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“Prey” is worth spending the money to see on the biggest screen possible. The wide open spaces of Alberta look fantastic, there’s plenty of monster mayhem and action, and the striking score by Sarah Schachner deserves to be blasted from the largest speakers available. So, why is Disney dumping an entry in the popular “ Predator ” series on Hulu in the middle of the summer? The original “Predator” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger turns 35 this year; what better way to celebrate than with a prequel that’s better than any of its sequels? The marketing team could have had a field day promoting this connection. So why is this film, like Disney+'s “ Turning Red ” before it, going straight to streaming with no simultaneous theatrical presence? 

Was it because director Dan Trachtenberg ’s sci-fi actioner didn’t have any major stars (besides the Predator, of course)? Was it because the screenplay by Patrick Aison takes place in 1719, making this a period piece? Or was it due to the fact that the protagonist is a woman and her kin are Native Americans, both of which buck the trend for movies like this? Considering the recent cancellations of films scheduled for upcoming release, I suppose I should be thankful that “Prey” can be seen anywhere, including on services to which I do not subscribe. This is not to say that streaming services are bad, just that I always feel itchy recommending movies you need a contract to see. Plus, this deserves a theatrical release.

But I digress. “Prey” bills itself as an origin story of the first Predator alien to appear on Earth. This one is fitted with slightly retro versions of the weapons wielded by the late actor Kevin Peter Hall in the first film. The Predator’s modus operandi is the same, however: it is a hunter and it’s looking for trophies of prey. This gives the creature a kindred spirit of sorts in Naru ( Amber Midthunder ), a young warrior who wishes to hunt like the males in her tribe, including her brother, Taabe ( Dakota Beavers ). Naru is teased by the guys, who state that hunting is men’s work, but we learn she can hold her own in a fight. She’s twice as tough as she looks, and three times more observant than the others. Naru is the one who first notices that there’s a new creature on their land. Perhaps it might have something to do with that blazing streak of fire she saw in the sky earlier.

While on the hunt to find a lion that’s been prowling about, Taabe barely tolerates Naru tagging along. They have an easygoing sibling relationship that Midthunder and Beavers create almost immediately in their first scenes. Their bond adds to our worries once the real danger appears. Naru notices a skinned snake and prints that do not belong to a known entity. “Something scared off that lion,” she tells Taabe, but he is in no mood for her claim that it is a “monster from childhood stories.” Meanwhile, the Predator works its way up the animal chain, teaching a pugnacious wolf a lesson about selling woof tickets by pulling out its spine. Naru finally gets to see it when it ruthlessly guts the bear that was chasing her and her faithful mutt.

The scene with the bear is so cleverly staged that one wishes “Prey” hadn’t given us a good look at the Predator beforehand. As it yanks the bear from its pursuit, lifting it up for the kill, the invisible Predator is painted into view by an outpouring of blood. Naru sees this and runs like Hell. So begins a series of expertly crafted chase scenes, with our antagonist employing familiar and new ways to eviscerate its victims. There’s also a callback to one of the original film’s best lines: “if it bleeds, we can kill it.” Bleed it does, with a neon green blood that, at one point, Naru uses as war paint.

Adding another element of danger (as well as fresh meat for viewers hungry for Predator-based carnage) is a slew of uncouth French fur trappers. When Naru stumbles upon a field of skinned buffalo, she prays over them, thinking that this is the monster’s handiwork. Soon she realizes it’s man, that other evil predator, who is responsible. Even though they agree with Naru that something otherworldly is out there, the trappers are even more villainous than the Predator. So we’re not sorry when they start getting splattered.

“Prey” is a worthy successor to Ah-nuld’s original, even though there are no “choppas” for anyone to get to in 1719. Naru deserves to be added to the list of tough characters who can hold their own against the Predator. She uses brains and brawn in equal measure to handle all of her foes, dispatching them with gory efficiency. Nature also proves a cruel adversary, but she’s ready for that as well. The film creates a portrait of her Comanche nation without othering them—they are the heroes of the story and their village teems with a sense of camaraderie. Even though the film is mostly in English (a full Comanche language version was apparently also shot in tandem), it does not endanger our suspension of disbelief.

Despite the expected whine from immature males who haven’t seen the movie yet but are already deeming it “too woke,” “Predator” fans will not be disappointed by “Prey.” It’s a scary and fun amusement park ride that also elicits a surprisingly tender emotional response. When Naru finally let out the war cry she had previously been denied, I couldn’t help but cheer. It’s too bad I couldn’t do it with an audience full of equally excited viewers.

