There are numerous reports of demonic possession in the world. The Vatican decides to open exorcism schools to teach priests the Rite of Exorcism. In the past, there was one established school in Rome to train priests. That has changed. In “Prey for the Devil,” we see a story of a little girl named Natalie. She is possessed by a demon. The girl is admitted to St. Michael The Archangel School of Exorcism in Boston. In the cases of demonic possession, it is not like being haunted. The difference is the Devil goes after the person, not the place. Here, Natalie is possessed; there is no escape for her. Cases like hers end badly, even resulting in death. We have seen movies like “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” and “Insidious,” in which a priest comes in to perform an exorcism. However, this movie is different. How? Let’s find out.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Prey For The Devil’ Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Film?
The story focuses on a female protagonist named Annie. She is a nun and resides in Boston. She is a nurse at St. Michael the Archangel School of Exorcism. In the story, we see how the Church divides the roles of women and men. The priests are taught the rite of exorcism, but the nuns are only kept in the school to take care of the patients who are under observation. Before performing an exorcism, the government keeps a psychiatrist observing the behavior of the patient. These specialists/doctors check whether they can treat the patients with psychotic medications because, generally, patients suffer from a mental disorder rather than being possessed. Science does not believe in things like “The Devil,” but since religious people have faith, they have fear instilled in them. The Catholic Church concentrates on sin a lot in this movie. The plot revolves around the forgiveness of God and His punishments. It is said that the demon looks through a person and attacks its prey with its deepest and darkest secrets. This is exactly what happens in the movie.
Sister Ann tells her story to the psychiatrist, Dr. Peters. She tells her about the trauma she had faced in her childhood. Sister Ann’s mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia which led to depression. However, Sister Ann believes she is possessed by a demon. Even though Dr.Peters suggests that it’s a case of psychological disorder, Sister Ann is adamant about the fact that her mother could never hurt her. She emphasizes heavily that her mother loved her dearly; it was the voices inside her head that made her mother hurt her. It is often hard to digest the fact that a parent could hurt a child so deeply that it leaves a wound on them forever, but it is a harsh reality for many.
Who Is Natalie?
Natalie is one of the patients at St. Michael’s The Archangel School of Exorcism. She is an alluring girl who is taken care of by Sister Ann. Slowly, they develop a healthy relationship. Natalie shares her drawings with Sister Ann and shares with her that she does not like the hospital room. We see an empathic side of Sister Ann while she takes care of Natalie. When the movie begins, we notice Sister Ann as a “curious being” who is interested in the study of exorcism; however, as the story progresses, we see how she feels a deep connection with Natalie.
Does Sister Ann Quench Her Thirst For Academics?
In the movie, we witness how Sister Ann takes a keen interest in watching different clips of exorcism and even notes down important points. She develops a peculiar approach toward everything and showcases her desire to be a rebel. According to the rules of the Catholic Church, only priests are allowed to perform an exorcism, but Sister Ann is against the idea. She shares her thoughts with Father Quinn, who is a teacher at St.Michael The Archangel School of Exorcism. He is fond of Sister Ann and even lets her sit in his classes. However, a nun opposes Sister Ann’s presence in his classes. She warns Sister Ann about the consequences she could face if she keeps on breaking the rules of the Church. She implies how God has set a role for each gender in society, and it is how the world should work. Sister Ann argues in front of Cardinal Matthews that she wants to be an exorcist. With the permission of Cardinal Matthews, Father Quinn starts teaching Sister Ann along with other priests. She is the first female who is allowed to sit in lectures about the rite of exorcism. Natalie is brought to the dungeons of the school where terminally ill patients are kept, those who do things that the doctors can’t explain in words. Natalie’s condition is worse than ever there.
Sister Ann Performs An Exorcism
In the dungeon, while Father Dante and Father Raymond pray for the betterment of little Natalie, we witness jump scares. From that point, the movie starts justifying its genre. Father Dante and Father Raymond try their best to control the demon inside Natalie, but it is all in vain. Father Quinn steps in, but he is also attacked by the demon. The initial volunteer of the exercise, Sister Ann, jumps into the scene and starts talking to Natalie. She says she believes Natalie is somewhere inside the demon and can hear her. The demon’s power is in the flesh, not the mind, and our minds can do wonders. Natalie comes back to normal for a while, and the power of the nun shocks everyone. Maybe the rules are wrong; they must be thinking!
After Sister Ann brings Natalie back to a stable condition, Father Dante approaches her for help. He informs her that his sister was raped and got pregnant. He also tells her that she is now suffering because of the baby and that she is possessed by the demon. Father Dante’s sister did not have days left, she was in danger, and since Sister Ann is empathic, she decides to perform an exorcism. Father Dante came to her because he claimed that Sister Ann had a gift from God. Sister Ann performs an exorcism without the permission of the Church, and at first, it seems like she has done it exceptionally well. But was that the case? No.
After performing an exorcism, she goes about her business. However, the next day she is called into Cardinal Matthews’ office. The exorcism did not work well, and Father Dante’s sister killed herself. The demon deceived Sister Ann into thinking it had left the body. Sister Ann is shocked to hear the news and decides to go back to St.Mary’s nursing facility, where she grew up.
What Happens To Natalie?
Father Dante comes to St.Mary’s to inform that Natalie had a relapse, and while bringing her back to the hospital, she attacked a priest and medics inside the ambulance. Her condition is worse than ever, and she gives a necklace to Father Dante, which belonged to Sister Ann. Apparently, Natalie is the daughter of Sister Ann. It seems like it was a sin when she gave her baby up for adoption because she was 15 and could not handle a baby. She also could not keep the baby because she was unmarried, and it was a sin to be an unmarried mother in the Christian religion. The nuns would say that she was being punished by God.
Natalie’s case was so bad that she was supposed to be sent to Rome for further treatment. Rome is where the Pope rules, and he’s one of the biggest Catholic figures in our society. However, according to the movie, the patients who were sent to Vatican City did not make it out of there alive. They perform inhumane rituals on patients, because of which they eventually die. In the archives, the research work Sister Ann did was rather shocking to witness, patients were tied up, and their mouths were even woven. Of course, Sister Ann did not want the same for her daughter, Natalie. The demon knew her secret and even confronted her. When she goes back to St.Michael’s to save Natalie, she goes into the dungeon, where she is being held like some animal. Her condition looks worse than ever. Sister Ann tries her way to save Natalie, and the demon summons her instead. It looks like the demon was after Annie all along. She hears her mother’s voice which gives her the courage to fight the demon inside her. So, Annie was right when she told the doctor that her mother loved her dearly. In the movie, she keeps on hearing her mother’s voice, and in the end, that is what saves her. The movie shows the connection one has with their parents, even after their death. Annie’s mother sacrificed herself to save her life, and she was ready to do the same for her daughter. However, when she throws herself into the Holy Water well, it seems like God saves her. Everything goes back to normal, and Sister Ann becomes Natalie’s savior.
How Does The Movie End? Will There Be A Sequel?
In the final moments of the movie, we see how Annie successfully breaks the old norms of Catholic society. Cardinal Matthews rewards Sister Ann with an academic research fellowship at The Vatican, and she is now allowed to perform exorcisms. Father Quinn tells her she is not the first woman to perform an exorcism; St. Catherine of Siena did it before her. However, she is the new-age nun who is allowed to perform an exorcism. Father Quinn warns her about the Devil. He says once the Devil knows you, it is hard to keep up with that life.
Going to Rome for a Catholic Christian means a lot since the Pope blesses the city of the Vatican. We see Sister Ann on her way to the airport, but she notices something suspicious. There is a woman who keeps on staring at her. After that, the cab driver starts humming her name. Both of them get possessed, and we see Sister Ann extracting the cross from her purse. The movie ends there. The ending of the movie is a cliffhanger because it makes one wonder what happened to the possessed lady and the cab driver. Did the Devil not leave her? Was it an act of deceit like Father Dante’s sister’s case?
We can assume that a sequel will come out where we will see her life as a nun who performs an exorcism. Even in movies like “Insidious,” the priest is performing the rite of exorcism but what makes this movie unique is the fact that they brought a female protagonist in a horror movie with such a powerful role. It will be an interesting ride to see what Sister Ann does in Vatican City, the place where the first school was established to save souls from demons. We are looking forward to a sequel to “Prey for the Devil,” what about you?
“Prey for the Devil” is a 2022 mystery horror film directed by Daniel Stamm.
