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“Prey” is worth spending the money to see on the biggest screen possible. The wide open spaces of Alberta look fantastic, there’s plenty of monster mayhem and action, and the striking score by Sarah Schachner deserves to be blasted from the largest speakers available. So, why is Disney dumping an entry in the popular “ Predator ” series on Hulu in the middle of the summer? The original “Predator” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger turns 35 this year; what better way to celebrate than with a prequel that’s better than any of its sequels? The marketing team could have had a field day promoting this connection. So why is this film, like Disney+'s “ Turning Red ” before it, going straight to streaming with no simultaneous theatrical presence? 

Was it because director Dan Trachtenberg ’s sci-fi actioner didn’t have any major stars (besides the Predator, of course)? Was it because the screenplay by Patrick Aison takes place in 1719, making this a period piece? Or was it due to the fact that the protagonist is a woman and her kin are Native Americans, both of which buck the trend for movies like this? Considering the recent cancellations of films scheduled for upcoming release, I suppose I should be thankful that “Prey” can be seen anywhere, including on services to which I do not subscribe. This is not to say that streaming services are bad, just that I always feel itchy recommending movies you need a contract to see. Plus, this deserves a theatrical release.

But I digress. “Prey” bills itself as an origin story of the first Predator alien to appear on Earth. This one is fitted with slightly retro versions of the weapons wielded by the late actor Kevin Peter Hall in the first film. The Predator’s modus operandi is the same, however: it is a hunter and it’s looking for trophies of prey. This gives the creature a kindred spirit of sorts in Naru ( Amber Midthunder ), a young warrior who wishes to hunt like the males in her tribe, including her brother, Taabe ( Dakota Beavers ). Naru is teased by the guys, who state that hunting is men’s work, but we learn she can hold her own in a fight. She’s twice as tough as she looks, and three times more observant than the others. Naru is the one who first notices that there’s a new creature on their land. Perhaps it might have something to do with that blazing streak of fire she saw in the sky earlier.

While on the hunt to find a lion that’s been prowling about, Taabe barely tolerates Naru tagging along. They have an easygoing sibling relationship that Midthunder and Beavers create almost immediately in their first scenes. Their bond adds to our worries once the real danger appears. Naru notices a skinned snake and prints that do not belong to a known entity. “Something scared off that lion,” she tells Taabe, but he is in no mood for her claim that it is a “monster from childhood stories.” Meanwhile, the Predator works its way up the animal chain, teaching a pugnacious wolf a lesson about selling woof tickets by pulling out its spine. Naru finally gets to see it when it ruthlessly guts the bear that was chasing her and her faithful mutt.

The scene with the bear is so cleverly staged that one wishes “Prey” hadn’t given us a good look at the Predator beforehand. As it yanks the bear from its pursuit, lifting it up for the kill, the invisible Predator is painted into view by an outpouring of blood. Naru sees this and runs like Hell. So begins a series of expertly crafted chase scenes, with our antagonist employing familiar and new ways to eviscerate its victims. There’s also a callback to one of the original film’s best lines: “if it bleeds, we can kill it.” Bleed it does, with a neon green blood that, at one point, Naru uses as war paint.

Adding another element of danger (as well as fresh meat for viewers hungry for Predator-based carnage) is a slew of uncouth French fur trappers. When Naru stumbles upon a field of skinned buffalo, she prays over them, thinking that this is the monster’s handiwork. Soon she realizes it’s man, that other evil predator, who is responsible. Even though they agree with Naru that something otherworldly is out there, the trappers are even more villainous than the Predator. So we’re not sorry when they start getting splattered.

“Prey” is a worthy successor to Ah-nuld’s original, even though there are no “choppas” for anyone to get to in 1719. Naru deserves to be added to the list of tough characters who can hold their own against the Predator. She uses brains and brawn in equal measure to handle all of her foes, dispatching them with gory efficiency. Nature also proves a cruel adversary, but she’s ready for that as well. The film creates a portrait of her Comanche nation without othering them—they are the heroes of the story and their village teems with a sense of camaraderie. Even though the film is mostly in English (a full Comanche language version was apparently also shot in tandem), it does not endanger our suspension of disbelief.