On Hulu tomorrow, August 5th.

Odie Henderson

Odie "Odienator" Henderson has spent over 33 years working in Information Technology. He runs the blogs Big Media Vandalism and Tales of Odienary Madness. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire  here .

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Film credits.

Prey (2022)

Rated R for strong bloody violence.

100 minutes

Amber Midthunder as Naru

Dakota Beavers as Taabe

Dane DiLiegro as Predator

Stormee Kipp as Wasape

Michelle Thrush as Aruka

Julian Black Antelope as Chief Kehetu

Stefany Mathias as Sumu (Chief Wife)

Nelson Leis as Waxed Mustache

Bennett Taylor as Raphael

• Dan Trachtenberg
• Patrick Aison

Cinematographer

• Jeff Cutter
• Claudia Castello
• Angela M. Catanzaro
• Sarah Schachner

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‘prey’ review: ‘predator’ prequel gives old franchise a fresh spin.

The new installment in the long-running 'Predator' series takes place 300 years ago and centers on a young Comanche woman.

By Frank Scheck

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There’s a reason that the title of the new Predator film doesn’t contain the word “Predator.”

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Release Date : Friday, August 5

Cast : Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane Diliegro, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, Stefany Mathia, Bennett Taylor, Mike Paterson, Nelson Leis

Director : Dan Trachtenberg

Screenwriter : Patrick Aison

The film will no doubt be lambasted by its less forward-thinking male viewers, much in the same way that they somehow couldn’t stand the thought of female ghostbusters. But there’s no denying that director Dan Trachtenberg ( 10 Cloverfield Lane ) has effectively gotten back to the basics. There’s enough carnage and violent action on display to satisfy Predator fans whose cinematic bloodlust knows no bounds, and the dramatic change in milieu provides some much-needed freshness. Featuring a cast composed almost entirely of Native and First Nations actors, Prey has clearly taken pains to be as authentic as possible.

Amber Midthunder, who previously proved her badass bona fides in the Liam Neeson vehicle The Ice Road , proves perfectly cast as the incredibly resourceful and skillful Naru, who throws a mean tomahawk and desperately yearns to be a hunter like her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers, making an impressive debut) and the other men in her Comanche tribe. She more than gets her chance after the arrival of the Predator (Dane Diliegro, all 6’9” of him), who, being an equal opportunity killer, begins gruesomely dispatching whatever animals and humans have the unfortunate luck to cross his path.

Screenwriter Patrick Aison can be forgiven for laying on the feminist themes a bit thickly, since for every earnest or overly self-aware moment there’s one or more scenes of the Predator slaying his victims with undeniable panache. The important thing is that the action sequences are staged with maximum skillfulness (occasionally undercut by the subpar CGI effects, including the Predator glowing like a clubber who’s wandered into ultraviolet light). Some of the visuals are truly striking, such as an invisible Predator being exposed by the blood and viscera raining down on him from the bear he’s just killed. Adding to the impact are DP Jeff Cutter’s striking visual compositions, including a gorgeous shot of Naru and the mountain lion perched precariously on a tree limb, and Sarah Schachner’s pulse-pounding musical score.

Full credits

Production company: David Entertainment Company Distributor: 20 th Century Studios Cast: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane Diliegro, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, Stefany Mathia, Bennett Taylor, Mike Paterson, Nelson Leis Director: Dan Trachtenberg Screenwriter: Patrick Aison Producers: John Davis, Jhane Myers, Marty Ewing Executive producers: Lawrence Gordon, Ben Rosenblatt, James E. Thomas, John C. Thomas, Marc Toberoff Director of photography: Jeff Cutter Production designer: Kara Lindstrom Editors: Angela M. Catanzaro, Claudia Castello Composer: Sarah Schachner Costume designer: Stephanie Porter Casting: Rene Haynes

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Prey review: Brutal, pulse-quickening Predator prequel succeeds by ditching the nostalgia

This is, first and foremost, an emotionally rich story about an indigenous comanche woman fighting for survival out in the american wilderness, article bookmarked.

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Dir: Dan Trachtenberg. Starring: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope. 15, 99 minutes.

