"Prey" Review: A Prequel On Par With The Original
In a world of streaming, Prey is one of those films that will be released directly on Hulu, but is worthy of the big screen! The beautiful landscape, scale of humans versus animals or Predator, and entertaining story would have been worth the summer blockbuster theater check-in. This film is on par with the original Predator in terms of entertainment and story! It’s worth the watch this weekend!
Naru (Amber Midthunder) is a young Comanche who wants to hunt like the men in her tribe, but isn’t given the same respect because she is a woman. Her older brother, Taabe (Dakota Beavers), recognizes her potential but also knows Naru has to earn her stripes. She’s an excellent tracker, knows natural medicine, and can throw an axe like the rest of the boys. Her opportunity comes in the form of a hunt for a big cat. Her much larger test however, comes from the sky and no one else seems to notice. In fact, she’s the only one to pick up on the signs of a much larger, dangerous being in their midst.
As with any of these movies, it takes a while before the Predator is revealed fully and that’s when the fun begins. The kills and weapons in Prey are creative and awesome for franchise fans! This particular predator has so many different weapons in its arsenal that we get to see used in creative ways. Similarly, because of the time period (late 1700s), our weapons are primitive in comparison. Yes, our weapons are always primitive in comparison to a Predator’s but this showdown calls for a primal fist to cuffs. It’s the stripped back, crude nature of this story that touches our basic needs and thus makes the movie a suspenseful and thrilling watch. Amber Midthunder is the heart of the film and a protagonist underdog we can get behind!
The battle of wits is what all Predator films come down to, but the camera work and editing are elements that make this exciting to watch as well. Director, Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) uses matching shots of wounds being cleaned and the fight for survival amongst predator and prey of all walks of life weave together a story that is understood through montage. Low angles show the scale of the Predator (Dane DiLiegro is a former basketball player) 6’9” frame towers over its competition. Aerial shots of high grass fields show the speed in which this Predator can move on its prey!
Perhaps an interesting point in this film is how the Predator only goes after what it deems as a threat or real competition. Similarly, Hulu should not be afraid to take on the competition in the box office if it has a movie like this on its hands! This likely would have done well by word of mouth. Instead, to take a line from the film, they said “This is as far as you go. No more. This is it.” Hopefully, the overwhelming response from fans will change their mind in the future!
Rating: B+
