October 19 to October 23, 2022
Content Advisory: Abuse, Self-injurious behavior, Suicide
A nun with a troubled past learns about the rite of exorcism in Prey for the Devil. Sister Ann (Jacqueline Byers) has taken residency in a school for exorcists run by Father Quinn (Colin Salmon). Working with Dr. Peters (Virginia Madsen) in the school’s psyche ward, Ann has to help ensure that those suspected of demonic possession are not simply inflicted with mental illness. Sister Ann develops a connection with new patient Natalie (Posy Taylor) and wants to learn the rite of exorcism to help cure the girl of her all too real possession.
A decade after directing the well-done 2010 found-footage film The Last Exorcism, director Daniel Stamm returns to the genre with Prey for the Devil. The twist this time is that the film’s primary exorcist is a woman, in the form of Sister Ann, played by Canadian actress Jacqueline Byers. Ann is haunted by the childhood memories of her mother’s abuse and suicide, which was believed to be the result of schizophrenia, but Ann always believed it to be something more. Father Quinn senses something with Ann and allows her to observe his exorcism lectures, where she grows close with Father Dante (Christian Navarro), who deals with his own personal issues.
Unlike The Last Exorcism, which deconstructed the stereotypes of exoticism films before its horrifying conclusion, Daniel Stamm goes in a much more typical and mainstream direction with Prey for the Devil. This includes heavily relying on CGI effects in the otherwise not-all-that-scary exorcism scenes, which is a complete 180 from the contortionist skills of The Last Exorcism star Ashley Bell. While Prey for the Devil still has its fair share of thrills and chills, it is ultimately not a particularly memorable film.
Trailer for Prey for the Devil – TADFF 2022
