For decades “Predator”He was a black sheep in the family of monster-movie movies. While the creature was immediately iconic, the franchise has never been able to capitalize on the classic film. At their best, they were the “Predator” sequels have been entertaining big-bad-beast yarns but at their worst — which is 60% of the time — they’ve been ill-conceived, shoddily produced and more than a little embarrassing.
Dan Trachtenberg’s “Prey”It is the shot in the arm that long-running movies dream of. It takes us back to basics and reminds us what made the central concept so compelling in the first place, while putting it in a new and exciting context. “Prey” deserves the ultimate horror sequel compliment: If none of the other films existed, it wouldn’t just stand alone — it’s good enough to spawn a franchise by itself.
It was established in 1719, many centuries before the present “Predator”Films (with enough hints to show at least some of their previous entries are still valid) “Prey”stars Amber Midthunder“Roswell, New Mexico”) as Naru, a young Comanche woman who dreams of embarking on her rite of passage, her “kühtaamia,” which is not just a hunt; it’s a hunt for a creature that’s also hunting you.
Naru is passionate to the point of exhaustion. She’s skilled but lacks experience. Naru is dragged away by a lion from their camp by Taabe (Dakota Beavers), her brother. She joins Taabe and the other young men to hunt down the lion, rescue him, and prove that she’s worthy. It is extremely unfortunate that this happens to be the day that an alien, very large and technologically advanced, decides to visit northern Great Plains for a hunting expedition.
If you’ve seen a “Predator” movie before, you’ve got at least some sense of where “Prey”This is what he did. Our hero will be confronted by the Predator (Dane DiLiegro). “American Horror Stories”), that Predator will kill a lot of people and creatures, and eventually the humans will use everything they’ve learned about the alien, the art of hunting and themselves to face off against the greatest threat in the galaxy.
Films from the series have featured an alien menace against a host of total badasses in previous films. Where director Trachtenberg (“10 Cloverfield Lane”) and screenwriter Patrick Aison get clever is in setting their “Predator”Film is not set in a large city or in a huge temple but in the middle of a hunting culture. The characters in “Prey” aren’t merely soldiers; they value and honor the hunt just as much as the monster they’re fighting.
Trachtenberg is quick to point out his shots. One of the first images to be published “Prey”It evokes John Wayne’s iconic framing through the cabin door “The Searchers,”He clearly stated that his Western, regardless its sci-fi trappings is subverting the colonialist concepts of the old west. Jeff Cutter, cinematography“There’s Someone Inside Your House”) evokes glorious widescreen frontier imagery made famous by one epic Western after another, but the lens never lingers heroically on anyone but Naru, her brother or their mother Sumu (Stefany Mathias, “Longmire”).
Indeed, “Prey”Hunting dishonorably is not something that Parker has any respect for. Fields of skinned buffalo, left to rot and waste, are the fault of French trappers who are painted with only slightly less broad a brush than the singing and dancing antagonists of Trey Parker’s “Cannibal! The Musical.” But the movie needs fodder for Predator carnage, and they will very much do.
Trachtenberg’s Predator carnage is amazing. The monster lays gruesome waste to a variety of dangerous animals — all computer-generated, but nevertheless, let the squeamish beware — before turning its high-tech slaughter gizmos onto human beings. In previous installments, the Predator was able to easily kill heavily armed cops, soldiers, and mercenaries. However, in those instances, the monsters were only stopped when humans stopped using fancy weapons and instead resorted back to basics. It is logical that Naru, her brother, and other members of their hunting party would cause serious trouble to the Predator (or at the very least, an exciting fight).
Midthunder stands out among the cast because at least half of the movie features her alone in a woods, hunting Predator, being chased and hanging out alongside Sarii (a very good dog). It’s Midthunder who carries the emotional heft of “Prey” and is responsible for conveying staggering amounts of exposition, often without saying a word, and she’s completely up to that challenge. Her performance isn’t just engrossing; it has weight.
Sarah Shachner scores a memorable and exciting score to match the excellent performances of the leads, great cinematography, and sharp screenplay.“The Lazarus Effect”), whose work skillfully adapts, depending on the scene. It’s a classical frontier orchestration, it’s a creepy monster riff, it’s a tender dramatic piece, it’s everything in between.
“Prey”This is a great monster movie, a clever Western revisionist Western, and a really cool film. “Predator” sequel for viewers who don’t mind a little fan service here and there. Trachtenberg has directed the hell out of one of the best monster movies in years, proving that there’s life in any horror franchise if you stick to what makes the central creature fascinating. For the first time in many years, the Predator is truly captivating.
“Prey”Premieres on Hulu August 5.