A Prayer for the Dying

  • Rated Not Rated
  • 1hr 35m

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Dara Van Dusen

Release Date:

Oct 9, 2026

Runtime:

1hr 35m

Synopsis

In the aftermath of the Civil War, A PRAYER FOR THE DYING follows veteran Jacob Hansen, whose American dream of a new life in Friendship, Wisconsin quickly becomes a nightmare. When a deadly epidemic and threatening wildfire spread chaos, Jacob - serving as sheriff, undertaker, and pastor - must fight to save his town, his family, and his soul.

Cast

  • Johnny Flynn
  • John C. Reilly
  • Kristine Kujath Thorp
  • Gustav Lindh
Moviegoers are saying
Dara Van Dusen's neo-western debut 'A Prayer for the Dying' divides audiences with its ambitious blend of 1870s plague horror and heavy-handed pandemic allegory. While critics praise its gritty visual craftsmanship and haunting atmosphere, most agree the film collapses under forced surrealism and pretentious directorial choices that prioritize style over substance.
Top Mentions
Visually-Ambitious
Pandemic-Allegory
Neo-Western
Debut-Director
Surreal-Ending
Period-Grit
Summary generated from the text of Atom User reviews

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.2
1.4K
929
187
RATINGS 1 FANS
3.2
  • Feb 12, 2026

    for the longest time Dara Van Dusen's neo-western looks like a commentary on the current state of science vs religion, particularly in this beautiful country over the big pond. you're able to indulge in blood, sweat and extremely dirty clothing in the USA of 1870 and the…

    99 Likes
    shookone
    shookone
    Feb 12, 2026

    the coughing in the theater really set the mood

    64 Likes
    ida 🪰
    ida 🪰
    Feb 12, 2026

    You‘ll be dying of boredom and you‘ll be praying for it to end.

    22 Likes
    PowWow
    PowWow
  •
    Sep 8, 2026

    Bonjour l'Amérique rêche, boueuse, où les visages taillés à la serpe sont poussière et douleur. Une épidémie met à mal l’équilibre fragile d’un coin paume du Winsconsin, au lendemain de la guerre de Sécession. Belle mise en scène, parfois très inspirée dans ses travellings,…

    20 Likes
    Mehdi OMAÏS
    Mehdi OMAÏS
    Sep 8, 2026

    Festival du cinéma américain de Deauville Un premier film balbutiant qui s'enferme dans une fausse maîtrise visuelle, aux effets bien trop appuyés pour pouvoir en tirer un quelconque sens. Ajouté à ça un rythme laborieux : chaque seconde devient plus pénible que la…

    20 Likes
    paul_hze
    paul_hze
    Sep 23, 2026

    Sun-drenched, quiet, slow-burning, bleak, haunting, well-shot, and apocalyptic. Impressive directorial debut from Dara Van Dusen. Made me want to read the book it’s based on but I’m scared it’ll turn me into a God fearing man. * North American premiere at Fantastic Fest…

    12 Likes
    Cory Haynes 🤍
    Cory Haynes 🤍
  •
    Feb 12, 2026

    A prayer for staying awake

    15 Likes
    Milan
    Milan
    Oct 9, 2026

    "Dara Van Dusen’s debut film ‘A Prayer for the Dying’ is a gritty survival story about faith and family." The full review can be found at "The New York Sun": https://www.nysun.com/article/a-western-living-on-a-prayer

    4 Likes
    Mario Naves
    Mario Naves
    Sep 23, 2026

    Fantastic Fest 2026 A diptheria outbreak in a small town in 1870 causes the sheriff to make some hard choices. A western setup that serves as a standin for the covid pandemic. Starts very strong but is so on the nose that it loses its storytelling punch as it goes on. And…

    10 Likes
    HorrorHarry
    HorrorHarry

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Top Reviews
  • Dark Sun
    Dark Sun disliked
    A Prayer for the Dying

    Acting, set design, tone, and cinematography were all great. The ending kind of killed the experience for me with how inconclusive the story was. With how bleak it was, having more questions than answers made the whole experience feel more hollow than it should’ve.

    20D
    ChungiBoi
    ChungiBoi is "meh" on
    A Prayer for the Dying

    I feel like this movie had a vision for how they wanted everything to tie together and deliver payoff, but whatever that vision was is not clear to me, cause it ended and I felt like I missed something important that would’ve elevated it

    20D

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Frequently Asked Questions

When does A Prayer for the Dying come out in theaters?
October 9, 2026 is the release date.
How long is A Prayer for the Dying (2026)?
The movie is 1hr 35min long.
What's A Prayer for the Dying (2026) about?
In the aftermath of the Civil War, A PRAYER FOR THE DYING follows veteran Jacob Hansen, whose American dream of a new life in Friendship, Wisconsin quickly becomes a nightmare. When a deadly epidemic and threatening wildfire spread chaos, Jacob - serving as sheriff, undertaker, and pastor - must fight to save his town, his family, and his soul.
Who's the cast of A Prayer for the Dying (2026)?
  • Johnny Flynn
  • John C. Reilly
  • Kristine Kujath Thorp
  • Gustav Lindh
Who's the director behind A Prayer for the Dying (2026)?
Dara Van Dusen directed A Prayer for the Dying (2026).
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