Prey (2022 film)

 

Based on the Predator film series by Jim Thomas and John Thomas, Prey is the story of a young woman in early 18th Century Great Plains North America who encounters a mysterious alien who is killing people in her tribe while also battling French settlers hunting for their buffalo herd. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg and screenplay by Patrick Aison that is based on a story by Aison and Trachtenberg, the film is a prequel of sorts to the Predator film series in which a young Comanche woman’s attempt to prove herself to be a hunter for her tribe has her going to war with an alien that kills humans for sport. Starring Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DeLiegro, Michelle Thrush, Stormee Kip, Julian Black Antelope, and Bennett Taylor. Prey is a gripping and exhilarating film from Dan Trachtenberg.

Set in 1719 on the Great Plains of North America, the film follows a young Comanche healer who is eager to become a hunter where a mysterious alien has arrived killing animals and humans forcing this young woman to hunt this alien. It is a film with a simple premise as it play into this young woman who is trying to prove herself to be a hunter for her tribe despite already being a gifted healer. Patrick Aison’s screenplay does have a unique narrative that has a unique usage of English and Comanche-based language as the latter is used sparingly but it is effective in playing to this world that Naru (Amber Midthunder) is a part of that includes her mother Aruka (Michelle Thrush) and her older brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers) who is already a skilled hunter and revered by many in the tribe. Yet, Taabe is aware of Naru’s determination as he also knows she’s a better tracker than him despite the fact that many in the tribe don’t think Naru has what it takes to be a great hunter.

For all of Taabe’s skills and the army he commands as they go hunt what they believe is a bear or a mountain lion, Naru believes it is something else as she goes on her hunt with her dog Sarii (Coco). Eventually, she and a few others would discover what has been killing some animals and such while Naru also discovers that French voyageurs have been killing some buffalo. During her journey as she also would encounter other creatures including this mysterious alien she called Mupitsl (Dane DeLiegro) after a legendary Comanche demon. In these encounters including being captured by the French voyageurs, she would learn about this alien creature as it would add to stake of what Naru must do to survive and earn the respect of her tribe.

Dan Trachtenberg’s direction is wondrous for not just its setting but also mixing elements of sci-fi in a film set in the early 18th Century where an alien is trying to hunt anything on Earth. Shot on various locations near Calgary, Alberta in Canada with much of it on Stoney Nakoda First Nation land as well as areas in the mountains and rivers in Alberta. The locations do add to the air of suspense and action as Trachtenberg’s usage of wide and medium shots play into this world that is vast but also thriving where Naru can find herbs and such to help heal wounded warriors and such. Even as Trachtenberg also uses the locations and its physicality as a place where Naru could use that environment to her advantage including when it comes to hiding from the alien who would sometimes appear invisible. Trachtenberg’s usage of close-ups also add to the suspense where Naru would also get a look into how this alien is tracking everyone through thermal lighting as it serves a homage of sorts to the 1988 film.

Trachtenberg’s approach to the violence is gory in one of the early scenes in the way the alien skins a snake alive as well as some of the Comanche’s attempts to target the alien as there’s an intensity to the way Trachtenberg approaches the alien’s demeanor. One notable sequence involve the French voyageurs as they would try and go after the alien by using Naru as bait but it only shows what Naru knows and what these voyageurs don’t know. Even as the film’s climax is more about the idea of hunting as it’s not about killing something. It’s about killing as a means to survive and live as it is something Naru would learn throughout the film as it would also allow her to use her wits. Overall, Trachtenberg crafts a riveting and enthralling film about a young Comanche woman who discovers a mysterious being that is not from Earth and is preying upon those that are considered threats.

Cinematographer Jeff Cutter does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of natural lighting for some of the scenes set at night including the usage of fire as available lighting along with stylish lighting for the foggy battle between the French and the alien. Editors Angela M. Catanzaro and Claudia Castello do excellent work as its usage of fast-cuts help play into the action along with some moments where they allow shots to linger to play into the intensity of the action. Production designers Amelia Brooke and Kara Lindstrom, with supervising art director Kendelle Elliott plus set decorators Peter Lando and Ellen Reede, do brilliant work with the teepees that Comanches live in as well as the tents that the voyageurs live in. Costume designer Stephanie Portnoy Porter does fantastic work with the look of the clothes that the Comanche wears that include bits of fur as well as the look of the voyageurs with the fur that they wear and kill.

Creature effects designers Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr., along with hair designer Jo-Dee Thomson, do amazing work with the look of the Predator character as well as some of the tribal makeup the Comanche would wear. The special effects work of Chris Hernandez and Mark R. Byers, along with visual effects supervisor Jingyi Zhang, is phenomenal with its emphasis on some practical effects as well as the usage of computer-based effects for some of tech that the alien uses as well as in some of the creatures. Sound designer James Miller, along with sound editors Wil Files and Chris Terhune, does superb work with the sound as it play into the natural sounds in the locations as well as the way the alien would roar along with animals from afar. The film’s music by Sarah Schachner is wonderful for its usage of orchestral textures to play into the suspense and action along with woodwinds and percussions that help intensify things including the usage of Native American percussions as it is a highlight of the film.

The casting by Rene Haynes is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from the duo of Troy Mundle and Nelson Leis as a couple of voyageurs, Mike Paterson as the lead voyageur, Julian Black Antelope as the Comanche chief Kehetu, Stormee Kipp as a Comanche hunter in Wasape who always treats Naru as less than, Bennett Taylor as an Italian translator for the voyageurs who is one of the few to not mistreat Naru, Michelle Thrush as Naru and Taabe’s mother Aruka who sees the value in both of her children but also tells Naru about what it really means to be a hunter, and the dog Coco as Sarii who . Dane DeLiegro does brilliant work as the Predator as this alien being who hunts anything that is considered a threat while creating a mask out of a wolf skull that would be a primitive version of a targeting mask.

Dakota Beavers is excellent as Naru’s older brother Taabe as a skilled hunter who becomes the tribe’s war chief as he would lead a hunt on this mysterious creature believing that it might be an animal only to discover what it really is. Finally, there’s Amber Midthunder in a phenomenal performance as Naru as a young Comanche woman who is eager to become a hunter as she is already a skilled healer and tracker while her encounters with this alien would prove to test her. Midthunder’s performance as this young woman who would realize that this alien creature isn’t like anything on Earth would also have elements of restraint but also this physicality in the way she moves around her environment as it is an absolute breakout performance from Midthunder.

Prey is a tremendous film from Dan Trachtenberg that features an outstanding breakout performance from Amber Midthunder. Along with its gorgeous visuals, intense action scenes, wondrous settings, a chilling music score, and a story of survival. The film isn’t just this gripping film that blends action, sci-fi, and suspense but it is also a film that manages to keep things simple as it is the easily the best film of the Predator franchise since the original film from 1987 by John McTiernan. In the end, Prey is a spectacular film from Dan Trachtenberg.

Predator Films: (Predator) – (Predator 2) – (Predators) – (The Predator)

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