Despite the expected whine from immature males who haven’t seen the movie yet but are already deeming it “too woke,” “Predator” fans will not be disappointed by “Prey.” It’s a scary and fun amusement park ride that also elicits a surprisingly tender emotional response. When Naru finally let out the war cry she had previously been denied, I couldn’t help but cheer. It’s too bad I couldn’t do it with an audience full of equally excited viewers.

On Hulu tomorrow, August 5th.

Odie Henderson

Odie "Odienator" Henderson has spent over 33 years working in Information Technology. He runs the blogs Big Media Vandalism and Tales of Odienary Madness. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire  here .

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Prey (2022)

Rated R for strong bloody violence.

100 minutes

Amber Midthunder as Naru

Dakota Beavers as Taabe

Dane DiLiegro as Predator

Stormee Kipp as Wasape

Michelle Thrush as Aruka

Julian Black Antelope as Chief Kehetu

Stefany Mathias as Sumu (Chief Wife)

Nelson Leis as Waxed Mustache

Bennett Taylor as Raphael

• Dan Trachtenberg
• Patrick Aison

Cinematographer

• Jeff Cutter
• Claudia Castello
• Angela M. Catanzaro
• Sarah Schachner

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Prey strips the Predator formula down to basics, but finds some room for style

The movie is bypassing theaters and going straight to Hulu, but it’d look great on a bigger screen

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Before Disney bought 20th Century Fox in 2017 , the film studio had become known as a purveyor of durable genre movies like the Alien, Predator, and X-Men series — and also as an interfering cost-cutter, defined by its willingness to set pivotal action sequences in generic parking lots and Canadian forests. (See The Darkest Minds , Elektra , or X-Men: The Last Stand , among many others, for examples of the Fox aesthetic at its worst.) These reputations weren’t mutually exclusive; sometimes, a Fox movie would strike up a pleasing balance between muscular thrills and relative limitations, like The Wolverine , a smaller-scale superhero movie that makes evocative use of its initial, woodsy setting.

Prey is the latest Fox production to capture both sides of that Fox history, while also nodding toward the studio’s new identity as a Disney-owned content mill for Hulu. The latest entry in the Predator franchise that began in 1987 is a stripped-down version of the usual sci-fi hunt, coming straight to Hulu without hitting movie theaters first.

At first glance, it makes sense to send a new Predator movie directly to streaming. Like a lot of R-rated sci-fi series, this one hasn’t been popular in years. 2010’s Predators and 2018’s The Predator proved the series still has loyal fans, but also demonstrated that the audience is relatively small. Prey attempts to bring the series even further back to its roots than those films did — not that the other Predator movies have strayed especially far from the formula of giant, masked, mandible-faced alien monsters hunting humans who eventually fight back.

Still, there’s an admirable minimalism in the idea of a prequel that goes so far back in time that the franchise’s previous characters won’t be born for hundreds of years. Prey is set in the Great Plains of North America in the year 1719, following Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young Comanche woman desperate to undergo the training rites to become a hunter for her tribe. Her family and tribemates predictably disagree about her readiness for this task, encouraging her to help her people in other ways. But when a series of mysterious signs indicates that an unfamiliar creature is stalking their territory, only Naru is willing to hunt it down.

Prey ’s early scenes flirt with minimalism without fully committing to it. Naru trains herself in solitude with a custom-made weapon — a throwing ax she makes retrievable by tying on a rope — and she fulfills her tribal obligations alongside her trusty canine sidekick. Meanwhile, an 18th-century Predator arrives on Earth and explores the Great Plains, mostly by observing smaller predatory animals in action, then taking them out. (Seems like easy pickings for an 8-foot alien with technology far beyond this world, but apparently this is the Predator equivalent of a tourist checking out local restaurants.) Eventually, the two cross paths more directly.

Before that inevitable, satisfying clash, Prey makes some concessions to less-adventurous audiences. Rather than making full use of a Comanche language, or simply avoiding dialogue whenever possible, the native characters speak primarily in English, in a vernacular that sounds suspiciously like contemporary screenwriters tiptoeing around their inability (or unwillingness) to approximate something older and less immediately familiar. This is part of a larger pattern: Whenever the movie has the opportunity to hold back for a scene or even a moment that plays slightly more lyrical or mysterious, director and co-writer Dan Trachtenberg tends to cut himself short. He may be out there in the woods, but he isn’t exactly communing with the spirit of Terrence Malick.

