Prey (2022)

The Predator has returned!  Well an earlier version of the fierce hunter from another planet…..and THIS time, he has visited America’s Great Plains more than 300 years ago.  So is this a prequel to the 1987 sci-fi action thriller starring Arnold Schwarzenegger?  Well sort of....

This time, the story focuses on Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young member of the Comanche Nation who fancies herself a hunter even though she is expected to work more as a gatherer or healer.  So she’s off on the hunt to prove herself….and guess who she runs into??  Eventually, more of her fellow tribesman get involved along with a group of French fur trappers.....and bloodshed ensues.  Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) directed this “Hulu Original” and let’s see how it compares to the original. 

Host: Geoff Gershon
 
 Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Transcript

PREY - 2022

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg  (Audio clip)

Starring Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, Stefany Mathias, and Nelson Leis

Genre: Action Adventure

You've heard right....this IS the thrilling and inventive Predator movie that we have been waiting for. :) And to be fair, I kinda enjoyed Predator 2 and Predators but they just seemed too focused on showing deference to that original Predator movie that they both felt like Diet Predator movies in the end. But not this one even though the basic overall story is pretty much your archetypal hero's journey which honestly doesn't feel far removed in structure from Star Wars or Top Gun...

And in this case, our Luke/Maverick is Naru played winningly by Amber Midthunder - her character is a young female member of the Comanche Tribe living in the Great Plains about 300 years ago. Like all women in her tribe, she has been tasked with being a gatherer (sometimes medicine man too) but....she aspires more to be a hunter, which she is becoming increasingly skilled at though not quite at the level of her brother who is also played nicely by Dakota Beavers. The film really doesn't waste any time as off the bat, they among others are out in the woods on the hunt....for bears, lions, and deer. But one day while on her own, Naru hears a loud crack in the sky, looks up and sees something relatively transparent blasting through the air and GUESS who comes knocking? :) 

Why it's our old growling friend with the dredds and the mandibles and those creepy red tripod laser sights occasionally beaming out from his/its mask/helmet. :o Director Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) along with screenwriter Patrick Aision just assume that you already have some idea of the threat which a Predator presents....and even if you don't, this film does a nice job of showing you this in creepy increments. Especially one early on involving a dog which I have to say startled me a bit....yes this film does get increasingly violent and is arguably as violent as the first movie even...

Of course, the worlds of the Comanche and the Predator eventually collide with a large swath of violent French fur trappers tossed in for good measure....and chaos ensues. It's beautifully shot chaos as well thanks to DP Jeff Cutter - all of the action is crisply shot with a good sense of the geography among characters, even at night. 

It's a simple story which escalates in satisfying fashion towards a climax which has some cool twists though...much of it hinges on a specific item used by Naru that I'm not sure I was completely sold on even though by comparison, it doesn't really make any less sense than what Arnie used in the third act of Predator. 🤔 Regardless, I found myself genuinely engrossed for most of its runtime and the last 40 minutes or so rivals the best action filmmaking of any recent film short of Top Gun Maverick.

Best Needledrop (best song cue or score used throughout runtime of film): 

Now I have never been much of a gamer…..though apparently if I had, I MIGHT have heard of Sarah Schachner who composed the score for Prey…..because over the past several years, she has been making a name for herself as one of the most exciting musical forces in the world of gaming, having composed memorable music for several Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed games.  This is the only the third score she has done for a movie and it’s by far the biggest movie she has done one for thus far and……it IS glorious!

Mostly done through a combination of synthesizers and various string instruments – all played by Schachner herself no doubt – her music is a critical aspect of what makes Prey such an exciting watch, it’s often very guttural music punctuated with scraping cellos at key moments but there are also some distinct melodies heard throughout including a recurring theme for the main character herself which we hear build up throughout the movie whenever she’s alone on-screen – of course, it’s called “Naru’s Way.” (Audio clip) 

For a film with minimal dialogue, it falls upon the music to often to do a lot of the talking and that even carries over to the intense theme accompanying the introduction of predator itself called “Predator Instinct” – every great villain needs to have his own theme right? And this one even rivals the music Alan Silvestri composed for the original Predator film in 1987…..if nothing else, this sounds even MORE forboding. (Audio clip)  

