Prey, the next instalment in the Predator film series directed by Dan Trachtenberg, continues the filmmaker’s deft exploration of the possibilities of sequels, as he did in 2016 with 10 Cloverfield Lane. Prey is a more lateral beast than other IP variations; a (green) blood cousin, not an expansion pack, and it resists the impulse to get larger and brawnier or to just indulge in nostalgia. By moving the tale elsewhere, the Predator notion is broken down and rebuilt with ferocious, full-bodied survivalist forms. and then, most importantly, has a ball figuring out new methods to add to the body count.
Amber Midthunder, who plays the young Comanche lady Naru, is a major draw. It was the year 1719. Specifically, the Great Plains of the North. Warrior Taabe (Dakota Beavers) tells Naru she’s not ready for the rite of passage that involves hunting. However, she is a competent tracker despite her youth and lack of experience. This is her turf, and she knows it well. The fact that she discovers a snake’s skin and a gigantic footprint leads her to conclude that it was not caused by a bear. When Naru is engaged in a scuffle with a lion and she notices a shimmering in the air, she knows that a new threat is on the horizon.
Careful attention to setting and character development allows Prey to provide us with an engaging protagonist and an immersive world. In contrast to 10 Cloverfield Lane, which demonstrated the dramatic potential of a single location, Trachtenberg here makes excellent use of a more expansive environment, expertly switching between wide aerial vistas and tight, rough close-ups to capture the fatal beauty of the area. And as the swamp scenes and ursine encounters in the film attest, it is lethal. Dane DiLiegro’s Yautja quickly establishes himself as the dominant species in this setting.
Trachtenberg methodically builds up the gore and tension by teasing spectators with stylish glances of the mandibles monster like some high-plain demon, before releasing the creature’s entire skill-set. Midway through the film, the Yautja carry out a slaughter that not only connects Prey to Predator 2 (and the comic 1718) but also celebrates the indecently exhilarating spectacle of their labour in wickedly original ways.
And Midthunder (TV’s Legion) is a formidable opponent. She’s the most endearing protagonist in the Predator series because she’s scared yet driven and capable but overextended. By the time the final showdown rolls around, with Sarah Schachner’s fantastic soundtrack blaring, you’re cheering for Naru the whole way through because of how cleverly she uses her cunning to uncover hints that have been planted throughout the film. Trachtenberg has decided how to give credit to the Yautja. Is this the best Predator version without Arnold? Undoubtedly. Which film in the Predator franchise is considered the best? The choice is difficult, but Prey is effective.