Prey rediscovers what made the original Predator so great, delivering a fun, gripping, and satisfyingly violent sci-fi action flick.
Overall Score: 9/10
Image: 20th Century Studios
Is it just me, or has this ongoing trend of making reboots, remakes, prequels, and legacy sequels been growing rather tiresome? While, yes, we have gotten hits like The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick, I’d argue that we’ve also seen far too many flops like The Mummy and The Matrix Resurrections, both of which, I think, ended up leaving the franchises they were meant to reinvigorate in worse shape than they were before.
The Predator franchise, another victim of mindless and underwhelming sequels, may have finally found its long-awaited savior in Prey.
A prequel to Predator (which was released in 1987), Prey centers around Naru, a young Comanche woman in 1719 looking to prove to her family and tribe that she has what it takes to be a hunter. Along the way, she comes across a Predator — a being she does not recognize. Convinced that this new creature poses a significant threat, Naru embarks on a mission to hunt it down and kill it.
All right, let me just go ahead and put it out there. I think that Prey is much better than the rest of the Predator movies. Yes, maybe even the original. Why? Well, that’s because it takes the first film’s survival-based fun and combines it with a compelling, emotionally rich, and personal story. This, to me, is an important distinction because while Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch and most of the previous protagonists were entertaining characters, none of them had all that much depth. With Naru, however, you get to go on this journey of growth with her. You get to watch her overcome the obstacles she comes across, and you get to see her ultimately grow into the person she was meant to be. Really, it doesn’t take much to develop an action hero, but when a movie dedicates time and effort to doing so, like Prey, it becomes all the better for it.
There are, however, other things that make Prey as solid as it is. The cinematography, for example, is amazing, and the film looks its best when the beautiful landscapes where a lot of it was shot are in view. Also, Sarah Schachner’s score — which I absolutely love — is brilliant, perfectly capturing and adding to both the movie’s tense and violent and more emotional moments. But the one thing that really pulls it all together is Dan Trachtenberg’s superb directing. He knows exactly what made the original Predator so great: the hunt. Other installments have tried and failed to tweak the franchise’s established formula, and although I did find some of their ideas interesting, in the end, I don’t think that any of them worked all that well. Predator 2 for example, took things to the city. Though it was admittedly fun, its setting, characters, and cast made it feel all too much like Lethal Weapon. Predators, meanwhile, brought things back to the jungle. And while I appreciated the sense of familiarity it brought, it ended up focusing too much on poorly written characters and not enough on the basic premise. Thus, to me, Trachtenberg’s approach is extremely refreshing. It’s very much a back-to-basics one, allowing him to deliver a simple yet thoroughly enjoyable and thrilling cinematic experience.
As for the acting, every cast member is great but all eyes will undoubtedly be on Amber Midthunder, who, let’s just say, absolutely rocks as Naru. Throughout the film, she’s excellent. She’s able to convey so much through her facial expressions and body language (since the dialogue is relatively sparse), impressively balancing her character’s bravery, fear, curiosity, vulnerability, and determination. She really gives a terrific performance, and, quite frankly, I think that she’s just as good of a lead as Schwarzenegger, if not better. Look, if you ask me, Midthunder alone is reason enough to watch Prey. And trust me, her badassery as Naru is quite possibly one of the best things you’ll see all year.
Nevertheless, with all things considered, perhaps what’s truly special about Prey is that it puts a spotlight on indigenous talent. Very rarely do we see movies about indigenous people. Nor do we often see them in lead or prominent roles. Worse still is the fact that when they are on-screen, they are often misrepresented — think Disney’s Peter Pan, for example. Midthunder herself, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, said this: “You very rarely get good representation. Good being accurate, respectful, or something to be proud about.” Therefore, Prey, a film that has all of that and a largely indigenous cast, is and should be seen as a huge win for on-screen indigenous representation.
To put it simply, I think that Prey is outstanding. I love that it brings the Predator franchise back to its roots by giving us a thrilling, violent, and engaging hunt, while also telling a very personal and emotionally charged story. Furthermore, for those of us who are sick of frequent, half-assed reboots, remakes, and whatnot, Prey should prove to be a delightful surprise. It’s a prequel that understands what made the original movie so beloved and builds on that by adding several subtle layers of complexity and its own distinct style. But most importantly, the film highlights indigenous culture and talent, and proves that actors like Midthunder have what it takes to stand on their own and that they should be considered equal to their peers within the industry. Moving forward, I genuinely hope to see more indigenous people-focused projects. And although this is really only the beginning, thanks to Prey, the possibilities of what could come next are now certainly endless.
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