Prey is the best Predator movie since the original

Humans are once again being hunted by one of science fiction’s most iconic creatures. Prey brings the Predator franchise back in a big way. If you loved the first two films but grew fatigued after the next few awkward installments and weird Alien vs. Predator spinoffs, rest easy: Prey is easily the best Predator movie we’ve gotten in the last three decades. More than that, it’s just a damn good movie.

This is a SPOILER-FREE review, and as such we won’t be discussing any plot points or things that could give anything away. That said, if you want to go into Prey totally blind, be aware that we’ll be talking about the film in a general sense.

Prey review

It hasn’t been all that long since the last installment in the Predator franchise, 2018’s The Predator. That one was a pretty brainless romp that reveled in its absurdity, and was a good example of how the Predator movies can fluctuate. At their best, they’re intense-if-campy sci-fi horror movies. At their worst, they are entertaining but not much else.

10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey is most certainly the franchise at its best. In terms of its production quality, action, sound…pretty much every aspect, it stands so far above most entries in the Predator franchise that it’s almost baffling. It’s ironic that the best Predator movie in so long is also the only one that won’t see a theatrical release, airing exclusively on Hulu.

Prey depicts one of the first times a Predator came to Earth, and also seemingly retcons the Alien vs. Predator movies out of the canon. The early 18th century American setting is terrific. Prey deserves credit for how well it depicts the time period and the Comanche Nation. The film follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), an aspiring hunter who is constantly being told she can’t fulfill this traditionally male role for her tribe. But Naru is nothing if not persistent and only grows moreso when she catches wind of a strange presence in the forest.

The attention to detail in this film is incredibly impressive, and a sterling example of why it is so important to have good cultural representation both behind and front of the camera. The majority of the film’s main cast are Native American and First Nation performers, as were many of the crew members, including Comanche educator Juanita Pahdopony. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a period piece sci-fi movie like this one that centers Native American performers in this way. It makes this not only an important movie for the Predator franchise, but an important movie in general.

There are plenty of other things to praise. The first is the sound design, which caused me to repeatedly shake my head in wonder at its attention to tiny details. From the sound of a finger sliding down an arrow shaft to flower petals being ground beneath a stone, Prey’s sound design consistently elevates the movie’s storytelling and immersion. Combined with the minimalistic score by Assassin’s Creed Valhalla composer Sarah Schachner, this movie’s sonic landscape is both exceptional and much more unique than I expected. Visually, the sweeping vistas of the film are stunning. In an era of genre filmmaking when so much is being done on sound stages, Prey is a testament to how much an actual landscape can feel like a character in its own right.

Speaking of Assassin’s Creed, Naru is as nimble as any AC hero. The movie finds some very fun ways to use her physicality; the action scenes are varied, exciting, and feature some really excellent choreography. The shock factor and gore are pretty top notch as well; it never feels forced or like the movie is trying to be gory just for the sake of it…but when someone’s getting slaughtered by a Predator, it is appropriately brutal. This is a seven-foot-tall space alien that is solid muscle and armed with a wide array of sci-fi tools. It should be terrifying when the Predator turns on a person, and it is. This movie often had me on the edge of my seat, shouting at the screen.

It’s also worth noting that this is the first Predator movie with a female lead, and Midthunder slays the part. As with everything else in Prey, the power of her performance is just as much about her subtle gestures as it is the big moments. Unlike most Predator films, which don’t feature protagonists who change overmuch by the end of the movie, Prey is as much about Naru’s personal journey as it is about the alien face-off. It makes it a better movie all-around, and made me care much more about the characters. Naru’s brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers) was another standout, with a quiet magnetism and wry wit that made their relationship very compelling.

Prey honors past Predator movies while doing its own thing

As for the Predator itself, we won’t get into spoilers here, but suffice it to say that Prey takes some interesting approaches to the iconic sci-fi creature. Prey does a great job of paying homage to each of the other movies in the franchise while still very much doing its own thing. This movie is set 300 years prior to the original, and this feels like a Predator with less advanced but still terrifying tools. Moreover, it explores the idea of a Predator observing the different predatory creatures that inhabit our world in a way that no other film in the franchise ever has. It’s impressive to see a movie in a 35-year-old franchise feel as fresh as Prey does.

All that said, for as cool as the Predator itself is, some the film’s CGI leaves something to be desired. There are quite a few CGI animals, and despite many of the scenes featuring them being great, there were also moments where they clearly stood out. It was one of the few things about the movie that jarred me out of the immersion. Thankfully, those instances were minimal, and easily forgivable due to how much the appearance of the various animals deepens the movie.

Verdict

Prey is hands down the best Predator movie since the original, and if I’m being honest, it even gives that more of a run for its money than I ever would have expected. Amber Midthunder’s Naru is an amazing action heroine, and the attention to detail is exceptional. Beyond that, the film’s care in depicting the Comanche Nation and exploring its 18th century time period make Prey not only a great Predator movie, but a fantastic movie in general. It stands so well on its own merits that it is absolutely worth the watch even if you’re not a fan of the larger franchise. And if you are a fan, well…this is the Predator sequel we’ve been waiting for.

Prey debuts exclusively on Hulu on August 5.

Movie Grade: A

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