The cost of seeing "Prey" on the biggest screen is justifiable. The expansive landscapes of Alberta look beautiful, there is a tonne of monster mayhem and action, and Sarah Schachner's stirring score demands to be played loudest speakers possible. So why would Disney release a film from the well-liked "Predator" franchise in the middle of the summer on Hulu? What better way to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the original "Predator," starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, than with a prequel that is superior to all of its sequels? Promoting this connection would have been a breeze for the marketing department. Why then does this movie, like the previous Disney+ feature "Turning Red," go straight to streaming without a concurrent theater release?
Was it because the sci-fi action film directed by Dan Trachtenberg only featured the Predator as a key star? Was it because this is a period piece and the screenplay by Patrick Aison takes place in 1719? Or was it because the lead character is a woman and her family members are Native Americans, both of which go against the grain for movies like this? I suppose I should be grateful that "Prey" is available to see everywhere, including on services to which I do not subscribe, given the recent cancellations of movies that were set to be released soon. This is not to argue that streaming services are awful; rather, it's just that I always get antsy when I promote movies that require a subscription. Additionally, this merits a theatrical debut.
But I'm digressing. The film "Prey" advertises itself as the narrative of the first Predator alien to appear on Earth. This one is outfitted with slightly retro versions of the weaponry used in the first film by late actor Kevin Peter Hall. However, the Predator's mode of operation is the same: it is a hunter seeking for prey prizes. This provides the creature a kindred spirit in Naru (Amber Midthunder), a teenage warrior who aspires to hunt like her tribe's males, including her brother, Taabe (Dakota Beavers). The males mock Naru, saying that hunting is a man's job, but we see that she can hold her own in a fight. She's twice as tough as she appears and three times as perceptive as the rest. Naru is the first to recognise the presence of a strange monster on their territory. Perhaps it had something to do with the blazing streak of fire she had seen earlier in the sky.
Taabe scarcely tolerates Naru's company while on the hunt for a lion that has been lurking around. Midthunder and Beavers have an easygoing sibling relationship very quickly in their initial scenes. When the genuine danger emerges, their bond adds to our concerns. Naru discovers a snake skin and prints that do not belong to a known entity. "Something scared off the lion," she says to Taabe, but he dismisses her assertion that it is a "monster from childhood myths." Meanwhile, the Predator makes its way up the animal food chain, tearing out a wolf's spine to teach it a lesson for selling woof tickets. Naru finally sees it when it mercilessly guts the bear that was hunting her and her loyal hound.
The scene with the bear is so well-staged that one wishes "Prey" hadn't already given us a decent look at the Predator. An gush of blood paints the invisible Predator into existence as it yanks the bear from its pursuit, raising it up for the kill. Naru notices this and flees like hell. So begins a sequence of wonderfully designed pursuit scenes, with our nemesis eviscerating its victims in both familiar and novel ways. There's also a nod to one of the best lines from the original film: "if it bleeds, we can kill it." Bleed it does, with a bright green blood that Naru uses as battle paint at one point.
A spate of boorish French fur trappers adds another layer of danger (as well as fresh feed for viewers hungry for Predator-based slaughter). When Naru comes upon a field of skinned buffalo, she prays over them, believing that they are the work of the monster. Soon, she learns that man, that other horrible predator, is to blame. Despite their agreement with Naru that something otherworldly exists, the trappers are much more evil than the Predator. So don't be surprised if they start getting splattered.
Even if there are no "choppas" for anyone to get to in 1719, "Prey" is a fitting successor to Ah-original. nuld's Naru should be included to the list of tough characters who can stand up to the Predator. She handles all of her enemies with equal parts wits and brawn, murdering them with gory efficiency. Nature is also a brutal foe, but she is prepared for that as well. The film paints a portrayal of her Comanche tribe without othering them—they are the stars of the story, and their hamlet is alive with community. Even though the film is primarily in English (a full Comanche language version was supposedly also shot in tandem), our suspension of disbelief is not endangered.
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.
Wach on Hulu, August 5th.
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