‘Prey’ Is One of the Most Thrilling Viewing Experiences of the Year — Movie Review
After the fiasco that Shane Black’s 2018 The Predator turned out to be, I was very quick to roll my eyes when it was first reported that Disney and 20th Century Studios were developing a new installment of the long-running franchise. This is Prey, the latest directorial effort of 10 Cloverfield Lane‘s Dan Trachtenberg.
I was very surprised, however, with how quickly they put it together. When the first reports came out, in addition to rolling my eyes, I also was convinced this would fall into another production limbo and eventually be scrapped. That was not the case, and before I even realized it, we already had a trailer… and it didn’t look bad at all. Now, after watching the movie, I can tell you that doing another one was absolutely worth it, and Prey might be many people’s favorite entry in the franchise from now on. And I won’t argue with that, because as much as I love classic 1980s Arnold Schwarzenegger, there is little that John McTiernan’s Predator did that Prey didn’t accomplish or even surpass.
Set in the Comanche Nation in 1719, Prey is a solid building held by four strong pillars. The first one (in no particular order) is its main actress, Amber Midthunder, who carries the movie with a highly physical performance that is also very layered. She plays Naru, a fierce and highly skilled Comanche warrior raised in the shadow of the legendary hunters who roamed the Great Plains. When danger threatens her camp, she sets out to prove herself a worthy hunter. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved extraterrestrial being with a technically advanced arsenal — it all leads to a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.
Amber Midthunder as Naru in 20th Century Studios’ PREY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
The film takes a lot of inspiration from the 1987 film, especially in the way the Predator is introduced. It takes a while for us to finally see him without camouflage and in full body. In the early scenes, the film also uses the classic Jaws technique of depicting horrors without actually showing them, so that you play them in your mind, something that may be even scarier than actually showing what happened. I also enjoyed how Prey is not solely focused on the hunt between predator and prey (in this case, you actually decide who is who); we care for our main character because we see her struggle in several situations where the Predator isn’t even involved. And most of those sequences don’t include other characters, which is what I find most fascinating.
Prey is a quieter movie that relies on visual language to tell its story. Our main character spends a lot of time by herself, and even when she’s in the company of other tribe members, the dialogues aren’t exactly long, which helps build a sense of tension and also creates the overall atmosphere of the movie. The main architect behind this is director Dan Trachtenberg, who elevated this movie to a whole new level. After watching 10 Cloverfield Lane, we already knew that Trachtenberg was great at creating tension out of minor things and crafting an overall atmosphere of uneasiness around our main character. But with Prey, he proved that he is also an amazing action director. He relies heavily on wide shots and stunt performers in his action scenes, allowing the audience to have a full grasp of what’s going on. Moreover, I don’t think there is a single shot of shaky or handheld camera in the movie, which was very refreshing.
Dane DiLiegro as the Predator in 20th Century Studios’ PREY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
That also brings us to the film’s third pillar — the cinematography by Jeff Cutter. Prey is absolutely stunning to look at, and the fact that it was filmed outdoors and only using natural light made the experience much richer. The use of real locations with a perfect blend of practical effects and (flawless) CGI makes the experience look as realistic as an attack by an alien species on a small Native American population can be.
And last but not least, Prey benefits from an outstanding score by Sarah Schachner, which not only helps set the mood, but also enhances the action and the suspense like the very best scores do. I won’t say it’s better than the score of the original Predator — both because I don’t like those types of comparisons and because I know that score is regarded very highly — but I will say that this one fits the movie as well as the score for the 1987 classic did. I think that’s one of the highest compliments I can give.
I really have nothing but great things to say about this movie, and I cannot wait to watch it again. Prey comes out on Friday, August 5, on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney Plus in international territories. It was written by Patrick Aison and directed by Dan Trachtenberg. The two of them are given “story by” credits too. The cast includes Amber Midthunder, newcomer Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, and Dane DiLiegro as the Predator.
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as authors like Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
