John C. Reilly’s Western thriller A Prayer for the Dying looks grim from its trailer. It shows a small Wisconsin town trapped between a deadly disease and a spreading wildfire. Set in 1870, the film shows a community struggling to survive as both threats close in.
The trailer opens with the discovery of a dead soldier in the town. John C. Reilly, who plays a local doctor, Doc, confirms the dead soldier had contagious diphtheria. Johnny Flynn’s Jacob quickly orders a strict quarantine, telling the townspeople, “No one in, no one out.”
But the crisis does not stop there. A wildfire starts moving toward the town as fear and panic spread. People struggle with illness and grief, while Jacob also deals with painful Civil War memories. Doc later warns him, “You can’t save everyone, Jacob.”
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A Prayer for the Dying follows a Civil War veteran facing deadly threats
Set five years after the Civil War, the film follows Jacob Hansen, a veteran trying to build a new life in Friendship, Wisconsin. He serves the town as sheriff, pastor, and undertaker. Jacob is also dealing with nightmares and trauma from his time in the war. His wife Marta and their new baby give him another reason to keep fighting as the situation around them worsens.
The film is based on Stewart O’Nan’s 1999 novel of the same name. Dara Van Dusen directed the movie and co-wrote the screenplay with O’Nan. Kristine Kujath Thorp plays Marta Hansen, Jacob’s wife, while Gustav Lindh and Hilton Pelser also star.
The story explores faith, isolation, survival, and the pressure of protecting others during a crisis. For Jacob, the threats around Friendship also force him to confront the trauma he carries from the war.
The film also draws inspiration from Michael Lesy’s 1973 photo book Wisconsin Death Trip. Director Dara Van Dusen used its images and newspaper accounts about disease and death in 1870 Wisconsin to shape the film’s setting and atmosphere.
A Prayer for the Dying runs for 95 minutes and premiered at the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival. The movie is now scheduled to release in theaters on October 9, 2026.