Prey star responds to haters, “super-woke” critiques

Earlier this month, Hulu unleashed its ambitious Predator prequel movie Prey. Set 300 years before the original 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Prey sees the iconic alien hunter face off against warriors of the Comanche tribe of Native Americans. At the film’s heart is Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young warrior who runs against the grain of tradition to claim her place as a hunter and fight off the alien threat.

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane), Prey was a resounding success for Hulu, becoming its most-watched original premiere ever. But there are always reasons to complain, and when the trailers for Prey first debuted, there was a predictable wave of cringe-worthy criticism. Prey is the first film in the franchise to feature a female lead, and if muscle-bound Arnie had almost no chance against a Predator, how could a girl kill one amirite?

Midthunder has some thoughts for those haters. “People are always going to say stuff, but that’s just noise. Honestly, those people have no idea what they’re talking about,” she told People. “First of all, I feel really proud of our movie and I think [director] Dan [Trachtenberg] is an incredible filmmaker. He has made something that people can eat their words over.”

"I think a lot of people thought our movie would be some super-woke, F-the-patriarchy kind of a story, and that’s not what it’s about at all. It’s not a girl defying what men say she can and can’t do. It’s literally an individual who feels called to something and the people who know her don’t think that is her calling. That is so much more personal and, I think, as the character, harder to deal with than anything."

Prey critics can “eat their words,” because the movie is awesome

My two cents: Midthunder is totally on point about the themes of the movie. Yes, there is a running narrative about Naru being underestimated by those around her, and often it happens because she’s a woman. But the movie is more about her proving who she is, not some commentary on patriarchal societies, especially considering that historic Native American cultural dynamics weren’t black and white when it came to the roles of men and women.

Speaking of Native American culture, this was another area where people had issues. The Predator employs all sorts of advanced alien tech, including a bolt caster, infrared vision, retractable metal claws, and a shield capable of deflecting bullets. Some people were unsure how a Native American warrior (and her faithful dog) could overcome those odds with tools like a bow and arrow, traps, and tomahawks.

That says more about people’s misunderstanding of Native American peoples’ history and skills than anything else. Midthunder herself is a member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribe, and learned a lot about the Comanche while working on Prey. It was important to her — and to the production as a whole — to bring a sense of authentic representation to the movie. That comes through in a slew of ways, from the Comanche language used to the way Naru brushes her teeth with a chew-stick to how she makes rope from stripped bark.

“People don’t know a lot about native history. Period. So they don’t know what kind of warriors we were,” Midthunder said, explaining that the Comanche “were known for being some of the fiercest warriors of all. And they did have female-warrior society, so there were women that fought and hunted. So yeah, I think you look at that and you just [tell yourself], ‘Alright, whatever, people are always going to say stuff.’ I’m proud of what we did.”

Prey is out now on Hulu, and it is magnificent. Which, really, is not something I ever expected to say about a Predator movie in 2022.

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h/t Syfy Wire