Trachtenberg, who made the similarly pared-down franchise extension 10 Cloverfield Lane , has one major thing to offer in Prey : efficiency. This is a movie about a young woman on a collision course with a spine-ripping alien dude in a cool skull mask. The other members of Naru’s tribe are there to naysay and/or become Predator fodder. A late-arriving band of fur traders also offers up some huntable bodies. Trachtenberg finds ways to present the efficiencies of their short, brief lives with a flourish: He sets up action with overhead shots, sometimes from far above for lay-of-the-land establishing shots, and sometimes giving the camera just enough space for a full view of obstacles like a particularly sticky mud pit.

He also makes series-best use of the Predator’s neon-green blood, as an accent color against the more muted, natural tones of the film’s setting. The action itself is shot cleanly and clearly. One scene pitting Naru against the fur traders is especially impressive, considering it doesn’t involve the movie’s iconic monster.

Both the strengths and the weaknesses of Prey place a lot of pressure on Midthunder, playing the only human in the movie who isn’t there solely for narrative convenience. She delivers a charismatic, athletic performance, popping off the screen with her watchful, expressive eyes highlighted by tribal makeup. What sets her apart from heroes of past Predator movies is telegraphed right upfront in dialogue, as her brother questions her desire to prove herself: “You want to hunt something that’s hunting you?”

He isn’t talking about the Predator yet at that point, but he might as well be. When the time comes, Naru must actively seek out the alien, who never identifies her as a hunt-worthy opponent. Like everyone else, the Predator underestimates Naru, keeping his eye on showier, less worthy prey. The simplicity of “women can kill as good as men” threatens to turn Naru into a Predator-fighting, bloodthirsty girlboss, but the no-nonsense scrappiness of Midthunder’s performance keeps that from happening.

It would be easy to overhype Prey because it’s a direct-to-streaming movie that could have passed muster on the big screen. It’s about as good as the other Predator movies, rather than being a game-changing revelation. It is a shame, though, that Disney didn’t opt for a simultaneous theatrical and streaming release, given that this August is a relatively barren month for wide releases. This movie would make fine summer drive-in fodder, in the tradition of some recent non-Fox woman-versus-nature features like Crawl or The Shallows .

Summer entertainment that actually works as an exciting, unfussy B-movie isn’t an area the modern version of Big Disney typically explores. It’s probably too much to hope that the Fox acquisition would diversify the types of movies Disney makes, rather than simply eliminating another group of titles from the release schedule.

Maybe that’s why Prey doesn’t feel shameless, even though it theoretically embodies everything that’s tedious and unspectacular about big-studio filmmaking: a franchise extension traded from one subsidiary to another, designed to induce nostalgia pangs and inspire Easter-egg hunts. (Hint: Besides the obligatory Predator dialogue riff, there’s a connection to Predator 2 afoot, too.) Trachtenberg’s film wields the elemental appeal of watching sci-fi/horror weirdness bend the boundaries of the human-against-nature conflict. Prey doesn’t worship the past — not of its country, studio, genre, or franchise. But it has a keen understanding of its place in all of those histories.

Prey debuts on Hulu on Aug. 5.

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‘Prey’ Review: ‘Predator’ Prequel Set in the Comanche Nation in 1719 Is a Slight Improvement in a Derivative Franchise

A Northern Great Plains setting and a young tribal hunter out to prove herself almost make the latest "Predator" sequel look less schlocky than the others.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

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“ Prey ,” a prequel in the “ Predator ” series, stands as proof that Hollywood today can make a socially conscious movie out of anything. I offer an advance apology to fans of this dogged franchise when I say that over the last 35 years, it would be hard to find a strain of sci-fi action cinema more trashy or degraded than the “Predator” films. The original “Predator,” directed by John McTiernan in 1987 (the year before he made “Die Hard”), was a what-are-we-going-to-do-with-Arnold-this-time? vintage-’80s Schwarzenegger combat showdown, and in its overwrought and derivative way it was reasonably well-made. The first sequel, released in 1990, was the pits, but you could already perceive the rationale of the executives. They thought they’d grabbed “the next “Alien'” by the tail.

