Prey For The Devil (2022)

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I saw the trailer for this film in the cinema and it looked interesting, but not enough to justify the risk of a trip during these pandemic times. So I was happy when it landed on a streaming service I have access to. It's a nice little exorcism themed movie, and obviously draws from a lot of the classic movies in that genre, but manages to put a few twists on it.

It's about Sister Ann, a nun who works at a Catholic school for exorcism in Boston, MA; an epidemic of possessions worldwide has led to the teaching being distributed rather than centralised in the at-capacity Vatican. She has been obsessed with demonic possession since being physically abused by her now-dead mother. She is convinced her mother was possessed, but the head psychologist at the school encourages her to consider that's a coping mechanism for the trauma she suffered.

As a nun, she's restricted simply to taking care of the people who are brought in for observation, though she often sneaks into the classroom to learn more about the theory of exorcism. The school is aware that severe mental health problems can be near-indistinguishable from possession, so the patients are observed until the psychologists see something they can't explain. This modern take on the Church is one of the spins which make the film interesting; Father Quinn the head exorcist doesn't approve of deviation from the Rite of Exorcism, not because he's set in his ways or fanatical, but because he believes it's the only thing that's known to work against demons, and he has seen enough exorcists die in the line of their work that he doesn't want people putting themselves at risk.

We do however get some good horror from the "terminal cases" - possessions so severe that the aim becomes to save the soul, not the body - who are transferred to the Vatican. In a series of case file photos, it's hard to distinguish the harm the demons inflict on their host's bodies, and the harm done by the exorcists who are prepared to sacrifice a life to save a soul. Again, this is told quite subtly to the audience and the Church is painted as a desperate organisation fighting an eternal, grinding war it cannot win before the Day of Judgement.

It turns out our nun has a knack for a new kind of exorcism, partly because she's a woman and a nun - the Rite strictly deals with the demon within the possessed, but Sister Ann looks to empathise with the human and help them fight off the possession. Again, this examination of gender roles isn't laboured by the film but is made strongly enough to invite further deliberation. Similarly, there's some good exploration of what causes people, particularly young people, to seek meaning and refuge in the church.

Possibly the most interesting thing is that it's only 13/15 rated (depending on what country you're in). This means it can't rely on gore for horror, and has to be a lot more psychological. There are some disturbing special effects, but very little blood. And at 92 minutes, it covers a lot of ground without outstaying its welcome or slowing down.