline Byers (Bad Samaritan), Christian Navarro (13 Reasons Why), Colin Salmon (Resident Evil), Virginia Madsen (Candyman), Nicholas Ralph (All Creatures Great and Small), Ben Cross (Star Trek), and it is the debut movie for Posy Taylor. Women who work in male-dominated professions have had to deal with a lot of sexism, and exorcism is no exception. In the world of Prey for the Devil, the Roman Catholic Church has reopened exorcism schools in order to train priests to perform these rituals because of the rise in demonic possessions. Nuns are forbidden to train in the field, but a professor sees the gifts that Sister Ann (Byers) possesses and allows her to audit the class. Sister Ann has dealt with the trauma of possession her whole life. Her mother was the victim of a demon when Ann was a child, and the emotional damage of her mother's violent outbursts plague Ann to this day. It is because of this that Ann works at one of these schools to help heal the physical ailments of the afflicted while the priests work on the patients' spiritual conditions. It isn't long before she comes face-to-face with a demon she recognizes as the one who tormented her mother. But can she save the soul of the young girl that the demon now possesses? Jacqueline Byers does an excellent job as Sister Ann. She is determined, caring and charismatic. It is difficult not to root for her as she deals with the repercussions of old wounds and as her past collides with the present. Posy Taylor does a wonderful job as well, as the part of a possessed 10-year-old child seems like quite a demanding role. She is sympathetic and sweet with just enough mystery to keep moviegoers guessing. Prey for the Devil thrives in its acting and cinematography. But while the actors and actresses perform satisfactorily, the script is overly riddled with tropes and is plagued with its own demon: predictability. There are also multiple subplots and plot points which are left hanging. The movie starts with a bold statement: the number of possessions is on the rise. But it is never explained why, nor does it add to the plot. One of the reasons why The Exorcist was so groundbreaking-and heartbreaking-was because the victim of the possession (Regan) was so innocent. Since she was so pure, it made the possession more horrific and heinous. The writers for Prey for the Devil try to turn that on its head by having the victims in this film deal with trauma and guilt. They aren't bad people, but they are tormented. However, this isn't tested in unique ways. Instead, they utilize tired tropes which viewers have seen time and time again. For moviegoers specifically in the mood for a thriller with some horrific elements and a couple of great jump scares, Prey for the Devil may be just the ticket. Despite the predictability, it is still a fun ride and a decent movie to add to the exorcism subgenre.