Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) and Hulu have teamed up to release Prey, the newest entry in the Predator franchise, and a prequel to the original 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The new story is written by Patrick Aison, who did work on Blake Crouch’s Wayward Pines series, and is based on original characters by Jim Thomas. Prey stars Amber Midthunder in the lead role, and the supporting cast is made up of Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, and Dane DiLiegro donning the creature suit for the first time.
Prey takes place in the 1700s Great Plains, and follows the story of Naru (Midthunder), a Comanche woman who is trying to make a name for herself as a hunter within her tribe. Accompanied by her dog, Sarii, Naru joins her brother Taabe (Beavers) and his hunting party to dispatch a man-eating cougar that is stalking the area. After seeing a strange object crashing to the ground and finding odd tracks that didn’t match any local animals, Naru tries to warn her party that something much more sinister is lurking around. Her party shrugs her off, and Naru goes out alone to face the danger that lies ahead, in order to prove herself as a skilled warrior to her tribe.
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First off, Prey was an absolutely gorgeous movie, both environmentally, and in film style. Though the film was shot in Canada, it captures the feel of the untouched Great Plains of the 18th century, simultaneously bringing forth feelings of both open space and isolation. Long, drawn-out shots of the wilderness went far to make us feel like the characters were on a journey; possibly one they wouldn’t be returning from. Tons of cool shades (browns, blacks, greys) were used to contrast with the brightly colored neon green blood of the Predator, splashes of blood from its victims; even to a better degree than in the original film, where most of it took place in a lusciously green tropical forest. The contrast was especially bold when shifting from the peaceful state of surrounding nature, to the high-tech “creature vision” of the Predator.
Amber Midthunder was hardcore in this movie. Her portrayal of Naru belongs right in the mix of badass woman action movie protagonist performances, alongside Sigourney Weaver in Aliens, and Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road. Naru was skilled, intelligent, brave, and intuitive, offering a level of finesse in her style that other warriors in her tribe lacked. In many ways, her fighting style was the exact opposite of the Predator’s, which proved to be why she was such a handful for him. In my opinion, Midthunder’s performance as Naru is just as memorable as Schwarzenegger’s was in the original Predator film. You could feel Naru’s need for honor, not just to her tribe, but to herself, as well. It’s no surprise that members of the original cast have been praising Midthunder’s performance.
Her faithful companion, Sarri (played by Coco) provided a great help, and definitely belongs on the list of horror movie MVPs (Most Valuable Pups). Though most of the supporting cast weren’t as memorable as some of the characters from the original Predator film (Jesse Ventura, Bill Duke, etc), Dakota Beavers did a great job portraying Taabe, Naru’s hard-headed, but loving brother.
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I loved all the indigenous aspects of the film. From the attire to the culture and setting, it was a relief seeing all these characters played by actors with indigenous Native backgrounds; something that is simply not represented enough in Hollywood. Jhayne Myers, a member of Blackfeet and Comanche Native Americans, was an executive producer of Prey, and someone who helped bring the representation forth. Even the score, composed by usual-video-game-composer Sarah Schachner (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla), provided a booming Native American feel to accompany the film. There is even a Comanche dub on Hulu, which I’ll definitely be using on my next viewing.
The fight scenes and battles with the Predator were the best in the entire franchise. The hand-to-hand scenes that showed off the Comanche warriors’ weapons and fighting styles were awesome to see, when pitted against the futuristic weapons of the Predator. It was also cool to see a more primitive weapon cache from the Predator, as this film took place more than 200 years before the 1987 film. The predator’s bone mask, as opposed to its newer metal ones, was right out of nightmares.
If I had to ding the film for anything, it would be some of the CG usage, especially with some of the animal attacks. Granted, I totally understand the reasoning behind not using real bears or cougars during filming, and when the scenes were done at night, the CG didn’t stand out nearly as much. Predator’s cloaking effect is something that has always looked odd on camera, and it’s no different here. It does stand out weirdly during this film, but this has been something consistent with the Predator franchise throughout its 35-year run.
With that said, Prey stands far above the other sequels in the series, and very much holds its own against the original. The two films are wildly different, though, and make for an amazing double-feature. Prey is an intense, fun thriller that reminds us once again that “if it bleeds, we can kill it.” Prey is now streaming on Hulu.
Having watched the Comanche dub version twice, I see no reason to ever watch it in English. You’re in for a treat.