Prey didn’t need to be a Predator film. All those decades-spanning sequels, including Shane Black ’s poorly received 2018 instalment, have lived in the shadow of that single, canonised image of a glistening Arnold Schwarzenegger dolled up in his war paint. None of them got close to replicating that muscle-bound greatness. But Prey succeeds by not even trying in the first place. Its thrills aren’t solely reliant on what’s already familiar to audiences. It isn’t powered by nostalgia – an exceedingly rare thing to see in mainstream cinema these days.

That’s not to say that, when our intergalactic murder-hulk does turn up, with its jaws like an origami fortune teller, the film doesn’t quake with childish glee. But this is, first and foremost, a brutal, pulse-quickening, emotionally rich story about an indigenous Comanche woman fighting for survival out in the American wilderness. It just so happens to be that, about halfway through, a trophy-hunting alien also turns up to join in on the game. In fact, the film’s director, Dan Trachtenberg, originally intended Prey to be marketed with no reference to its franchise connections, until the news was leaked online and the surprise was ruined. It’s shame – this could have been an all-timer of a narrative twist.

Set in the Comanche Nation, somewhere during the 1700s, Prey follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a woman who, against the warnings of her elders, pushes to upturn patriarchal tradition and pass the initiation test that would solidify her place as a hunter. The Comanche men show little sympathy. When she suggests they set down bait for the mountain lion whose tracks they’ve been following, they mistake her shrewdness for weakness. But, when it comes to fending off a Predator, Naru’s home-ground advantage is pretty much all she’s got. Any hope for survival lies out there among the trees and the flowers and the earth.

And Trachtenberg’s film, working from a screenplay by Patrick Aison, makes the most of these pared-back surroundings. As its intricate hand-to-hand combat sequences play out, the crunch of bones seems to ricochet around the room you’re in – as does the satisfying thud of a throwing axe as it embeds itself into a tree trunk. The night scenes look surprisingly rich, illuminated by single torches or by the laser-quest-green glow of a Predator’s spilt blood.

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There’s even a wicked sense of humour embedded in the chaos. A rabbit watches on, relieved, as a Predator de-spines a wolf. Elsewhere, a group of French-Canadian fur trappers, in a state of panic, try to reload their muskets as the alien lines up its laser sights. The film was made for and deserves to be seen on the big screen. But it’s incidentally become the victim of a corporate power struggle – Disney is dropping it straight onto streaming, as a prior contract would have required a theatrically released film to have initially gone onto HBO Max. Prey , arguably, has been let down by the fact Disney has too much confidence in the project.

Put aside the unfortunate consequences of the film’s own success, and there’s something deeply significant to be seen in an Indigenous-led narrative so proudly centered on a Hollywood project. There’s real care put into the details of Comanche life, as overseen by producer Jhane Myers – a Comanche and Blackfoot advocate and artist, who was able to take on a more hands-on role than the traditional “consultant” positions that allow projects to take performative credit while rarely lending a voice to the people it depicts. The film was shot in both English and Comanche, with both versions set to be available on Disney Plus.

Naru weaves rope made out of the fibres of tree bark, and is seen frantically trying to restring a snapped bow before a bear makes its attack. Midthunder imbues these scenes with a quiet determination. It’s a star-making performance. Naru’s a relatively subdued character, who communicates to us more through body language than she does words. Still, Midthunder has that kind of natural, undefinable gravitational force that draws the audience’s attention back to her even in moments of rest.

Prey’ s setting makes logical sense – the mercilessness of the Predator, who hunts only for pride, is reflected in the actions of the white colonisers, who leave behind nothing but scorched forests and fields of dead buffalo. But the film simultaneously challenges the common assumption that Indigenous peoples like the Comanche were simply outmatched by the power of European gunfire, when the history of American expansion was really only achieved through persistent trickery and betrayal. The Comanche were actually very adept at fighting back against their oppressors. And the film, time and time again, sees Naru succeed specifically because those around her never treat her as a plausible threat. And so Trachtenberg’s film lands on a broader, more empowering message amid the alien mayhem – that the marginalised and the forgotten, in all forms, already have the tools they need to survive.