Though for me as usual, I’m all about the strong finish and there’s a theme which kicks in just as the opening credits start at the end – for me, this is the best music cue of the film.  It’s called, “The Hunter” and it’s quite rousing. (Audio clip) 

Wasted Talent (most under-utilized talent involved with film): 

The million dollar question for Prey remains: WHY was this not released into theaters??  I mean I get that the previous Predator film from a few years ago had a weak receptions but even that film made almost $160 million worldwide on a $88 million budget – that’s not great but not exactly a flop.  Before that, Predators made $127 million on a $40 million budget…..it had a mixed reception but that’s still quite profitable.  And this film’s budget was estimated at between $10 million and $15 million…..so even if it literally grossed HALF of what either of the previous Predator films had made worldwide, it would have still been quite profitable.  And…..right now, one thing preventing movie theaters from reaching their pre-pandemic levels of attendance is a lack of steady product being released…..this film has been getting great buzz and with its scenery and action and it’s coming from a relatively proven brand.   So why has it only been released to streaming?

Simply put – if that’s possible - it’s MIGHT be because of the revenue goals of the parent company which now owns it.  Prey first started production more than three years ago under the 20th Century Fox banner which has since been acquired by the Walt Disney Company and is now known as 20th Century Studios.  And given how recently, it has been made abundantly clear by the leadership at Disney how creating continue product for the streaming services owned by them – Disney Plus and Hulu – is a TOP priority, one might assume that would be the reasoning behind it being released only to streaming.  This has also been the case with some other bigger films carried over from Fox including the recently Hulu-released erotic thriller Deep Water starring Ben Affleck and Ana De Armas….a wacky film which I would be hard-pressed to say is GOOD overall though I think would have been an absolute hoot to see in theaters with an audience….I think they left money on the table with that one too actually.

And yet as easy as it would be for me to pin the blame on Disney – which I have made clear I am NOT a fan of – honestly…..Prey might have been put into production at Fox three years ago with the agreed upon commitment up front that it would only be released via streaming.  Nobody really knows nor has said as much publicly.  For all we know, this obligation might have been set up even before Disney acquired Fox.  So the simple answer is…..that there is no simple answer as to why we can’t enjoy the intensity and majesty of this latest Predator tale on the big screen.  But the fact that we can’t…..THAT in itself is a waste of talent.

Trailer Moment (scene or moment that best describes this movie): 

For a lot of folks, their favorite sequence occurs during the second half of the film as we watch our latest Earth-bound Predator lays waste to several slimy, EVIL French fur trappers and hunters.  And no doubt, that’s a pretty intense rousing setpiece with my favorite moment being when three of them have the drop on the predator….but as they each unload their muskets at him, he raises this round metal shield to stop the bullets.  He then pauses for a few seconds watching them each struggle to reload their firearms with gunpowder…..before going to town! (Audio clip) 

However for me personally, the true standout sequence is one early on involving a nasty brawl between the Predator and a giant bear....and the visual clash between a furry animal and generally translucent figure is just SO seamless and taking place in broad daylight no less, you can't help but marvel at just how effective it looks on such a limited budget. And it's a nice touch that the bear really holds his own with the Predator. ;) (Audio clip) 

MVP (person or people most responsible for the success of this film): 

Naru is an easy protagonist to root for and the Predator as designed cuts a very intimidating figure - he admittedly has a more primitive look than the '87 version but tracks very well within this setting.  And both of these figures combine well into a very simple story expertly told by Trachtenberg – this film is 90% visual storytelling, his goal was clearly to tell most of that story through action, and on that level Trachtenberg just NAILS it!  And considering that we have now have had SEVEN films featuring the Predator…..that he was able to craft a fresh, exciting story involving this creature is all the more impressive.  He has taken the core of what makes the Predator so compelling and brought it back to basics – and even though I love previous episode Predator along with its impressive array of fun performances and quotable dialogue, I consider Prey to be just as good.  For pulling off one of the best action films of recent years AND for delivering what MIGHT actually be the BEST Predator film overall, Dan Trachtenberg is your MVP.

Final Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

This film just WORKS well as a down and dirty adventure/horror tale and among so many films of the past several years which have been forced to straddle that line between streaming and theatrical, Prey is definitely one that was egregiously kept from theaters. Even after watching it at home, I would gladly pay to see it again on the big screen - it's that good!

Streaming on Hulu

And that ends another PREDATORY review!