Sorry, but the Predator was no Alien. He was a monster with more or less one trick — a cloak of semi-invisibility — and with a half-scary, half-silly action-figure look, like RoboCop with Alien’s face and Whoopi Goldberg’s braids. You can more or less measure how inventive (or not) this franchise is simply by listing its titles: “Predator,” “Predator 2,” “Predators,” and “The Predator.” And I haven’t even mentioned the maximally cheesy “Freddy vs. Jason”-style spinoff series that consisted of “Alien vs. Predator” and its overblown sequel, “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem,” which made it feel like time to give the Predator himself a requiem.

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Now, in an act of recycling you might think of as Hollywood composting, the Predator is back — in a movie set in the Comanche Nation in 1719, where Naru (Amber Midthunder), a fiery young woman consumed with proving herself as a hunter, stands up against the male leaders of her tribe in order to rid the Northern Great Plains of a malevolent otherworldly visitor.

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The actors in “Prey” consist almost entirely of Native and First Nation’s talent, marking the film as a step forward in Indigenous casting. Visually, the movie is all vibrant green woods, mountain vistas and sunlit meadows. For a while we could almost be watching a historical Disney fable about a warrior who comes of age, as Naru, in her black eye-mask face paint and fringed buckskin, trains herself in how to rock a crossbow and toss a tomahawk. She has a rivalrous relationship with her brother, Taabe (Dakota Beavers), that plays out over the course of the movie. “Why do you want to hunt?” asks Naru’s mother. “Because you all think I can’t!” comes the 18th-century girl-power reply. But when Naru, who at times suggests the Cherokee warrior Nanye-hi as played by Olivia Rodrigo, looks up to see a fiery spacecraft, it’s clear she’s going to need all her training and more.

There’s not much mystery left to the Predator, who has been revealed in too many sequels too many times. But “Prey,” trying to introduce the creature to a new generation (in this one he’s played by Dane DiLiegro), goes through the game of treating his semi-invisibility as a kind of striptease. In the pristine wilderness of “Prey,” he now seems like a cloaked version of Bigfoot. Once again, we try to divine his shape from the translucent camouflage that turns him into glistening honeycomb glass, with metallic fingers that shoot out like Freddy Krueger’s claws. But it would be monotonous to have him hidden for the whole movie, so the Predator gradually becomes visible — which is always a bit of a letdown, as we come to see how rotely anthropomorphic he is. In this one, he’s not only got a metal loincloth but a ripped belly that looks like it came off a cover of Men’s Fitness. We might also now ask: Is the fact that this demon has dreadlocks…kind of racist?

The rippings and slashings, first of animals and then of humans, arrive right on cue, and they’re brutal enough to have earned the film an R rating. As an alien-attack thriller, “Prey” is competent and well-paced, though with little in the way of surprise. But the journey of Naru lends it a semblance of emotional coherence that most of the “Predator” films have lacked. She’s the one who first figures out that the wildlife she’s tracking is being tracked by something else; this is a grizzly-bear-eat-dog-eat-rabbit movie in which the Predator sits at the top of the food chain. And Naru, beneath her innocent surface, proves not just the biggest badass in the tribe but the only one who grasps the danger.

It’s a famous Hollywood quote, attributed to both Samuel Goldwyn and Jack Warner, that “if you want to send a message, use Western Union.” That line is a testament to the vulgarity of the old studio moguls (plenty of great movies have messages), yet there’s a certain stubborn truth in it. And when you watch “Prey,” a routine if visually atmospheric monster potboiler made over into a fable of “moral” inspiration, you realize how common it is for a movie to send a telegram these days. By the time Naru stands opposite the Predator in hand-to-face-pincer combat, coating herself in the creature’s phosphorescent green blood, it’s clear that even a “Predator” movie can now be styled as a lesson in how to be. But maybe, in the case of this franchise, that marks a slight improvement over movies that wanted to be nothing but what has come before.

Reviewed at AMC Lincoln Square, July 26, 2022. MPA Rating: R. Running time: 99 MIN.

