Prey for the Devil

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
Prey for the Devil: Movie Poster

Common Sense says

age 14+

Lots of jump scares in tired demon-possession movie.

PG-13 2022 93 minutes
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Parents say

age 9+

Based on 2 reviews

Kids say

age 14+

Based on 5 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Prey for the Devil is a demon possession/exorcism movie that argues that women should be allowed to learn the craft of exorcisms. It also urges empathy and understanding, but it's so sluggish and tired that it fails to make much impact. Expect lots of demon-related violence, several jump scares, bodies contorting in weird ways, moments depicting the abuse of a child, dead bodies, blood, and other gross, gory, and shocking digital effects. A woman talks about getting pregnant at age 15, adding, "I was so wasted I don't remember who the father was." Two priests and a nun drink celebratory wine. Language includes a single use of "s--t" and a use of "bitch."

Community Reviews

mimi.oberoi
mimi.oberoi Adult
November 13, 2022
age 3+

BAD MOVIE YOU WILL FALL ASLEEP

This is supposed to be a horror movie, but it's so bad even a 3 year old wouldn't be scared. My five year old who is scared of big bird watched this entire movie and didn't even flinch. I took him in the movie theater and he only laughed at the nun when she tried to be cool and failed. She wasn't even a good nun. The entire movie, the only thing that kept me awake was the fact that my child was there and needed to be watched in case there was sex. If I didn't have that fear I would've been asleep. The only good thing about this boring movie was that along with entertainment, it also didn't have sex or drugs. This made me happy. It was still both a waste of time and money, so don't watch it anyways.

This title has:

Too much consumerism
Ron S.
Ron S. Adult
November 5, 2022
age 15+

I was surprised how much I liked it

I went in with low expectations, but was surprised the story kept me interested the entire movie. The actors were well cast and believable. I'll watch it again with my wife. Too scary for kids, obviously. Ignore that bozo EliteChief who rated it at 2+
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In PREY FOR THE DEVIL, Ann (Jacqueline Byers) suffers from childhood trauma. She believes that her mother was possessed and that the "voice" inside her made her harm her young daughter. Now a nun in a teaching hospital, Ann is determined to learn about exorcisms, even though the church forbids nuns to do so. Ann makes a connection with a young girl named Natalie (Posy Taylor). When Natalie shows signs of possession, Ann is able to help by reaching out to the girl inside, rather than confronting the demon. A young priest, Father Dante (Christian Navarro), asks for Ann's help with his sister, who also seems to be possessed. But when things go south, Ann must face the demon inside Natalie one more time and make a hard decision.

Is It Any Good?

Like many exorcist movies, this one is beautiful to look at (old churches, libraries, stained glass windows), but it has the energy of a sloth, as if it drifted off while gazing at things. Prey for the Devil has a good concept in that it argues that it's time to let women into the exorcism club. It also flips the script by suggesting that people can reach out to the possessed -- who are so hurt and guilty that they don't believe they deserve God's love -- rather than attacking the demon. But it doesn't use these ideas for more than a handful of typical, tired exorcism scenes. The only interesting thing that happens is that the demon makes a ceiling fan spin so fast that the blades snap off and fly across the room.

Everything feels sleepy in this movie, and even Ann delivers her lines in soft, hypnotizing tones. (This is great for the scenes in which she cares for patients, but not so great while fighting demons.) There's no urgency. The first exorcism we see is simply a class project, with two volunteers trying out the process as if they were taking a practical oral exam. It doesn't help that the demons aren't even scary, consisting of the usual low-budget sludgy-looking CGI effects and a handful of jump scares. At least Virginia Madsen is here, lending a little class to the movie, as the doctor in charge at the hospital. And Colin Salmon is great as Father Quinn, with his glorious voice. If only Prey for the Devil had roused itself enough to follow up on its ideas, it might have been worthy of its cast.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Prey for the Devil's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • Does Ann's theory about the possessed allowing demons inside because of trauma and guilt make sense? How could this theory be applied to life?

  • Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? How can horror be a tool to grapple with issues going on in the real world?

  • Did you notice any positive diverse representations in the film? Why is that important?

Movie Details

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