Prey (Mini-Review)

Prey is a prequel to the Predator films. In the year 1719 a Comanche healer, Naru, dreams of becoming a hunter. Her dreams become nightmares as a Predator begins stalking her and any other humans in the area. Naru must overcome her faults to have a chance at survival. Prey was released on Hulu in 2022. It was directed by Dan Trachtenberg. It stars Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, and Michelle Thrush.

I didn't know how the Predator franchise could recover after the disaster that was The Predator (2018). That film was bad on so many levels, especially Autism basically being turned into a superpower, that I started to doubt things could ever get better. Prey has accomplished an amazing feat with making me love the franchise all over again.

This movie appears to cover the first Predator on Earth. That could explain it not being as technologically advanced as in earlier movies. Or they aren't wearing their most advanced technology because it ruins the hunt. It could even be that the Predator is on their first hunt. Something I assume as it would create a parallel between them and Naru. Naru is determined to do a sort of ritualistic hunt to prove herself to the tribe.

While Naru can kick butt and takes names, she isn't all powerful. Most of Prey covers the fact that she isn't great. It's only by her ability to take note of minute details of situations that allows her to be a force to be reckoned with. Her biggest problem is that she tends to hesitate which makes her lose more than win. Near the beginning of the film she has a good idea to kill a lion but is mocked by the two men that are with her. Taabe, her brother, eventually admits that she did harm the lion enough for him to make a kill. But, in the end, she wasn't able to kill it on her own.

Naru's relationship with Taabe is a big part of the film. She wants to prove herself as a hunter and he does give her chances. A subplot in the film sees Naru and Taabe learn to work with each other. This helps ground the movie's more fantastical elements into something much more relatable. A lot of us can relate to both sibling rivalry as well as society trying to push us in one direction while we want to go the other way.

Prey is a prequel but shouldn't be watched before the first entry in the series. A great thing about the original Predator film is that it shifts genres. So to watch Prey first would mean that initial shock doesn't really land. Viewers won't jump in surprise when an alien suddenly appears. Though with how popular the Predator franchise has become, it's highly unlikely someone doesn't know what the original Predator movie is actually about.

There's a dog in this film and his name is Sarii. I love both dogs and horror movies which isn't a good combination. This due to the fact animals tend not to survive horror movies. So whenever Sarii was onscreen I would panic. This doubled whenever he wasn't onscreen.

I would recommend Prey to fans of the Predator franchise. I would also highly recommend Prey to science fiction fans.