• Production: A Hulu release of a 20th Century Studios, Davis Entertainment production. Producers: John Davis, Jhane Myers, Marty Ewing. Executive producers: Lawrence Gordon, Ben Rosenblatt, James E. Thomas, John C. Thomas, Marc Toberoff.
• Crew: Director: Dan Trachtenberg. Screenplay: Patrick Aison. Camera: Jeff Cutter. Editors: Claudia Castello, Angela M. Catanzaro. Music: Sarah Schachner.
• With: Amber Midthunder, Dane DiLiegro, Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat, Dakota Beavers, Michelle Thrush, Geronimo Vela, Stefany Mathias, Stormee Kipp, Mike Paterson, Julian Black Antelope.

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The Predator franchise is the ugly step-child of horror monster canon. Fans know about it, are aware of it, but don’t necessarily give it the credit it deserves. With the original film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the sequel with Danny Glover, a bunch of Alien vs. Predator crossover films, and an attempt at a reboot in 2018, it is the one franchise that lacks consistency. However, director Dan Trachtenberg gives the film a new edge by inserting the titular monster in an 18th-century setting to see how the people hold up against the advanced technology of the warrior creature.

Naru (Amber Midthunder) is a Comanche woman who aims to become a warrior by embarking on the “kühtaamia,” a rite of passage ritual where the hunter hunts the hunter who hunts them. Many in her tribe think she isn’t ready for the experience despite being somewhat of a skilled fighter. She gets the chance to prove herself when one of the children is taken away from her village. Naru, her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers), and other young warriors aim to rescue the child. On the same day as the kidnapping, the Predator arrives. When the two cross paths, all hell breaks loose.

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There are many similarities between Prey and Apocalypto , but Prey stands on its own due to its sharp storytelling and uber-strong performance from Midthunder. The goal isn’t just to kill or be killed (which, of course, the film contains a lot of graphic deaths), but there is a level of coherence and emotional intelligence that many other monster films refuse to address. At every increasing moment of this journey, Naru experiences a change in front of the camera, and it’s not just talked about in passing. 

Prey is a risky venture for 20th Century and Hulu to take on. The director puts his faith in a relative newcomer to shoulder the movie. Women rarely get to be the heroes of these stories, and women of color are often left out entirely. The cast is made up of primarily indigenous actors with a narrative that revolves solely around their lived experiences. Trachtenberg took an unprecedented risk here and succeeded. Hopefully, this will set the standard for the genre at large. 

There are some slight nods to other Predator films and delivers the familiar kills and thrills while also introducing a new generation to a potential new action star in Midthunder. Predator is one of those creatures that can exist at any time. They can fight and have great gadgets, but their greatest weapon is their ability to test the human spirit, which makes it ripe for further exploration.

It was the right move to debut the film on streaming (although a theatrical release would’ve been excellent), as it’s accessible for folks to watch from home. 

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Prey Is The Best-Reviewed Predator Movie, And It's Not Even Close

If you are anything like us, then you likely watched director Dan Trachtenberg's "Prey" this weekend and thought it rocked . Whether you watched the standard English release or its revolutionary Comanche dub , it's clear that the latest entry of the "Predator" franchise is a much-needed shot in the arm of a franchise that hasn't always had the best reception. Other than the usual misunderstandings or engagement bait about how Naru was unequipped to handle fighting a Yautja, it seems pretty universally liked among those who watched it.

However, what many casual viewers might not expect is the fact that "Prey" is currently the highest-rated "Predator" movie on Rotten Tomatoes by a significant margin. Sure, Rotten Tomatoes might not be the most accurate aggregate, but it does provide a general idea of what critics are saying about a particular movie. In the case of "Prey," the vast majority of critics think it's great, scoring a 92 percent Fresh rating.

How it fares against other Predator movies

This near-universal acclaim for "Prey" was something that the "Predator" franchise desperately needed. While Predators are still considered to be horror and action icons, the reception to their movies ranges from extremely mixed to extremely panned.

Don't believe us when we say it? Let's take a look at the other Rotten Tomatoes scores for the other films in the franchise. The 1987 original with The Arnold himself is still praised today, clocking in at 80 percent. The franchise wouldn't get a positive percentage by the aggregate until 2010's "Predators," which still holds a low 65 percent Fresh rating. That does it for the averagely-reviewed "Predator" movies, as 2018's "The Predator" brought in a staggering 33 percent Rotten rating to the platform. 1990's "Predator 2" is just one percent more Rotten at 32 percent, although it has the benefit of accumulating a cult following that sees the movie as a misunderstood gem .

