Let Us Prey has a great opening credits sequence that sets the perfect tone for the movie: creative, dreamlike camera work; dark, frightening imagery; and ominous, tribal music. It’s an impressive start for director Brian O’Malley, cinematographer Piers McGrail, editor Tony Kearns and composer Steve Lynch, for most of whom this is their first feature film. The mood continues as the story unfolds, almost like an episode of The Twilight Zone, even though its twists are more subtle.
Normally in a review like this, I will be vague because I don’t want to reveal any of a movie’s surprises. In this case, I’m going to be vague because I’m not sure I understand what those surprises are. I mean, there is no clear explanation for the supernatural goings on at a remote police station where a nasty bunch of characters find themselves late one night. The person responsible is not a surprise; however, exactly who he is and from where he arrives is left open to interpretation.
Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth on Game of Thrones) becomes the mysterious inhabitant of cell number six in the police station, where he is able to enter the minds of the other cellmates and influence them to do horrific things to themselves and to each other. As potentially evil as he sounds, he’s an angel compared to everyone else… and not just the assumed bad guys. The police officers are about as vile and despicable as they are, perhaps more so.
My primary complaint with Let Us Prey sounds like a picky one. It comes from the United Kingdom; to be honest, I’m not sure if it’s Ireland or Scotland. The accents are so thick I was tempted to turn on the subtitles. Since I never did, I’m afraid I missed much of the conversation that might have explained my uncertainties about what was happening. Fortunately, there are so many dialogue-free flashbacks and scenes of graphic violence that I was compelled to keep watching.
The violence is sudden and brutal. As secrets are revealed about each of the characters, they meet the gory ends they deserve. However, nothing is over the top. While perhaps manipulated by supernatural forces, whatever happens to them is firmly rooted in the physical world. There’s guaranteed to be at least one scene to make you squirm. For me, it sounds like the simplest… but I’m just that way; nothing gets under my skin quite like a broken fingernail being pulled off a finger.
Let Us Prey is unsettling. It’s well made, dripping with atmosphere. At times it reminds me of Legion (2010) or even TV’s Supernatural. Let’s call it the thinking man’s Legion or Supernatural, for an art house crowd maybe? Something with it just didn’t click for me, though. I can’t put my finger on what; it may simply be my personal taste. But I think I’ve described enough about it to give you a feel for it and let you decide yourself if you want to watch it. I don’t think it would be time wasted.
