Movie Review - Prey

Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Genre: Science Fiction/ Action/ Horror
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Trush, Julian Black Antelope, Stefany Mathias
 
Description: The origin story of the Predator in the world of the Comache Nation 300 years ago. Naru (Amber Midthunder), a skilled warrior, fights to protect her tribe against one of the first highly-evolved Predators to land on Earth.

Review: Most will remember the first “Predator” movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger from 1987. And most will also remember the second film with Danny Glover. There were the crossover movies, “Alien Vs. Predator” and “Alien Vs. Predator: Requim”. In 2010 there was “Predators” and in 2018 “The Predator”. Where the first film is just pure nostalgia and one my favorite actions films and the direct sequel and the 2010 version were also really good. The rest was kind of crap. “Prey” falls right in the middle of it all.

It's time for an origin story and it takes place about 300 years earlier, on a Comache Indian reservation. Naru is a young warrior who wants to prove herself to her family, especially her brother, as a good hunter and warrior. When she almost succeeds in killing a mountain lion, she is brought home unconscious by her brother. But something bigger and more dangerous is out there and Naru is determined to fight it.

The film looks beautiful. The landscapes, the look of Predator, especially the night scene during the final fight is gorgeously filmed. The story itself is pretty straightforward and follows a familiar pattern, but does keep you enthralled for the entire running time. It is a pretty brutal film though, not for the faint of heart.

I love the idea of a female lead and Amber Midthunder, who pays Nary, does a fine job. And even though that final battle looks gorgeous, it’s not really credible, thinking of how though it was for someone of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s size to beat Predator. But that aside, “Prey” is a solid film that I really enjoyed. Better then the crappy “Predator” movies and less than the other three I mentioned before.

Rating: 3,5/ 5