‘Prey’ is streaming on Disney Plus in the UK and Hulu in the US from 5 August

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‘Prey’ Gives the ‘Predator’ Franchise Its Long-Awaited Masterpiece

• By David Fear

“A long time ago, it is said,” an unseen voice says, “a monster came here.” The year is 1719; neither Arnold Schwarzenegger nor Jesse “The Body” Ventura will be so much as a glimmer in anyone’s eyes for centuries. The place is the Northern Great Plains of what will one day be called the United States of America. For the Comanche Nation, this is home: the forests where they hunt, the streams where they fish, the ground where they find roots for medicine. It’s where Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young woman, wants to prove she’s as good as — if not better than — her male peers who go out into the wilderness with bows and arrows, the tribe’s next-gen warriors armed with weapons and purpose. It’s also a place that attracts invaders, notably French trappers who’ve been killing the local buffalo and leaving those iron bear-traps the Comanche have seen strewn around.

And it’s where, one day, a visitor comes crashing out of the sky. No one sees him, not at first — you don’t see the thing until it wants you to see him, and by that point, it’s too late. Naru knows he’s there, however. She’s noticed the large footprints in the mud, which suggest this intruder is bigger than a grizzly. She’s observed the oddly fluorescent green blood splattered on foliage and tree bark. She’s felt him silently stalking her hunting party, waiting patiently to strike. When he finally does appear, Naru doesn’t recognize this creature with the stringy dreadlocks and clacking jaw-mandibles and otherworldly tech. But we do.

It was just supposed to be a high-concept star vehicle circa 1987: What if the Austrian Oak fought the ultimate extraterrestrial killing machine? And we got the guy who made Die Hard to direct it?  Yet somehow, Predator morphed from a fun romp in the jungle with Ah -nold & Friends to the beginning of a franchise, and two sequels, one reboot, numerous comic-book adventures and several team-ups with Alien ‘s Xenomorph later, the giant, interstellar game-hunter is a bigger celebrity than most of his human costars. T-shirts, action figures, books, video games, his own Funko Pop line — the Predator is a sci-fi/horror-movie hall-of-famer now, nestled between Freddy Krueger and Gort, the robot from The Day the Earth Stood Still. We hope his agent, his manager and his publicity teams are all getting decent commissions.

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What the alpha from outer space didn’t have was a proper follow-up to that first movie, one that took advantage of the hunter-versus-hunted dynamic in the same lean, mean way without lazily pressing the “remake” button. That changes now. Prey, director Dan Trachtenberg’s addition to the Predatorverse, isn’t just an intriguing expansion of the series or a cool intellectual-property detour; it’s something close to a B-movie masterpiece, a survivalist thriller-slash-proto-Western-slash-final-girl horror flick that, like both its iconic alien and its indigenous Ripley 2.0 heroine, is extremely good at what it sets out to do. No disrespect to those who have soft spots for 2010’s Predators or Shane Black’s giddy 2018 hit-refresh entry The Predator. Both have their brutal, livewire charms. It’s simply that this prequel manages to capture the spirit of that Schwarzenegger original while completely rejiggering and deepening the Most Dangerous Game  notion at the center of it all. It instantly establishes itself as a series highlight.

Part of that has to do with Midthunder, a young actor with Sioux ancestry, silent-cinema-starlet eyes and a physical presence that can project vulnerability or steely self-assurance. If you’ve seen her work on Legion, the surreal FX TV show that took the X-Men universe into uncomfortable, uncharted territory, then you know she can ground fantasy while still adhering to an anything-goes genre’s playbook. A team player, but someone who can handle an action scene or three on her own if need be. Here, as Naru, Midthunder gives you a woman who’s a true fighter and a tracker, handy with a thrown tomahawk and resourceful enough to customize it with a return-delivery service via a rope. She’s also consistently underestimated by everyone around her because, well, she’s a she.  Even when the creature starts picking off her Comanche war party after dominating some of the area’s natural apex predators (a rattlesnake, a bear, European interlopers), he leaves Naru alone — why bother with someone who isn’t, in his beady eyes, a threat?

It turns out that her combat skills have indeed been honed and refined more than everyone realizes, and while Midthunder doesn’t turn this young Native into a superhuman — Naru is barely able to extract herself from a quicksand pit — she does make you believe this woman is superior when and where it counts. Watching Midthunder jump, slide, sprint, notch arrows with lightning speed and eventually go from hunted to hunter, you get the sense that you’re seeing the actor become a full-fledged action hero as much as you’re seeing Naru come into her own; it’s such a kinetic performance, and yet still so attuned to who this woman is and the world she navigates.

