Platform diving/opinion

‘Prey’: Finally, a worthy follow-up to ‘Predator’

“Prey,” a prequel to the 1987 film “Predator” set in the Comanche Nation in 1719, pits the fiery young Naru (Amber Midthunder) against both her tribe’s patriarchy and a rampaging alien.
“Prey,” a prequel to the 1987 film “Predator” set in the Comanche Nation in 1719, pits the fiery young Naru (Amber Midthunder) against both her tribe’s patriarchy and a rampaging alien.

Hollywood really seemed to capture lightning in a bottle with the 1987 hit "Predator." Fans couldn't get enough of Arnold Schwarzenegger running through the South American jungle playing The Most Dangerous Game with a mysterious camouflaged creature from beyond the stars.

It tried to re-create that success in 1990, 2004, 2007, 2010, and 2018 counting all the sequels and spinoffs. None of them came close to matching the success or standards established by the first. But now, I'm happy to say that goal has been met with Hulu's prequel, "Prey."

I'm not sure I'd call it predicting the future, but in November 2020, I penned a column in this section asking "is 5th time a charm in 'Predator' franchise?" (Y'all can read it here if curiosity abounds: tiny.cc/3bztuz).

It turns out, 20th Century Studios knocked it out of the park with "Prey," a story set a few centuries before Arnold would go toe-to-toe in the jungle with a predator. Director Dan Trachtenberg accomplished something seemingly impossible where previous directors like Stephen Hopkins and Shane Black failed.

SETTING

"Prey" is set in 1700s America on the Great Plains and follows a Comanche warrior seeking to prove herself in a great hunt, like her brother. Her name is Naru (Amber Midthunder), and she's a formidable survivalist, skilled in tracking, medicine, axe-throwing, and training dogs.

As might be expected in a film about a woman trying to prove herself, the standard "know your place" trope works its way into the story, but Naru quickly begins to suspect something is amiss when she sees a spaceship in the sky and finds predatory animals in the wild completely skinned. When Naru finds large tracks, the other men in her tribe dismiss it as a bear, but she's not convinced.

Meanwhile, "Prey" cleverly takes its time to show audiences the Predator (Dane DiLiegro). At first, it's always cloaked, or we'll only see a foot or its mounted blades. There's even the traditional heat-seeking point-of-view shot from the inside of the Predator's helmet. "Prey" plays the hits in a fresh way without having to rely on callbacks to the original by having actors shout, "Get the chopper!" I'm looking at you, Shane Black.

When she's unable to convince the other warriors in her tribe something bigger is out in the woods and poses a threat to them, Naru takes matters into her own hands. She takes her dog, her ax, and her medicine, traveling far out into the wilderness to deal with this Predator. But when Naru sees the Predator kill a grizzly bear with nothing more than a mounted set of blades, she understands the foe might be beyond her ability to hunt alone.

WHAT IT GOT RIGHT

You can probably guess how the film goes from there. Other warriors from the tribe try unsuccessfully to kill the Predator and die in gruesome, bloody ways. Another thing I appreciated about "Prey" is it kept the violence that perfectly illustrated just how deadly the hunt was with a Predator around, while also pairing that gore with sharp writing and a tense atmosphere.

We didn't need a '90s drug war in Los Angeles, betrayals from Laurence Fishburne, or insensitive portrayals of mental health problems. Just one or two people in the woods trying to survive being chased by an intergalactic hunter. And they only had 18th-century weapons to boot, no automatic rifles like Arnold's crew had (though it did them little good in the end). This movie was successful, in part, because it quite literally got back to basics.

And Naru isn't portrayed as some fearless unkillable action hero. She gets hurt, she gets scared, she gets captured, and she flees (smartly, I might add). Naru is a well-balanced and smartly written character. Her brother, Taabe (Dakota Beavers), is also refreshing to see on the screen, in that he supports his sister openly when other warriors in the tribe would so easily dismiss her.

On top of all that, "Prey" has dazzling cinematography courtesy of Jeff Cutter that captures the raw beauty of Alberta (where the movie was primarily filmed). There's sweeping nature shots of forest, plains, and mountains. These shots give "Prey" ample breathing room and bring an artsier take to the "Predator" franchise. Artsy and Predator might not be two words that go together for most film buffs, but this movie finds a way to accomplish that combination.

REPRESENTATION

Then there's the indigenous representation. Take what I'm about to write with a grain of salt because I am just a white gal. But I loved seeing Comanche warriors front and center here. And "Prey" even went the extra mile for authenticity by casting an indigenous actor for the main character of Naru. Hollywood needs more of this.

Some people will be curious about why members of the Comanche tribe speak English for most of the film, but that's simply for convenience of the viewer. Though, I'd argue that if a large segment of American viewers can sit through a two-hour film like "The Passion of the Christ" without a lick of English spoken, reading subtitles the entire time, they could easily do the same for "Prey." Of course, Trachtenberg was smart enough to know the frustrating reality that most movie watchers wouldn't do that for "Prey."

I loved the inclusion of some of the Comanche language, and I'm impressed.

20th Century Studios recorded an entire Comanche dub for those who want that experience. Talk about inclusivity.

I think "Prey" ultimately teaches Hollywood two important lessons. First, we need more indigenous exposure. Cast more American Indian actors in film projects. (Have y'all seen "Reservation Dogs"? It's easily one of the best new TV shows to debut in the last year.) Second, it's possible to make successful sequels to movies from the '70s and '80s. But you've got to pair them with intelligent writing and impressive directors who understand the vision for the project and can faithfully execute it.

"Prey" is available today on Hulu.

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