Editorials
A Beast in the Streets: Dutch Movie ‘Prey’ Unleashes a Killer Lion on Amsterdam [Horrors Elsewhere]
After terrorizing the Dutch with a living elevator, a canal-dwelling slasher, and an evil Sinterklaas, rebellious filmmaker Dick Maas returned with a more natural kind of killer. The people of Amsterdam are not under attack by a mere animal; a displaced predator is on the prowl. The blood trail of Prooi (Prey) starts outside the city where a family is brutally slaughtered in the middle of the night. It doesn’t take more than a glimpse of the massacre before a local zoo veterinarian determines the culprit. A lion is on the loose, and it’s heading deeper and deeper into the concrete jungle.
When the Netherlands said they can’t compete with Hollywood movies, Maas set out to prove them wrong. And since then, the audacious auteur has succeeded — his brand of absurd and entertaining filmmaking is enjoyed by not only the Dutch but also the rest of the world. Here Maas tapped into another popular subgenre, and the results are damn entertaining. The movie plays out like a standard “when animals attack” flick. The structure is not unlike something found on Syfy’s Saturday schedule circa 2000s, however, what ultimately sets this movie apart from its predecessors is of course Maas’ handling.
Before the fun of Prey truly kicks in, the movie gives an idea of who’s hunting who. The ravenous male lion closes in on Amsterdam while his main pursuer, a big-animal vet named Lizzy (Sophie van Winden), attempts to tame her on-and-off boyfriend Dave (Julian Looman). Their playful discord pales in comparison to an A.B.C. (alien big cat) chowing down on the city, of course, but you still hope these two kids can work things out. Another major player is introduced later on as the cat-and-mouse game becomes more intense.
This beastie romp follows the blueprint of many other “natural horror” movies. The local government wants to keep the threat on the down-low, a nosy member of the press has a personal stake in the story, the hired guns fail miserably, and a second animal expert is brought in later to help close the case. The beats are certainly familiar, and Maas doesn’t quite subvert them in any significant manner, but their sheer presence can also be comforting in this sort of story. Prey satisfies expectations in all the right ways without being phoned in, either.
Maas’ trademark sense of black humor distinguishes Prey and gives the whole thing a longer lifespan. Much of said comedy is found in the lion’s brutal kills. From the outset, the filmmaker has his dial set to “droll” — when asked where the father’s arm is, after the maned murderer devours an entire family, the assigned detective nonchalantly tells Lindsay it’s probably wherever the mother’s head is. It’s exactly that style of comedy, along with sight gags, that compensates for an admittedly threadbare plot. In addition, there’s nothing to undercut here, seeing as the movie is hardly serious.
It just wouldn’t be a Maas joint without a series of memorable set pieces. From the lion chasing down a delivery driver to a boy being snatched off a playground, Prey proves it has claws and it isn’t afraid to use them. Not a soul is spared, and that body count definitely includes children. Maas isn’t above threatening the security of kiddos on screen, although in this instance he refuses to waste an opportunity to shock the audience. This lion picks off at least three young’uns. One of whom is a baby in the wrong place at the wrong time; the standout scene has the lion boarding a city bus and then making a meal out of every single passenger. It seems twisted to use little ones as fodder, yet as a reminder to the uninitiated, Maas doesn’t care about what’s appropriate or not.
That other key character finally shows up around the halfway mark; Lindsay’s ex Jack (Mark Frost) is flown in after the Dutch authorities fail to catch the cat themselves. Now, Maas can be accused of being distasteful with how he writes Jack, a one-legged hunter who literally gives his remaining leg to take the lion down. Not to belabor the point, but the offbeat director has no concern for decency. Never has, and probably never will. Had he been worried about coming off as indelicate, he probably wouldn’t have had a lion eating a baby on a bus. And if anything, he should be applauded for showing restraint where it mattered most. Viewers almost had to endure a “love triangle” subplot no one asked for.
When there’s a lion in a modern movie, there is bound to be CGI. It’s much too dangerous and costly to have a real one on set. The lion, when done digitally, is passable-looking, but at the same time, he never looks real or intimidating. Meanwhile, the puppet effects are sparingly used and equally obvious. Keeping in mind Prey is a low-budgeted production, audiences have to look past the visual hiccups every now and then. For the record, though, the effects are far from bottom-barrel quality.
Prey is a rousing, weird and delightful movie where any small snags can surely be overlooked in favor of the whole picture. Another director might have seen this as a chance to play it safe and turned in a cookie-cutter creature-feature, but Dick Maas doesn’t color within the lines. Lion or no lion, this director’s work always has some bite to it.
Horrors Elsewhere is a recurring column that spotlights a variety of movies from all around the globe, particularly those not from the United States. Fears may not be universal, but one thing is for sure — a scream is understood, always and everywhere.
Editorials
‘Immaculate’ – A Companion Watch Guide to the Religious Horror Movie and Its Cinematic Influences
The religious horror movie Immaculate, starring Sydney Sweeney and directed by Michael Mohan, wears its horror influences on its sleeves. NEON’s new horror movie is now available on Digital and PVOD, making it easier to catch up with the buzzy title. If you’ve already seen Immaculate, this companion watch guide highlights horror movies to pair with it.
Sweeney stars in Immaculate as Cecilia, a woman of devout faith who is offered a fulfilling new role at an illustrious Italian convent. Cecilia’s warm welcome to the picture-perfect Italian countryside gets derailed soon enough when she discovers she’s become pregnant and realizes the convent harbors disturbing secrets.
