Prey Review: Predator Franchise Is Revived
It's becoming more and more uncommon to see a franchise pull off a really new take on its mythology because reboots, revivals, prequels, and legacy sequels have all but become the standard. Scream and Top Gun: Maverick are two films that made their debuts in 2022, while others, like Netflix's ill-fated texas Chainsaw Massacre sequel, flopped miserably. There have been plenty of sequels, crossovers, and branching IP in the Predator franchise. The most recent Predator movie, Prey, is quite probably the best since the original 1987 film. Prey, a lean action thriller, returns Predator to its brutal beginnings and establishes itself as a respectable addition to the mythology of the franchise.
Prey centres on Naru (Amber Midthunder), a Comanche Nation citizen in 1719 North America who aspires to distinguish herself from her male peers by outhunting them. Included in this is her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers), with whom she is close and whose relationship serves as the movie's emotional centre. Small acts of defiance by Naru cause her to become aware of the presence of an odd, unknown predator. Naru goes off to stalk the Predator while everyone else ignores her, and soon finds herself on a dangerous voyage where she must contend with the hostile local wildlife, hostile colonists, and an aggressive extraterrestrial presence.
Prey's return to the franchise's roots is one of its greatest assets. Prey keeps things very straightforward, and it's obvious that this is what the movie requires. Other reboots and sequels make attempts to expand on their franchise foundations with varied degrees of success. The movie makes excellent use of the forests and mountains of 18th-century North America, paying homage to the natural backdrop of the first Predator and the overlooked Adrien Brody-starring Predators from 2010. The majority of the first act of the movie is devoted to Naru's pursuit of the Predator over the enormous territory of the Comanche Nation, and these scenes are just as suspenseful as those in which she confronts the Predator.
In the end, Prey definitely has the ability to revive a series that has had trouble over the past 15 years. Movies like Prey don't require extensive worldbuilding or mythologizing; instead, superb character work and a well-established visual language contribute to the film's breathless pace. It's uncertain where Predator will go from here, but Prey shows that there is still life in the brand.
Prey centres on Naru (Amber Midthunder), a Comanche Nation citizen in 1719 North America who aspires to distinguish herself from her male peers by outhunting them. Included in this is her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers), with whom she is close and whose relationship serves as the movie's emotional centre. Small acts of defiance by Naru cause her to become aware of the presence of an odd, unknown predator. Naru goes off to stalk the Predator while everyone else ignores her, and soon finds herself on a dangerous voyage where she must contend with the hostile local wildlife, hostile colonists, and an aggressive extraterrestrial presence.
Prey's return to the franchise's roots is one of its greatest assets. Prey keeps things very straightforward, and it's obvious that this is what the movie requires. Other reboots and sequels make attempts to expand on their franchise foundations with varied degrees of success. The movie makes excellent use of the forests and mountains of 18th-century North America, paying homage to the natural backdrop of the first Predator and the overlooked Adrien Brody-starring Predators from 2010. The majority of the first act of the movie is devoted to Naru's pursuit of the Predator over the enormous territory of the Comanche Nation, and these scenes are just as suspenseful as those in which she confronts the Predator.
In the end, Prey definitely has the ability to revive a series that has had trouble over the past 15 years. Movies like Prey don't require extensive worldbuilding or mythologizing; instead, superb character work and a well-established visual language contribute to the film's breathless pace. It's uncertain where Predator will go from here, but Prey shows that there is still life in the brand.