PREY (2022) – A prequel that is better than the original!

Prey is a unique entry in the world of the Predator franchise in that it takes place many years before all the Predator movies were based on. To be specific it takes place in 1719 in the Northern Great Plains with the story revolving mainly among a group of native Comanche’s. The main character is a head strong, young woman Comanche who is eager to prove her capabilities as a hunter to her village at a time where women are considered the weaker sex. This pivotal role is played by Amber Midthunder who is of mixed ethnicities including Native American. I have to say she is impressive from the very first frame that she appears in. She very convincingly carried her role and her character comes across as someone believable as she is shown to have her vulnerabilities and weaknesses and not just super confident throughout.

Prey is helmed by a very competent direct Dan Trachtenberg, who makes clever use of the surroundings, quick editing, some creative camera angles and effective thunderous sound effects to create a visually thrilling adventure. He manages this through a script that is thin and often with minimal dialouge. His cast of unknowns were excellent, and it was refreshing to watch a movie without any big Hollywood stars in the cast. Despite the familiarity of the Predator from the many entries in the franchise, Dan manages to make this one look and feel original and new again. The Predator here is not seen clearly most of the time because it has the ability to turn itself invisible. However, through clever use of CGI effects its menacing presence is never doubted. Occasionally we see him in its full visible glory or eerily, appearing when drenched in bloody from his victims.

Prey is a welcome distraction from the current drought in interesting new releases. It’s delights are drawn from it being simple and to the point. It is an example where less can give us more in terms of entertainment value. The film is bloody, there is no doubt that, but its gore level never felt to be over the top. This is how you make a successful reboot to an ageing franchise.