Prey is a period scifi action movie, a prequel to the Predator franchise. In the Comanche nation in 1719 Naru(Amber Midthunder) a young healer aspires to become a hunter like her brother Taabe(Dakota Beavers). Hunting a big cat Naru encounters traces of a mysterious entity in the woods which she sets off to confront with her dog Sarii.
Midthunder gives a commanding lead performance, a nice follow up to her excellent supporting turn in Leigon, she is able to inhabit the action sequences with alacrity and balance that with a compelling character arc. Beavers also is solid, with great chemistry with Midthunder, and has one of the great fights of the movie, basically a solo stand off with the Predator. The supporting cast are equally grounded and the approach is almost like plopping the Predator into a period drama, it just works. The cast doesn't sacrifice emotion or depth in service to the action and as a result the action is more compelling.
A beautiful setting with relatively limited CGI, a focus on practical effects and fight choreography, a subtle but persistent score, it all comes together in a really refreshing entertaining way, especially when compared to some of the ever-more-complicated sequels in the franchise. This is a return to basics and it is just what was needed to keep the franchise alive. Here the story is about people not about broadening the Predator mythology and that's something all of the movies save for the original got wrong. Ultimately, we don't particularly care about the Predator, we are interested by the ingenuity and ability of those people that face it. The only disappointment is that this would, unquestionably, have been even better on the big screen.
A streamlined prequel that captures the spirit of the original and moves it forward.
Currently streaming on Hulu.
See It.
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