Prey

35 years after the original Predator film was released, a prequel to the sci-fi saga set in the Comanche Nation is 20^th Century Studios’ newest hope of rekindling the franchise.

Naru’s (Amber Midthunder) hunting skills not only match those of her brother (Dakota Beavers), her insightfulness and medicinal knowledge make her a viable asset to her fellow warriors. Still, the men refuse to take Naru seriously, especially when she claims that the predator on the prowl the group are in search of is not what they expect.

Alongside the English version, the film also premieres on Disney+ with Comanche dubbing. While this is history-making for an indigenous language, it raises the question of why the film wasn’t just shot in Comanche in the first place. It certainly would have added character to the feature, that overall maintains a rather low profile.

While the protagonists and interpersonal conflict in Prey allow for more nuanced storytelling than most of its predecessors, at the heart of the substance is still a straightforward search and destroy mission. The close combat sequences and Naru’s creative solutions may be more captivating to watch than the mindless shooting and explosions of the first film, in particular, nevertheless, genre-wise, the creature feature leans towards action and away from outright horror.

The fear factor an unknown and unpredictable opponent may bring is cancelled out by the fact that the picture is clearly aimed at fans of the Predator films, to who it doesn’t offer many surprises. For those unfamiliar with the franchise, there will likely be many questions left unanswered.

Director Dan Trachtenberg intelligently makes use of the period setting, juxtaposing the intrinsically futuristic nature of alien technology with a humbler time and place for humankind. The obvious use of CGI and special effects support the conception of this world, taking the viewer away from expectations of accuracy and realism.

The highlight of the spectacle is the compelling performance of Midthunder – the young actress incontestably a star on the rise.

Selina Sondermann

Prey is released on Disney+ on 5^th September 2022.

Watch the trailer for Prey here: