Prey For the Devil appears in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. This was a generally positive Dolby Vision presentation.
Sharpness looked solid. A few shots were slightly soft, but not to a substantial degree, so most of the movie seemed accurate and concise.
No jagged edges or shimmering occurred, and I saw no edge haloes. Source flaws were a non-factor, as the movie stayed clean.
Like most modern flicks, Prey favored a moderate teal tint with a dollop of amber as well. Within their dingy parameters, the colors appeared solid, and HDR gave the hues extra range.
Blacks seemed deep and tight, while shadows were smooth and well-delineated. HDR brought added impact and oomph to contrast and whites. In the end, the transfer proved to be appealing.
Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, I also felt positive about the pretty good Dolby Atmos soundtrack of Prey. Given the nature of the story, moody environmental information dominated the mix.
These elements filled out the speakers in a fairly involving manner. The movie didn’t become a constant whiz-bang soundfield, but it created a decent sense of place.
The more active “scare moments” used the spectrum in the most dynamic manner, but they failed to appear on a frequent basis. Instead, music and moody ambience became the most prominent components.
Audio quality was fine. Speech seemed natural and concise. Effects depicted the elements with acceptable accuracy and boasted pleasing low-end when necessary.
Music showed positive clarity and range, and they also packed solid bass response at times. This was a perfectly positive mix for the material.
How did the 4K UHD compare to the Blu-ray version? Both offered identical Atmos audio.
With the Dolby Vision image, the movie seemed a little sharper and also brought improvements in blacks and colors. However, the murky and dingy nature of the film limited growth, so while I preferred the 4K to the Blu-ray, improvements didn’t dazzle.
When we go to the set’s extras, we begin with an audio commentary from director Daniel Stamm and actor Jacqueline Byers. Both sit together for this running, screen-specific look at story/characters, cast and performances, shooting during COVID, sets and locations, music, editing, effects and related domains.
Expect a fairly decent but unexceptional track here. While Stamm and Byers offer a reasonable take on the production, the chat never catches fire so don’t expect an especially memorable discussion.
Next comes Possessed goes for 41 minutes, 52 seconds. It offers notes from Stamm, Byers,producers Todd R. Jones, Earl Richey Jones and Jessica Malanaphy, screenwriter Robert Zappia, executive producers David Brooks and Brad Kessell, costume designer Elena Stoyanova, hair and makeup department head Daniela Avramova, production designer Jonathan McKinstry, property masters Andrey Filchev and Zdravko Vasilev, director of photography Denis Crossan, stunt coodinator Asen Asenov, editor Tom Elkins, and actors Virginia Madsen, Posy Taylor, Colin Salmon, Christian Navarro, and Nicholas Ralph.
“Possessed” looks at the project’s roots and development, the screenplay, story and characters, cast and performances, costumes and hair/makeup, the impact of COVID on the production, sets and locations, photography, Stamm’s attitude on the shoot, and editing.
Unsurprisingly, “Possessed” repeats some notes from the commentary. Nonetheless, it brings plenty of new perspectives and becomes a pretty engaging production overview.
A Lullaby of Terror lasts eight minutes, 41 seconds and features Brooks, Elkins, and composer Nathan Barr. We get some notes about the movie’s score in this short but worthwhile piece.
With The Devil’s Tricks, we find a three-minute, 52-second program that shows a “progression reel” for various visual effects. While this proves enjoyable, it’d work better if it came with discussion/commentary.
Cast Read goes for one hour, 59 minutes, 52 seconds and provides a run-through of the movie’s first draft screenplay. Done via an online conference call, Stamm introduces the piece and then Zappia offers all the script’s stage directions.
Along the way, we get performances from Byers, Taylor, Ralph, Salmon, Stamm, and actors Michael Adler, Talmadge Ragan, Cora Kirk and Lisa Palfrey.
This program offers an unusual twist since it does focus on Zappia’s first draft, a fact that means it differs in many ways from the final product. This turns into a pretty cool addition to the disc.
Finally, Speak No Evil lasts one hour, one minute, 12 seconds and delivers another online conference call discussion. Zappia chats with authors Father Vincent P. Lampert and Richard Gallagher.
“Evil” examines aspects of exorcisms as they occur in modern society. The chat could use a skeptic, as all involved clearly believe in demons and whatnot, but they nonetheless offer a good perspective on their views.
A second disc provides a Blu-ray copy of Prey. It offers the same extras as the 4K disc.
Beyond its use of a female exorcist, Prey for the Devil fails to bring anything new to its well-worn genre. The movie embraces trite concepts and techniques to become a forgettable affair. The 4K UHD offers positive picture and audio along with a surprisingly strong roster of bonus materials. Not much about the movie stands out from the crowd.
To rate this film, visit the prior review of PREY FOR THE DEVIL