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It helps that Trachtenberg knows how to film man-vs-intergalactic-serial-killer stand-offs as well, without devolving into the usual quick-cut chaos mash-ups that now often passes for set pieces, and that he can frame a shot and pace a dread-inducing sequence for maximum impact. He’s done franchise duty before — see: 10 Cloverfield Lane, which revisited the world of kaijus run amuck from a claustrophobic thriller’s perspective — but this feels like a step up. And given that he has a Grade-A breakout star in addition to a famous monster of filmland at his disposal, Trachtenberg goes all in on trying to make as big, yet as creatively fertile a blockbuster-style movie as possible.

(About that “big” part: Prey is most definitely a large movie, with widescreen vistas and rippling special effects and more than a couple of moments designed to turn an audience into one collectively gasping mass. It’s also a straight-to-Hulu joint, which likely has to do with the fact that it’s a Fox property, inherited from a purchase of the company, by patrons who probably bought it just so they could get those sweet, sweet X-Men rights in their pocket. As with so many Fox projects, there’s the sense that the folks in charge just want it in their rearview mirror and don’t care if thy cut off their nose to spite their mouse-eared face. You should see this on the streaming service ASAP, after it drops on August 5th, regardless. But note that it’s definitely our loss and no one else’s gain.)

And the other part of it is that, handed an I.P. that’s revolved around a Darwinian survival of the fittest, Trachtenberg and cowriter Patrick Aison chose to harken back to a time in our nation’s history before there was much of an our equation at all. Dropping a sci-fi/horror mainstay into what is essentially a revisionist Western template, one which favored the Native viewpoint over those who considered the notion of manifest destiny to be a mandate, adds a bit of novelty to the usually futureshocked franchise. Ditto the idea of those with “primitive” weaponry going up against something that’s retrofitted a bear skull to be a bleeding-edge, laser-sighted helmet. (A beautifully creepy touch, BTW; the addition of the skull makes the familiar sight of this killer feel freshly horrifying.)

But it also makes you rethink this creature who drops out of the clouds in an entirely different context. He’s just another foreign power who’s come to conquer, a cosmic variation on the colonialists who’ll appear in bigger numbers and with more complex agendas, another hunter who views those already living on the land as little more than prey. This particular hunter, however, has encountered someone who views staring down a predator to be not just a rite of passage but a birthright. “This is as far as you go,” Naru informs her enemy, before engineering a coup de grace. “No more.” And you don’t need to be a true believer in all things Predator -y to feel that declaration resonate in the most unexpected and exhilarating termite-art ways imaginable.

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Survival of the fittest

TechRadar Verdict

Unashamedly violent, surprisingly poignant, and simplistically effective, Prey is the best Predator movie since the 1987 original. It packs plenty into its 97-minute runtime; simultaneously honouring the Predator films that have come before while freshening things up for a whole new audience. It's a tad exposition heavy and its plot may seem derivative to some. Overall, though, Prey is the entertaining sci-fi flick that Predator fans have spent the past 30-plus years hunting for.

A tense, captivating and entertaining watch

Great cast led by the superb Amber Midthunder

Pays tribute to iconic moments from the Predator franchise

Pleasingly gory action sequences

Does more for Indigenous representation than most Hollywood movies

Story doesn't reinvent the series

Expository plot beats are unnecessary

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- Fifth Predator movie in the sci-fi action-horror franchise - Set nearly 300 years before 1987's Predator film - Directed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) - Written by Patrick Aison (Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan) - Stars Amber Midthunder as Naru, a Comanche warrior - Releasing on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in other territories

The 80s was a watershed moment for the sci-fi genre . Hugely popular film series, such as Alien and The Terminator, were created during this time and, while these franchises have struggled to remain relevant in the modern era, the duo delivered sequels – Aliens and Terminator 2 – that were arguably superior to their predecessors.

The Predator franchise cannot claim likewise. The first film in the Jim and John Thomas-created series – the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring flick – may have wowed audiences with its suspenseful moments, strong and simple characterization, and over-the-top set pieces upon initial release. Multiple sequels, though, have failed to deliver a worthy follow-up to the testosterone-fuelled sci-fi action original, diminishing the Predator movie series in the eyes of many.

So the arrival of a new Predator film – Prey – is sure to be met with equal parts intrigue and trepidation. Is another Predator movie really necessary and, if so, will it actually be worth watching?

The answer to those queries is a resounding yes. Prey is a thrilling, gruesome, and deeply resonant movie that finally wakes the dormant Predator franchise from its decades-long slumber. It doesn't reinvent the series' narrative formula but, armed with a captivating lead actor, crowd pleasing moments, and its authentic portrayal of Native American traditions and cultures, Prey is the best Predator film since the original.

