Prey for the Devil (2022) Review

In Case of Demonic Possession, Break the Glass Ceiling

Exorcism movies are a perennial genre based on an ancient rite, yet that mysterious practice does not exist in a vacuum. The Vatican‘s recent reawakening of interest in exorcism is the background for Prey for the Devil.

Since 2005, the Vatican has offered and endorsed exorcism training, fulfilling a Papal directive. The twist in Prey for the Devil is that an aspiring exorcist outshining the other students is a nun, not a priest. Nevertheless, the mentoring Father Quinn (Colin Salmon, Resident Evil series) tolerates Sister Anne’s tradition-challenging pursuit, and she is allowed to observe an exorcism course at a unique facility.

The nun and several young priests attend an unusual learning center: a teaching hospital in a massive old church complex. On the lower level, there are rows of patients who may need demon extraction locked in high-tech rooms. Sister Anne’s day job is to care for them as a nurse.

The film effectively develops the young nun’s character in flashbacks that show a frightening grooming ritual. Her possibly possessed mother first tenderly combs out her daughter’s locks, then loses herself in madness, violently ripping away at the child’s hair.

We also learn that Sister Anne is not a virginal nun. Instead, she became a nun after the order that serves the hospital took her in and found adoptive parents for her illegitimate child.

Jacqueline Byers plays Sister Anne as vulnerable yet with a worldly resilience that breaks the surface. Her harrowing past gives her a confidence far beyond the novice priests. When her entrance to the classroom draws attention, she responds with a mischievous grin and a playful wink rather than embarrassment.

While not allowed to participate in exorcisms formally, she is far more ready for the intense experience than her naive colleagues. Her focus is on being kind and humble, yet she can instantly switch modes and become decisive. In a revealing moment, she leaps into action when two inexperienced classmates struggle to deal with the bizarre physical manifestations of a possessed girl.

Sister Anne and another student soon find themselves in trouble over an extracurricular demon expulsion. But when the young patient she has bonded with reaches peak possession, she will get another chance to exorcise.

Director Daniel Stamm is no stranger to possession films, having found success with The Last Exorcism (2010). Writer Robert Zappia often works in other genres but did script Halloween H20. His development of Sister Anne as a complex person raises the film above its otherwise standard elements.

Exorcism movies can always be counted on for costumes, but Prey also takes advantage of the gothic grandeur of Catholic churches, giving the film a serious tone. Adding gravitas are Salmon and Ben Cross as Cardinal Matthews, while Virginia Madsen (Candy Man) cameos as an academic.

Is there a real exorcism teaching hospital? No, but after decades of downplaying the practice, the Vatican claims there is a growing demand. The Rite (2011), with Anthony Hopkins, is an earlier film inspired by these developments, based on a nonfiction book about the journey of a priest assigned to learn exorcism.

The complicated character of Sister Anne, the ominous settings in the cavernous cathedral, the support of Salmon and Cross, and Byers’ plucky performance all make Prey a worthwhile view. The pairing of the exorcism genre with themes of female empowerment, coming of age, maternal instinct, and the odd destiny of one family make it memorable.

Nuns still are not allowed to train to be exorcists. But in the case of Sister Anne, Father Quinn counsels, “Once you know the devil, the devil knows you.” It seems a sequel is preordained.

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