This reevaluation is something that hasn't been completely given to the two least-well-reviewed movies in the "Predator" franchise, which are the two entries in the maligned "Alien vs. Predator" crossover. The first in this duology, 2004's " Alien vs. Predator ," received a dismal 22 percent Rotten rating, and its 2007 follow-up, "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem," fared even worse at 12 percent Rotten.

Yikes. So yeah, thank goodness that "Prey" seemingly reinvigorated interest and fanfare in this series. "Prey" is now streaming on Hulu.

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Prey – Hulu Review (4/5)

Posted by Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard | Aug 3, 2022 | 4 minutes

PREY on Hulu is the new Predator prequel that takes place several centuries ago. This makes for a simple story that offers both new insights and feels wonderfully familiar. You’ll want to check this out. Read our full  Prey movie review here!

PREY is the new Hulu movie that is actually a Predator prequel. This n ewest entry in the Predator franchise gives us plenty of insights into the actual Predator creature. You won’t just be seeing it for a split second here and there. And, of course, the visuals are absolutely stunning.

The fact that this has been created as an action-thriller set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, is a stroke of brilliance. There are no buildings or modern machines to obscure or help. Instead, it’s a very classic fight based on wits and knowledge of the world you live in.

Continue reading our Prey movie review below. The film will stream exclusively on Hulu from August 5, 2022.

The world is saved by the Comanche

Prey is the story of a young woman, Naru, who comes across a creature unlike any she has seen (or heard of) before. She is herself a fierce and highly skilled warrior. However, born female, she has been raised in the shadow of legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains. Her brother being one of the best in her tribe.

Fortunately, he does recognize that his sister has both skill and talent, so he tries to support her.  Still, no one really believes her when this new danger threatens their camp. So Naru sets out to protect her people.

Only too late does she realize that the prey she stalks, and later confronts, is the highly evolved alien predator. This creature has both physical strength and a technically advanced arsenal. In other words, it seems impossible for Naru to win.

When the white man (in the form of the French poachers) also gets in her way, it seems even more impossible. However, Naru is a Comanche and knows more about the world she’s been raised in than both the alien predator and the French fortune hunters.

Lots of blood and torture

As with any  Predator  movie,  Prey  does offer up quite a lot of blood spills and torture. Bodies are ripped apart and body parts do go flying through the air. However, I will gladly spoil this one fact; In true John Wick  style, the dog will survive!

Also, the filmmakers were committed to providing an accurate portrayal of the Comanche. As an obvious result of this,  the film features a cast comprised almost entirely of Native and First Nation talent.

Our review of DON’T SAY ITS NAME which is also set in a Native American community>

This includes Amber Midthunder ( The Ice Road , Roswell: New Mexico ) as the main protagonist Naru. Amber Midthunder is perfect in this role and comes across as extremely believable as both a warrior and young tribe member who won’t listen to her elders when they have no faith in her.

In other roles, we see newcomer Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp ( Sooyii ), Michelle Thrush ( The Journey Home ), and Julian Black Antelope ( Tribal ). Finally, Prey stars Dane DiLiegro ( American Horror Stories ) as the huge and very muscular Predator.

Watch Prey on Hulu!

Prey is directed by Dan Trachtenberg who first came onto our radar when he directed 10 Cloverfield Lane which we loved here at Heaven of Horror. The screenplay was written by Patrick Aison ( Jack Ryan , Treadstone ), and makes for a very thrilling and action-packed starting point.

The new Predator prequel was produced by John Davis ( Jungle Cruise , The Predator ), Jhane Myers ( Monsters of God ), and Marty Ewing ( It: Chapter Two ). As executive producers, we have Lawrence Gordon ( Watchmen ), Ben Rosenblatt ( Snowpiercer ), James E. Thomas, John C. Thomas, and Marc Toberoff ( Fantasy Island ).

Outside the US, Prey will be released on Disney+ in many countries. However, do be aware that this is not for children in any way. Unless the kids are as crazy about horror movies as you are. This movie is full of blood and violence (both towards other humans and animals as well as the Predator), so keep that in mind. Enjoy!

Prey  will stream exclusively as a Hulu Original on August 5, 2022.