The hunt begins

Set in 1719, Prey stars Amber Midthunder (The Ice Road, Legion) as Naru, a member of a Comanche Nation tribe who longs to be taken seriously as a skilled and fierce warrior.

Determined to prove her worth, Naru sets out to hunt an unidentifiable creature living on the Northern Great Plains, an expansive stretch of land straddling Canada and the US. However, Naru soon discovers that the prey she's stalking is a bloodthirsty extraterrestrial, armed with all manner of advanced weaponry, who hunts for sport and glory – and it has Naru, her Comanche brethren, and other Great Plain dwellers in its crosshairs. Cue Naru fighting for her survival amid the numerous obstacles put in her way – Predator included – in a thematic coming-of-age tale.

Narratively, then, Prey doesn't deviate from the Predator series' tried and tested plot formula – i.e. a Predator arrives on Earth to hunt humans who, though outgunned and initially out-thought, eventually succeed in defeating the Yautja warrior.

Basic as that blueprint sounds in 2022, though, the simplicity of Prey's story is what makes it effective. Its plot is concise and cohesive in its approach; foregoing extraneous story beats to tell a story that primarily focuses on its two leads – Midthunder's Naru and the titular Predator, portrayed by basketball player-turned-actor Dane DiLiegro ( American Horror Story ) – and their respective character arcs. 

For DiLiegro's Predator, that means presenting an ever looming and foreboding threat to Naru and company. By contrast, Naru's journey from a bold but naive wannabe warrior into a fully fledged, inventive fighter is the classic "hero's journey" arc that's typical of such films.

Thanks to the brevity of its plot, too, Prey abandons an amazingly odd quirk for the Predator franchise – that being, the quartet of films preceding Prey all clocking in at 107 minutes. With its comparatively sprightly 97-minute runtime, Prey nimbly progresses through its tight narrative, finding a satisfying balance between its quieter, tender moments and those of the action-packed, suspenseful variety. It even dispenses with one obvious horror trope that, when you realize what it is, you'll be grateful for its exclusion.

That's not to say Prey's story is perfect. Viewers hoping for a subversive or wholly original plot may be disappointed that Prey is a retread of what's come before, albeit a story set in a different time period and location. There's even a scene involving different creatures preying on one another – for a film called Prey, one starring a creature called a Predator no less, it's unashamedly but eye-rollingly on the nose.

The Predator's delayed reveal – we don't get a proper look at it until midway through the flick – is also somewhat frustrating. Sure, given the Predator's updated look (more on this later), director Dan Trechtenberg and write Patrick Aison likely wanted its unveiling to be a significantly impactful moment in the film. However, franchise fans already know how Predators look and act, so holding this reveal back until the movie's second half feels like a slight misstep.

Some of the film's English language dialog is contextually iffy, too. A few of those instances are down to Prey's occasional exposition heavy story beats, which feel unnecessary for a movie as uncomplicated as this. Still, with Prey also fully available in Comanche – historically the first-ever Hollywood film to do so –  this particular sore point may not be as noticeable in its alternatively dubbed format.

Honoring the past to deliver a brighter future

The inclusion of Comanche language isn't a token gesture on Prey's part, either. 

The whole film captures Comanche traditions and cultures in stunningly authentic detail, while the casting of a Native American actor in Midthunder as its lead is testament to Prey's faithful depiction of the Comanche community.

In fact, the decision to almost exclusively hire Native American and First Nation talent in front of and behind the screen is proof of the filmmakers' desire to faithfully represent Indigenous people and their way of life. From Indigenous actors including Dakota Beavers and Stormee Kipp, to Comanche consultant Juanita Pahdopony and executive producer Jhane Myers, Prey makes every effort to reproduce Comanche society on screen as truthfully as possible. 

The simplicity of Prey's story is what makes it effective

In an industry that's done shockingly little to provide genuine equality for Native Americans – they've routinely been portrayed as violent, primitive barbarians in Hollywood productions – Prey feels like a genuinely significant step in the right direction. 

Given the scope of its expansive landscape shots and Naru's personalized journey, parallels are sure to be drawn with Leonardo Di Caprio-starring movie The Revenant. Although, Prey appears to perform a more capable job of accurately depicting Comanche society and heritage than The Revenant's illustration of Pawnee and Arikaran Nations.

