Coming to Disney+ is Prey. This surprise latest instalment to the Predator franchise decides to give the titular alien a vastly new environment and the most compelling prey audiences have seen in several years.
Starring Amber Midthunder as Naru a young Comanche warrior in the 18th Century, Prey follows her as she and the other warriors of her tribe face an inhuman force.
The premises is simple, the cast intimate and the monster at the centre of it all suitably intense. There are few issues with Prey. Naru is a fascinating character. She is clearly a smart, efficient hunter but struggles to gain respect due to the unfortunate circumstance of being born a woman. Then one day something literally falls from the sky and with it comes her chance to prove herself.
If it bleeds we can kill it
The pacing of Prey is well structured. The film doesn’t take too long setting up believable motivations for the characters and then dropping the predator right into the mix. The predator even has its own twisted arc. Its journey parallels Naru’s and it’s fascinating to watch them eventually clash.
On the topic of the predator, this latest one is brilliant, from its devastatingly brutal design to its equally aggressive tactics. There is one scene that particularly showcases its aggression involving the predator and a grizzly bear. It goes out of its way to prove itself and this unique quirk gives it a disturbing personality trait. Watching it do what a predator does best is easily a highlight of the film and watching Naru try to figure out how to tackle it is equally as enjoyable.
The film also has a cinematic scope to it thanks to the beauty of the cinematography. The lush environments and natural lighting are stunning. Mixing this with the alien colour palette that the predator brings to the old world gives the film a real sense of two worlds colliding.
If there are any issues with Prey it falls on some of the CGI of the film. The animals are obviously not real but it can pull you out of the film when they look particularly unnatural when they move. It’s a small issue I had with an otherwise brilliant film.
Prey was a complete surprise. It has engaging characters, memorable set pieces and one of the best predators from this long-running franchise.
Prey will release on Disney+ on August 5th. Stay tuned for Scannain for more news, reviews and interviews.