From Will Bates’ gothic score to the filming locations and even shot compositions, Immaculate owes a lot to its cinematic influences. Mohan pulls from more than just religious horror, though. While Immaculate pays tribute to the classics, the horror movie surprises for the way it leans so heavily into Italian horror and New French Extremity. Let’s dig into many of the film’s most prominent horror influences with a companion watch guide.
Warning: Immaculate spoilers ahead.
Rosemary’s Baby
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The mother of all pregnancy horror movies introduces Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow), an eager-to-please housewife who’s supportive of her husband, Guy, and thrilled he landed them a spot in the coveted Bramford apartment building. Guy proposes a romantic evening, which gives way to a hallucinogenic nightmare scenario that leaves Rosemary confused and pregnant. Rosemary’s suspicions and paranoia mount as she’s gaslit by everyone around her, all attempting to distract her from her deeply abnormal pregnancy. While Cecilia follows a similar emotional journey to Rosemary, from the confusion over her baby’s conception to being gaslit by those who claim to have her best interests in mind, Immaculate inverts the iconic final frame of Rosemary’s Baby to great effect.
The Exorcist
William Friedkin’s horror classic shook audiences to their core upon release in the ’70s, largely for its shocking imagery. A grim battle over faith is waged between demon Pazuzu and priests Damien Karras (Jason Miller) and Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow). The battleground happens to be a 12-year-old, Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), whose possessed form commits blasphemy often, including violently masturbating with a crucifix. Yet Friedkin captures the horrifying events with stunning cinematography; the emotional complexity and shot composition lend elegance to a film that counterbalances the horror. That balance between transgressive imagery and artful form permeates Immaculate as well.
Suspiria
Jessica Harper stars as Suzy Bannion, an American newcomer at a prestigious dance academy in Germany who uncovers a supernatural conspiracy amid a series of grisly murders. It’s a dance academy so disciplined in its art form that its students and faculty live their full time, spending nearly every waking hour there, including built-in meals and scheduled bedtimes. Like Suzy Bannion, Cecilia is a novitiate committed to learning her chosen trade, so much so that she travels to a foreign country to continue her training. Also, like Suzy, Cecilia quickly realizes the pristine façade of her new setting belies sinister secrets that mean her harm.
What Have You Done to Solange?
This 1972 Italian horror film follows a college professor who gets embroiled in a bizarre series of murders when his mistress, a student, witnesses one taking place. The professor starts his own investigation to discover what happened to the young woman, Solange. Sex, murder, and religion course through this Giallo’s veins, which features I Spit on Your Grave’s Camille Keaton as Solange. Immaculate director Michael Mohan revealed to The Wrap that he emulated director Massimo Dallamano’s techniques, particularly in a key scene that sees Cecilia alone in a crowded room of male superiors, all interrogating her on her immaculate status.
The Red Queen Kills Seven Times
In this Giallo, two sisters inherit their family’s castle that’s also cursed. When a dark-haired, red-robed woman begins killing people around them, the sisters begin to wonder if the castle’s mysterious curse has resurfaced. Director Emilio Miraglia infuses his Giallo with vibrant style, with the titular Red Queen instantly eye-catching in design. While the killer’s design and use of red no doubt played an influential role in some of Immaculate’s nightmare imagery, its biggest inspiration in Mohan’s film is its score. Immaculate pays tribute to The Red Queen Kills Seven Times through specific music cues.
The Vanishing
Rex’s life is irrevocably changed when the love of his life is abducted from a rest stop. Three years later, he begins receiving letters from his girlfriend’s abductor. Director George Sluizer infuses his simple premise with bone-chilling dread and psychological terror as the kidnapper toys with Red. It builds to a harrowing finale you won’t forget; and neither did Mohan, who cited The Vanishing as an influence on Immaculate. Likely for its surprise closing moments, but mostly for the way Sluizer filmed from inside a coffin.
The Other Hell
This nunsploitation film begins where Immaculate ends: in the catacombs of a convent that leads to an underground laboratory. The Other Hell sees a priest investigating the seemingly paranormal activity surrounding the convent as possessed nuns get violent toward others. But is this a case of the Devil or simply nuns run amok? Immaculate opts to ground its horrors in reality, where The Other Hell leans into the supernatural, but the surprise lab setting beneath the holy grounds evokes the same sense of blasphemous shock.
Inside
During Immaculate‘s freakout climax, Cecilia sets the underground lab on fire with Father Sal Tedeschi (Álvaro Morte) locked inside. He manages to escape, though badly burned, and chases Cecilia through the catacombs. When Father Tedeschi catches Cecilia, he attempts to cut her baby out of her womb, and the stark imagery instantly calls Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s seminal French horror movie to mind. Like Tedeschi, Inside’s La Femme (Béatrice Dalle) will stop at nothing to get the baby, badly burned and all.
Burial Ground
At first glance, this Italian zombie movie bears little resemblance to Immaculate. The plot sees an eclectic group forced to band together against a wave of undead, offering no shortage of zombie gore and wild character quirks. What connects them is the setting; both employed the Villa Parisi as a filming location. The Villa Parisi happens to be a prominent filming spot for Italian horror; also pair the new horror movie with Mario Bava’s A Bay of Blood or Blood for Dracula for additional boundary-pushing horror titles shot at the Villa Parisi.
The Devils
The Devils was always intended to be incendiary. Horror, at its most depraved and sadistic, tends to make casual viewers uncomfortable. Ken Russell’s 1971 epic takes it to a whole new squeamish level with its nightmarish visuals steeped in some historical accuracy. There are the horror classics, like The Exorcist, and there are definitive transgressive horror cult classics. The Devils falls squarely in the latter, and Russell’s fearlessness in exploring taboos and wielding unholy imagery inspired Mohan’s approach to the escalating horror in Immaculate.
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