Such due care and attention also extends to the history of the Predator franchise. As Prey is set nearly 300 years before the events of the 1987 original, the alien species aren't as technologically advanced in Prey as they are in other entries. There's no plasma cannon here – something just as violently fun replaces it, though – nor does it come equipped with the iconic headgear that Predators are known for.

Indeed, Prey's version of the Predator is more feral and gladiatorial compared to previous iterations, but to call it primitive would be to do it a disservice. Prey's version of the Yautja still comes equipped with a potent arsenal of weapons, classic facial features, and those iconic noises that Predator fans will instantly recognize. With a self-appointed Predator fanatic in Trachtenberg at the helm, it was clearly important to do justice to Predator projects preceding this one.

Other tributes are littered through Prey's narrative, but particular mention should go to its fight sequences. They're especially worthy homages to what's come before, with the final showdown between Naru and the Predator a clear ode to the original film. Without spoiling too much, it's a sequence that seemingly brings the franchise full circle; one that's handled with a deftness of touch, plenty of tension, and two resolute warriors going hammer and tong on one another to satisfying effect. With a few Easter eggs scattered throughout, and its ending teasing a possible sequel – or, whisper it quietly, a new movie series in the franchise itself – too, Predator fans will be pleased with what Prey delivers from action and reference perspectives.

Our verdict

Prey is the most entertaining and suspense-fuelled Predator movie since the franchise's first entry. Its unique setting in the past, emotive plot, and authentic representation of Indigenous people breathe new life into a series that had lost its way, but equally it's a film that doesn't lose sight of honouring what came before.

Narratively, it doesn't shift the franchise in a new direction, and it's likely that some will criticize Prey for playing it too safe or peddling to nostalgic fans who have been deprived of a truly good Predator sequel for so long. It's a slight pity that the film will forego a theatrical release to launch exclusively on streaming services – Hulu in the US, and Disney Plus in the rest of the world – too, as it's a film designed to be seen on the big screen.

Given the films that preceded Prey, though, there's little competition to suggest it isn't the best Predator flick since Schwarzenegger's Alan 'Dutch' Schaefer implored us to "Get to da choppa". It's unapologetically violent, surprisingly poignant, and simplistically effective. Sometimes, that's all you need from a movie.

The hunt for a worthwhile Predator sequel is over – and its name is Prey.

Prey launches on Hulu in the US, and Disney Plus in non-US territories, on Friday, August 5.

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Eye For Film >> Movies >> Prey (2011) Film Review

Reviewed by: Jennie Kermode

Many of you reading this will have had mornings when you've woken up unable to recall quite what happened the night before. For Tom (Fergal Philips) it's more worrying, because something may have happened that could land him in deep trouble. There's a smear of blood in the bathroom. He's having flashbacks about the woman he took home. A brief conversation with his flatmate implies that he has a history of violence against women – or, as he puts it, “I get a bit carried away sometimes.”

There's a twist, of course – let's just say that Tom's mistakes come back to haunt him. Intercutting between possible memories, possible dreams of hallucnations, this tightly edited film keeps us off balance despite the essentially clichéd nature of its story. There's little imagination in the story but the characters are well drawn and convincingly portrayed, whilst the overall look of the film is stunning given that it was shot on a budget of just £500. Clearly an enormous amount of care has gone ito making this. It may be tacky, it may have a ridiculously OTT soundtrack, but it's a high quality production.

Ultimately, Prey is too slight to carry much weight even as a short film, but it's a great advertisement for the technical talents of those involved. Forgettable though it may be, it will provide an entertaining eight minutes for horror fans.

Director: Jonny Franklin , Ben Kent

Writer: Ben Franklin, Joel Morgan

Starring: Fergal Philips, Jessica Blake, David Blood

Runtime: 8 minutes

Country: UK

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Mark Kermode Reviews Birds Of Prey And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn

Group Chemistry?

Birds Of Prey And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn is out in cinemas now and here’s Mark Kermode reviewing it for the BBC…

After splitting from The Joker, Harley Quinn teams up with Gotham vigilantes The Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya to rescue a young girl from a ruthless crime lord.

Here’s the film’s trailer too

Director: Cathy Yan Stars: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jumee Smollett-Bell, Ewan Macgregor, Rosie Perez

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Colonel Frog is a long time science fiction and fantasy fan. He loves reading novels in the field, and he also enjoys watching movies (as well as reading lots of other genre books).

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