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February 13, 2026

A Prayer for the Dying review

Johnny Flynn and John C Reilly offer casting heft, but this moody, technically sound tale of an unfolding epidemic in 1870s Wisconsin lacks emotional substance

A Prayer for the Dying review

TL;DR

  • The film is a sombre tale of the American old west, adapted from Stewart O’Nan's novel by director Dara Van Dusen.
  • Set in a Wisconsin frontier town in 1870, the story centers on Sheriff Jacob, a former civil war officer, and his struggle with an unfolding epidemic.
  • A dead drifter, found in uniform, signals the return of trauma from the civil war, followed by the discovery of diphtheria cases.
  • The town faces a dilemma on how to handle the epidemic: an unenforceable lockdown or a secretive policy of non-acknowledgment.
  • A spreading wildfire adds to the horror, creating an eerie red glow that could symbolize Jacob's psychological state.
  • The film is described as technically accomplished but unsatisfying, with visuals disconnected from emotional truth.

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