Director: Dan Trachtenberg Writer: Patrick Aison Cast: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, Dane DiLiegro

The newest entry in the “Predator” franchise, 20th Century Studios’ “Prey” is an all-new action-thriller set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago. It is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior who has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains. So when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.

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About The Author

Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!

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‘prey’: film review.

A troubled youth finds himself fighting for survival on a remote jungle island in Franck Khalfoun's horror thriller 'Prey.'

By Frank Scheck

Frank Scheck

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The latest effort from the prolific Blumhouse Productions certainly doesn’t waste any time establishing its ridiculous premise. In the first few minutes of Prey , a disaffected teenager’s father is brutally gunned down right outside their home, for no apparent reason except for the story to immediately segue to said teenager being left alone on a remote jungle island as part of some sort of demented Outward Bound-like program for troubled youths. As you may have already guessed from the title, bad things start to happen.

Logan Miller, who seems to be making a specialty of playing obnoxious jerks, judging by his performances in such films as Love, Simon and Escape Room , plays the central character of Toby, who understandably becomes upset when his guide Kay (Jerrica Lai) leaves him on an uninhabited island near Malaysia. “It’s your own slice of paradise,” she assures Toby, who looks like he’s never done anything more physically challenging than playing video games.

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Release date: Sep 27, 2019

Sure enough, the hapless teen immediately loses his provisions to a mischievous monkey. As Toby desperately tries to figure out what to do next, he spots a scantily clad young girl (Kristine Froseth), brandishing a knife, who introduces herself as Madeleine and promptly demonstrates her survival skills by casually beheading a snake.

The proceedings briefly enter into The Blue Lagoon territory, with the two young people tenderly bonding as she shows him how to fend for himself in the forbidding environment. Soon enough, he’s happily catching fish and drinking coconut juice straight out of the shell. He also finds out that Madeleine has a mother (Jolene Anderson) who, unfortunately for him, may be a homicidal maniac. It’s certainly unfortunate for Kay, who comes back looking for Toby and winds up brutally murdered.

It’s at this point that Prey goes seriously off the rails with its increasingly absurd plot machinations, with the screenplay co-written by director Franck Khalfoun ( Amityville: The Awakening ) and David Coggeshall apparently not able to decide whether it wants to be an adventure story, teenage love story, murder mystery or monster movie. The film doesn’t work on any of those levels, but it particularly fails in the last department, with the storyline’s demonic creature elements so sketchily rendered that they border on incoherence. And the less said about the cheesy special effects, the better.

Blumhouse has certainly proved very successful with its inventive, low-budget approach to horror, but now that the company is spewing out movies like an assembly line, more and more duds are starting to appear. Everything about this effort, including its hackneyed, overfamiliar title, smacks of laziness and a cynical indifference to its lack of originality.

There are at least some amusing moments, such as when another kid from the boat shows up on the island and runs into Toby, now suitably attired for the jungle and proudly showing off his recently acquired skills. “You’ve been here six days, you’re like Rambo,” the kid sarcastically points out.

The other saving grace is Froseth, who delivers a fiercely physical turn as the feral Madeleine who may not quite be what she seems. For a few minutes at least, the young actress almost makes you think the pix is better than it actually is.

Production companies: Hyde Park Entertainment, ImageNation, Blumhouse Productions Distributor: Cinedigm Cast: Logan Miller, Kristine Froseth, Jolene Anderson, Jerrica Lai, Phodisdo Dintwe, Anthony Jensen, Jody Mortara Director: Franck Khalfoun Screenwriters: David Coggeshall, Franck Khalfoun Producers: Ashok Amritraj, Jason Blum, Chris Lofing, Travis Cluff Executive producers: Couper Samuelson, Jeanette Volturno, Alix Taylor, Priya Amritraj Director of photography: Eric Robbins Editor: Josiah Thiesen Composer: Richard Breakspear

Rated PG-13, 85 minutes

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‘Prey’ (2022) Review – A Mediocre Predator Film Playing Up Representation And Female Empowerment

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Believe it or not, some film critics have been tossing around the word “ masterpiece ” when describing the new Predator film – which Disney didn’t even have enough faith in to give a theatrical release – and I think we all know why.

