There’s a new exorcist in town, and she’s a woman! Prey for the Devil takes us on the journey of Sister Anne. A nun, who learned of demonic possession as a child after her mother became possessed. Now as an adult, those experiences with her mother helped her develop a gift of reaching the souls of those who have been possessed. Because of her gift, Sister Anne is given a shot at learning how to perform exorcisms, which is a forbidden ritual for a nun to perform. She is quickly thrown into a battle for the soul of a young girl who just so happens to be possessed by the same demon that tormented her mother.

I spoke with the star of the film, Jacqueline Byers. She shared why she wanted the role of Sister Anne.

“She’s the first female exorcist which is pretty badass, and two she’s incredibly complex, she’s flawed, which I think makes her a little bit more human. The courage she has I think is incredibly inspiring.”

Although the film highlights the training and obstacles Sister Anne faced to become an exorcist, there’s a greater message about mental health. Christian Navarro, who plays Father Dante, shared with me his thoughts on that important message.

“One of the undertones of this aversive message in this movie is about mental health awareness. I think shame, guilt, these are all things that are universal, every person on the planet experiences this. And what differs from person to person is how you process that pain. And I think this movie is about that. It’s about Sister Anne processing that pain and moving forward and becoming a champion, being rooted in that pain, right. And I think it’s important.”

Prey for the Devil is out now in theaters!