Sister Ann (Jacqueline Byers) believes she is answering a calling to be the first female exorcist…but who, or what, called her? In response to a global rise in demonic possessions, Ann seeks out a place at an exorcism school reopened by the Catholic Church. Until now these schools have only trained priests in the Rite of Exorcism – but a professor (Colin Salmon) recognizes Sister Ann’s gifts and agrees to train her. Thrust onto the spiritual frontline with fellow student Father Dante (Christian Navarro), Sister Ann finds herself in a battle for the soul of a young girl, who Sister Ann believes is possessed by the same demon that tormented her own mother years ago. Determined to root out the evil, Ann soon realizes that evil has been expecting her.
For thoughts on Prey For The Devil, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/MI3XM5V3nD0?t=996]
Video Quality
Prey For The Devil makes good use of its 2160p presentation in 2.39:1 on this 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc. This presentation especially shows its strength with black levels that are incredibly deep and detailed with digital noise mostly absent from the screen. The 4K presentation provides a depth of field that simply cannot be replicated as well with the accompanying Blu-Ray. The unyielding prevalence of shadows can present a bit of murkiness that cannot be saved completely even in the 4K presentation. The handful of brighter scenes wow with an intense clarity and a strong handle of white levels that show no evidence of blooming.
Skin tones look very realistic throughout and show a great amount of facial detail. Some of the makeup work is likewise impressive in its own grotesque way. Color highlights are another area of improvement in comparison to the Blu-Ray even if this is not a film bursting with color. Hues look more natural in this presentation mostly in clothing and different aspects of the production design rendering quite beautifully. The inconsistent visual effects are not improved by the 4K UHD presentation, but it also does not make them look any worse. Overall, this is an excellent 4K UHD presentation that offers a noticeable uptick in clarity and depth. It is as close to perfection as this film can possibly achieve.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with an incredibly effective Dolby Atmos presentation that fully immerses you in this hellish world. There are elements in this track that are truly unnerving, such as the sounds of the scurrying, bone-crunching, screaming and more. All of the elements you would expect from a possession movie. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more kinetic scenes to the quieter dialogue-driven scenes filled with subtle ambiance.
The score from Nathan Barr brings to life a truly haunting soundscape that amps up the creepy factor. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overwhelmed by any of the competing sonic elements. The low end is engaged well at multiple points throughout the film including exorcism scenes and some music pulsating through the room. The height channels get some unique implementation that will please those who have overhead channels. The sound design of this film is quite intense, and the implementation of environmental sounds are executed very effectively. The mix here is very well done with nice engagement of all the channels, which makes this track more than satisfactory for fans of the film.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Daniel Stamm and Actress Jacqueline Byers provide an entertaining commentary in which they discuss the change in director early on, the on-location shooting in Bulgaria, the expensive production elements they fought to have, the changes from the script, the many talents of the young actress of the film, thoughts about the various performers, what drew them to the project and more.
- Possessed – Creating Prey For The Devil: A great 42-minute making-of documentary that delves into the motivations behind telling this story in a new way, coming at this material in a way that is accurate to religious practices, the performers and the environment they created on set, the the impact of COVID on the production, the stunt work, the direction of Daniel Stamm and much more.
- A Lullaby of Terror: A nine-minute featurette in which composer Nathan Barr discusses his approach to creating a score, what stood out to him in the script, finding specific themes for different characters, balancing the emotions with the thrills and more.
- The Devil’s Tricks – Visual Effects: A four-minute piece in which you get a look at the visual effects work in various stages of development.
- Prey For The Devil Cast Read – The Original First Draft Screenplay: A two-hour Zoom-based featurette in which the cast and some additional performers join in to read the first draft of the original screenplay.
- Speak No Evil – A Real Exorcist & Church Psychologist Discuss Possession: A 61-minute discussion moderated by screenwriter Robert Zappia with authors/religious figures Richard Gallagher and Vincent Lampert in which they discuss various aspects of possession which will be of particular interest to those intrigued by real-world applications of certain beliefs. A really cool, unexpected featurette.
Final Thoughts
Prey For The Devil has some very interesting ideas that make it stand apart from others in the exorcism genre, but unfortunately these ideas alone do not smooth over the more rocky elements elsewhere along the journey. Jacqueline Byers is a really great leading lady who gets you invested in her journey, but the script does not aid her in building up any sort of mystery or effective emotional catharsis. On the horror side of the spectrum, the imagery is mostly what we have seen before, only not as memorable. The reliance on digital effects leaves the attempts at chills feeling a bit hollow in the end. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has provided a 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a nearly flawless A/V presentation and an excellent assortment of special features. The progressive ideas may alone be worth a watch, but overall the film fumbled what could have been a very unique entry into the genre.
Prey For The Devil is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