Source: Prey (2022), Hulu

RELATED: Prey Star Amber Midthunder Says She Considered Predator A “Side Piece Of The Movie Because The Representation Is A Hugely Important Part Of This Story”

While some critics will choose to focus on praising the film’s Native American representation, the fact is Prey is nothing more than a movie made for to give streaming service subscribers content to consume.

However, it can’t be any worse than the Predator film Olivia Munn torpedoed in 2018, right? 

Source: The Predator (2018), 20th Century Fox

The last time Hollywood tried to put a Predator film at the box office, the film got off to a rocky start with audiences after Olivia Munn exposed the director for casting an actual child predator. Later, after they actually got to watch the film, it got terrible reviews from critics and audiences alike.

Seemingly not wanting to risk another $90 Million dollars on a Predator film that no one wanted to see, with  Prey , 21st Century Fox opted to release the new prequel straight to the Hulu streaming service.

RELATED: Champions Of Pop Culture #1 – Predator’s Dutch Schaefer

The biggest reason for relegating the film to Hulu is that instead of someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny Glover, or even Adrien Brody leading the pack against one of cinema’s most iconic monsters, for better or worse we have a 25-year-old CW actress at the helm.

Set in the year 1719, Prey centers on Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young Comanche woman who has been trained to be a healer but has dreams of becoming a great hunter like her brother, Taabe (Dakota Beavers).

Naru wants to prove her worth to the rest of the tribe, but they believe she should be a tracker rather than a hunter.

RELATED: Director Dan Trachtenberg Justifies Creature Design As First Image of the Predator In Prey Surfaces

Later, while tracking deer with her dog Sarii, she witnesses the arrival of a “thunderbird” in the sky, though she is completely oblivious to the threat heading her tribe’s way.

When the tribe creates a search party for a mountain lion that they believed attacked one of the tribe’s hunters, an unknown stalker begins to follow and observe them.

It isn’t until the stalker starts killing larger animals that the threat begins to materialize in the form of the Predator.

Soon after, Naru is found to be the only person who has the tact to outsmart the monster before it wipes out the tribe and anything else that gets in its way.

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Director Dan Trachtenberg understands how to put together a story that revolves around psychological terror. The tone of the film resembles a classic Predator movie in terms of its presentation, though in an effort to utilize as much of its smaller budget possible, the action is pretty basic.

The cinematography is one of the film’s strongest aspects, with some beautiful exterior shots taken in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The term bait-and-switch has unfortunately gained a lot of steam in Hollywood over the last few years due to the industry’s practice of marketing a production to audiences as something they’d actually want to see, only to give them something completely with the final product.

RELATED: Jurassic World Dominion Review – At Least It’s Better Than The Last One

To that end, as previously hinted by Midthunder herself , Prey offers a stronger focus on its characters over the monster – a fact which could be a negative depending on the level of carnage you desire.

In fact, despite the film being a Predator movie, you don’t get to see much of the hunter until the film’s 45-minute midway point.

Instead, we get to know Naru, who is your typical ‘strong female lead’ looking for ways to overcome gender roles in the name of ‘female empowerment’.

Yet, the movie doesn’t seem to know how it wants to portray its protagonist, bouncing between strong and weak whenever it is convenient for the plot.

RELATED: Top Gun: Maverick Review: Tom Cruise Sets A New Standard For All Film Sequels

While the film portrays her as a strong character who is capable of taking out an army of men single-handedly, we are at the same time constantly told through its storytelling that the Predator refuses to kill her because he doesn’t see her as a threat.

This inconsistency of Naru’s portrayal leads to numerous plot holes within the story.

When you get to the meat and potatoes of Prey , it isn’t necessarily a bad film, but the uneventful nature of its story leaves it as nothing more than a mediocre adventure that will just leave you empty. Just like eating a large bag of chips.

While calling it one of the better Predator movies isn’t exactly the biggest endorsement given this franchise’s track record of the franchise, Prey is a much better film than 2018’s  The Predator on the sole basis that this film does not attempt to insult you by being a comedy.

But don’t be gaslit into thinking that the film is a cinematic masterpiece. If it was, Disney would have put it in theaters rather than just sitting back and watching Lightyear help their reputation go up in flames.

NEXT: Predator – What Every Sequel Did Wrong

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