PREY FOR THE DEVIL

Jacqueline Byers is "Sister Ann" - a troubled young nun whose relationship with her late, clinically diagnosed schizophrenic, mother has left her determined to take holy orders and to help other people with mental health disorders. She has a nursing position at a church hospital where the Catholic church - under the leadership "Fr. Quinn" (Colin Salmon) and psychiatrist "Dr. Peters" (Virginia Madsen) use scientific and ecclesiastic methods to treat their patients. The former leads their exorcism training regime and it to that that the nun is drawn. Her skills are initially tested when she has to try and deal with the apparent possession of the young "Natalie" (Posy Taylor) but that operation merely serves to open up an entire wardrobe of demons - including some very close to home for "Ann". Actually, the story here is not half bad - but the acting and the whole presentation of the film is seriously lacklustre. Sure, there are a few quite effective jump moments but as the story gathers pace it loses any semblance of plausibility. The writing clumsily muddles scripture and vernacular and the ending is really old hat. It has the ring of an over-stretched short story to it. It might almost have made for a decent "Tales of the Unexpected" forty-five minute television drama rather than dragging it out with loads of establishing shots of the rather nice building she works in and rain, lots and lots of rain! Saw it tonight in 100-seat cinema all by myself - I can't say I am surprised - this is really all rather poor.

Jacqueline Byers is "Sister Ann" - a troubled young nun whose relationship with her late, clinically diagnosed schizophrenic, mother has left her determined to take holy orders and to help other people with mental health disorders. She has a nursing position at a church hospital where the Catholic church - under the leadership "Fr. Quinn" (Colin Salmon) and psychiatrist "Dr. Peters" (Virginia Madsen) use scientific and ecclesiastic methods to treat their patients. The former leads their exorcism training regime and it to that that the nun is drawn. Her skills are initially tested when she has to try and deal with the apparent possession of the young "Natalie" (Posy Taylor) but that operation merely serves to open up an entire wardrobe of demons - including some very close to home for "Ann". Actually, the story here is not half bad - but the acting and the whole presentation of the film is seriously lacklustre. Sure, there are a few quite effective jump moments but as the story gathers pace it loses any semblance of plausibility. The writing clumsily muddles scripture and vernacular and the ending is really old hat. It has the ring of an over-stretched short story to it. It might almost have made for a decent "Tales of the Unexpected" forty-five minute television drama rather than dragging it out with loads of establishing shots of the rather nice building she works in and rain, lots and lots of rain! Saw it tonight in a 100-seat cinema all by myself - I can't say I am surprised - this is really all rather poor.

To begin with this, I just want to ask this question, "how can anyone take this movie too serisouly?" After learning from a friend of mine that the exorcsim/demon possesion in real life isn't like that in real life at all, it is just a very dramtic effect that the westerns put to it. So after learning about that, I can't take this movie all too seriously. And if this movie said it was based on a true story, I would have my doubts about it. But it still doesn't make it not that scary!

Pretty standard and forgettable possession-horror film, a genre I generally don't care for to begin with. There's not much here to distinguish from others from the dark lighting, okay make-up effects and average performances, though Jacqueline Byers was fine. This isn't something I'd ever revisit. 2.75/5