When “Prey” was released on Hulu in 2022, the prospect of another movie in the “Predator” franchise wasn’t all that enticing. Like many, I was skeptical that there could be anything new to explore in the concept of an alien hunter stalking humans like big game, especially given how well director John McTiernan’s original 1987 film still holds up. The most recent installment prior to “Prey,” Shane Black’s 2018 sequel “The Predator,” seemed like the last gasp of a franchise that had run out of ideas.
Yet director and co-writer Dan Trachtenberg proved me and everyone else wrong with “Prey,” which is easily the best “Predator” movie since the original and one of the best action movies of the 2020s. The prequel set among Comanche warriors in 18th-century North America offers an ingenious new take on the “Predator” formula, while also bringing the franchise back to basics following years of mythology-laden sequels and spin-offs.
“Prey” has been a Hulu exclusive since its premiere in August 2022, but now thanks to Hulu’s somewhat under-the-radar practice of licensing its originals to other streaming services, anyone can watch the movie for free on Tubi. If you’re a sci-fi or action fan and you haven’t been subscribed to Hulu, this is the perfect chance to catch up with the reinvigorated series before Trachtenberg’s next installments.
‘Prey’ understands what makes a ‘Predator’ movie work
The premise of the original “Predator” is elegant and effective, stranding a team of commandos in a Central American jungle where they’re picked off one by one, by an adversary with superior technology and instincts. Led by star Arnold Schwarzenegger, it’s a testosterone-heavy action movie that builds to a rousing climax, with a brutal and cunning showdown between Schwarzenegger’s Dutch and the Predator itself.
“Prey” takes place 250-plus years earlier, but Trachtenberg and co-writer Patrick Aison keep the core elements intact, with a harsh wilderness setting and a fierce fighter who uses all of the resources at their disposal to prove a worthy foe for the Predator. In this case, that’s Naru (Amber Midthunder), whose fellow Comanche scoff at her ambitions to become a hunter.
She tags along with her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers) and hones her skills on her own, but she’s dismissed by the men of the tribe as a pretender, and even her own mother Aruka (Michelle Thrush) encourages her to focus on her healing abilities instead. “Why do you want to hunt?” Aruka asks her. “Because you all think I can’t,” Naru responds.
That dynamic offers clear conflict and character motivation, but Trachtenberg never turns it into a heavy-handed moral lesson. Being ignored by the members of her tribe doesn’t damage Naru’s resolve to do what’s right for them, even if they don’t believe her about a monster lurking in the woods, killing animals and preparing to attack the local humans. “Prey” establishes a strong sense of Comanche life in 1719, but it’s always integrated into the larger sci-fi/action story. Within five minutes, Naru spots the Predator’s ship in the sky, and the danger begins almost immediately.
‘Prey’ is an engrossing, fast-paced action movie
With a running time around 90 minutes before credits, “Prey” doesn’t have a single wasted moment, and Trachtenberg makes excellent use of his gorgeous natural setting. He often deploys overhead shots to demonstrate the vastness of nature in comparison to a handful of human characters, and he can convey emotion and strategy via wordless images.
When all the women in her tribe are walking one way to go collect plants and herbs, and Naru proudly strides in the opposite direction, it’s clear that she’s decided to go after the Predator despite the dismissals from everyone she’s tried to warn.
Midthunder gives Naru a mix of confidence and terror, as she’s determined to prove herself as a hunter but also frightened of the mysterious threat facing her tribe. Some of the most fascinating sequences in “Prey” involve Naru training or figuring out her plans before she faces the Predator, including a tense sequence as she uses a hatchet attached to a cord in order to pull herself out of a bog. Every bit of preparation is cleverly set up to come back later in the movie, once Taabe and a larger hunting party join Naru to fight the Predator.
That later action is often gruesome, in the tradition of previous “Predator” movies, but it’s always kinetic and easy to follow, without any far-fetched cheats or cheap fake-outs. As a prequel, “Prey” largely sidesteps the lore that had built up over previous installments (as well as the “Alien vs. Predator” crossover series), meaning that even viewers who’ve never seen a “Predator” movie can appreciate “Prey” on its own. Even when Taabe delivers an iconic line from “Predator,” it makes sense in context, which is more than can be said for most fan-service moments in modern franchise movies.
The success of “Prey” has led to a “Predator” resurgence that may or may not maintain the same level of quality, but even if Trachtenberg’s forthcoming “Predator” movies are a disappointment, “Prey” works perfectly as a standalone story. Now any remaining skeptics can see for themselves how brilliantly it reinterprets a familiar property.
"Prey" is now streaming on Tubi.
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