Prey

Prey (2022) Review

Prey is available for streaming on Hulu.

From the start of the film, it’s clear that Prey is not the average installment in the Predator franchise. In fact, director Dan Trachtenberg revealed that the original market strategy for the film did not include any reference to Predator, a choice that unfortunately had to be scrapped once the project was confirmed to be the series' fifth installment. The film certainly had a lot of hype to live up to, as any sequel to a successful film does. Yet despite its placement in a franchise, Prey certainly stands as a strong film on its own. The action/horror/science fiction film is rich with elements of all 3 genres, and its attempt to seamlessly blend these elements into an uncommon landscape for these genres is rich in its triumphs.

Prey takes a fairly different approach than its preceding films. The story is set in the Great Plains in 1719, following a Comanche woman named Naru as she hopes to follow in the footsteps of her brother Taabe, a renowned hunter amongst their tribe. The film starts off as Naru sees what she believes to be a thunderbird in the sky, prompting her to accompany Taabe and other hunters as they search for a wounded member of their tribe, as well as the mountain lion that likely injured him. After a face off between him & the mountain lion, Taabe kills the beast and is named War Chief, but Naru insists there is a greater threat still left alive, so she sets off with her dog Sarii to find whatever beast is out there.

What results is a perfectly paced horror science-fiction that relies primarily on a stellar lead performance from actress Amber Midthunder. She is an action star unlike any other, with clear determination and strength seen in her portrayal of Naru. The entirety of the storyline revolves around Naru, only shifting its attention from her to the occasional cut scene of the Predator hunting innocuous prey. Much of the story’s charm lies in Naru’s development. From the onset of the film, Naru is at a disadvantage. Simply put, she wants to be a hunter, but she is a woman, therefore her training lies elsewhere. Thus, Prey is about overcoming more than just a beast, it demonstrates the fight to prove yourself in a community that doubts you. Naru is discounted for being both Comanche and a woman, and she is strong in a way that manages to acknowledge yet not belittle her identity. One of the most striking parts of the film is getting to watch Naru grow into her own as a warrior, both in strength and confidence.

Visually, Prey is pleasing to the eyes. The rich, natural scenery truly helps immerse the viewer in both the time and place of the film. The props and costumes are meticulous, but not distracting from the overall story line. If anything, the subtlety of these adds to the very rugged feeling Prey works hard to maintain. At times, the film can be gruesome, sometimes excessively so, but to an extent that is to be expected with any film about an extraterrestrial being that hunts down humans and animals. The film does not rely on violence for all of its tense moments, with one of the most stressful scenes involving basically only Naru against her natural environment. It does fall a little short in its larger action scenes, with much of the violence feeling slightly pointless to the overall development of the story. Yet, Prey makes up for this in its creative fighting, both from the Predator and Naru, whose training in medicine and healing proves to be a strong weapon against the alien technology her opponent possesses. Her ingenuity is the star in many of her fight scenes, breaking up the actions in a way that allows the viewer to get an insight into her thought processes.

However, the area that truly allows Prey to shine is its production. Historically, Native Americans have been incredibly underrepresented in entertainment and media, with many of the few popular Native American roles relying on incredibly negative stereotypes and caricatures. Prey makes strides in terms of Indigenous American representation, with Midthunder becoming the first leading Native American woman in a major motion picture. On top of that, Prey is the first major Hollywood picture with a leading cast composed entirely of Native Americans. This commitment to authentic casting is one of the primary reasons the film doesn’t feel gimmicky, something that is far too common amongst science fiction, especially when translated to screen. Additionally, Prey breaks boundaries by being the first major film to have a wide-released entirely Comanche dub (this version is also available for streaming on Hulu). The Comanche version of the film was also recorded by the original cast, demonstrating dedication to making sure the film is accurate and respectful to the group it intends to portray. America is a host to thousands of native and indigenous languages, and the attentiveness to making sure that one such of these languages is spoken out loud shows that the creators of Prey recognized the importance of honoring Comanche culture.

Another significant aspect that Prey gets right in terms of its representation is the film’s historical accuracy. Everything you see on the screen, with the exception of the Predator itself of course, is true to what would have been available in 1700s Great Plains. Even the Predator’s weapons have been modified from the previous Predators into more bare-boned versions, shifting in order to be properly technologically advanced for the time. This allows it to feel less like a futuristic monster that is out of place, but truly just an other-worldly creature to Naru and her tribe.

It’s important to note to inclusion of the frenchmen within the narrative of the film. Towards the middle of the film, there’s a fairly graphic scene that shows a field of skinned and slaughtered buffalo, implying that the Predator is what killed these animals. Later, it is revealed that this was instead the work of French fur-traders, who play the role of a somewhat secondary antagonist in the film. With these characters, Prey could have very easily fallen into the trap of a white savior narrative, but instead the film highlights the actions of the frenchmen and how they harm the local community with their greed. That being said, it feels like their primary purpose in the film is to add to more action sequences/show the Predator’s strength, which comes across as slightly shallow, but their inclusion is noteworthy nonetheless.

Overall, Prey is worth the watch. Whether you’re a diehard Predator fan or just a casual enjoyer of sci-fi/horror, Prey is an entertaining and fresh look at a tale as old as time. As a piece of multi-cultural science fiction, Prey recognizes its potential and uses its reach to give positive representation to native and indigenous communities. Even if you’re not a fan of the genre, it is exciting and refreshing to see such a ground breaking cast. The film takes stereotypes of Native Americans in media and flips them on their heads, creating an authentic story of deserved survival, highlighting the strength and perseverance of an incredibly marginalized community. Prey is a film that effectively communicates a serious message in a fast-paced, nail biting package. 4 out of 5 stars.

reviewed on 21 September 2022, by Kate Harris, for ENG 395 at Wake Forest University

images obtained from:

Trachtenberg, Dan (Director). (2022). Prey. Hulu

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