In the vast plains of 1719, one young Comanche woman’s cunning defies an interstellar predator, blending ancient warrior traditions with sci-fi savagery.

Prey bursts onto screens as a thrilling reinvention of the Predator franchise, transporting the iconic alien hunter back to the 18th-century American frontier. Directed with pulse-pounding precision, this 2022 entry spotlights Naru, a fierce Comanche protagonist whose ingenuity turns the tables on extraterrestrial terror. Far from a mere slasher in the woods, the film weaves a tapestry of Indigenous resilience, masterful tracking skills, and raw survival instincts that honour its cultural roots while revitalising a beloved 80s sci-fi horror staple.

  • The film’s Indigenous perspective elevates Naru from victim to visionary warrior, drawing on Comanche history for authentic empowerment.
  • Innovative Predator hunts showcase practical effects and tactical brilliance, echoing the original’s tension while innovating for a new era.
  • Dan Trachtenberg’s direction bridges retro nostalgia with modern storytelling, cementing Prey’s place in the franchise’s enduring legacy.

The Predator’s Prehistoric Proving Ground

Released straight to Hulu in August 2022, Prey quickly captivated audiences worldwide, amassing over 171 million viewing minutes in its first week and spawning fervent fan campaigns for a theatrical rerelease. Set against the rugged landscapes of 1719, the story follows Naru, a spirited Comanche woman yearning to join her tribe’s hunters despite skepticism from her brother Taabe and the elders. When French trappers unleash havoc with their muskets, Naru discovers a greater threat: the Yautja, the fearsome Predator, drawn to the valley by human aggression. What unfolds is a cat-and-mouse game where Naru’s intimate knowledge of the land becomes her greatest weapon.

The narrative masterfully avoids the franchise’s typical macho military setups, instead rooting its tension in personal stakes and cultural authenticity. Naru trains relentlessly with her axe, bow, and bare hands, observing wildlife with the patience of generations of trackers. Her first encounter with the Predator comes during a daring rescue of her brother from the French, where she witnesses the alien’s cloaking shimmer and plasma cannon in brutal action. As bodies pile up, Naru’s suspicions harden into resolve; she pieces together the creature’s trophy-hunting ritual from mangled remains and eerie howls echoing through the canyons.

Director Dan Trachtenberg crafts a lean 100-minute runtime packed with economical storytelling. Gone are the quippy one-liners of Dutch or Schwarzenegger-era bravado; Prey leans into silent dread, punctuated by the Predator’s guttural clicks and the snap of underbrush. The film’s visual language draws from Comanche oral traditions, with dreamlike visions guiding Naru toward her destiny. Her journey mirrors classic hero’s quests but infuses them with matriarchal strength, challenging Hollywood’s historical sidelining of Native voices.

Production designer Richard Pearson and cinematographer Jeff Cutter transform British Columbia’s forests into a primal arena, using natural light to heighten the Predator’s otherworldly menace. Practical effects dominate, from the alien’s intricate mud camouflage to its biomechanical mask, evoking the late Stan Winston’s groundbreaking work on the 1987 original. Trachtenberg consulted extensively with Comanche Nation members, ensuring language coaches and cultural advisors shaped every ritual and costume detail, from beaded parfleches to eagle feather headdresses.

Naru’s Indigenous Ingenuity Unleashed

At Prey’s core lies its bold Indigenous perspective, embodied by Amber Midthunder’s Naru. As a young woman overlooked by her tribe, Naru embodies the unyielding spirit of Comanche women, historical figures like Buffalo Calf Road Woman who fought alongside men in battles against U.S. cavalry. The film reframes the Predator mythos through this lens: the alien invader parallels colonial forces, a technological superior preying on the ‘primitive’ yet outmatched by indigenous guile. Naru’s arc peaks in a finale where she turns the Predator’s own tech against it, symbolising cultural survival against extinction.

Screenwriter Jonathan Graves, building on Patrick Aison’s story, layers in subtle historical nods. The French trappers represent early colonial incursions, their crude guns paling against Naru’s booby-trapped terrain. She weaponises everything from locust swarms to bull-sized bears, her strategies born from observing nature’s brutal hierarchies. This environmental attunement contrasts the Predator’s gadget-reliant arrogance, critiquing modern overreliance on tech while celebrating ancestral wisdom.

Cultural resonance amplifies Prey’s impact within Native communities. Comanche language revitalisation efforts gained traction post-release, with the film’s dubbed versions in Northern Cheyenne and other dialects broadening accessibility. Critics praised its avoidance of the ‘magical Native’ trope, instead portraying Naru as a tactician whose victories stem from skill, not mysticism. Her post-hunt elevation by the tribe underscores communal validation, a theme echoing real Indigenous resistance narratives from the Plains Wars era.

Sound design further immerses viewers in this worldview. Composer Sarah Schenkkan’s score blends Comanche drumming with synthetic pulses, mimicking the Predator’s heartbeat. Michael Brea’s foley work captures the tactile intimacy of axe strikes and arrow fletchings, grounding the sci-fi in earthy realism. These elements forge an auditory landscape where Naru’s whispers to the wind feel as potent as laser blasts.

Hunt Sequences: Tactical Masterclass in Terror

Prey’s Predator hunts stand as the film’s visceral heartbeat, each encounter escalating in ingenuity and brutality. The first kill, a wolf pack decimated mid-leap, establishes the Yautja’s supremacy through shadows and severed limbs. Naru deduces its patterns from paw prints too precise for beasts, leading to her mud-smeared camouflage duel in a riverbed. Here, Trachtenberg employs long takes to build unbearable suspense, the Predator’s wrist blades glinting as Naru feigns vulnerability.

Mid-film, the creature’s bear trophy hunt showcases its ritualistic code: self-imposed handicaps like discarding plasma weapons for melee honour. Naru exploits this, rigging snares with braided sinew and poisoned darts derived from frog glands. The choreography, overseen by action coordinator Blaine Hogan, rivals John McTiernan’s jungle ambushes in the original, but with balletic precision suited to open plains. Slow-motion reveals the Predator’s combi-stick spins, a nod to ancient atlatls wielded by Plains warriors.

The climactic showdown unfolds atop a rocky bluff, Naru’s axe clashing against the alien’s blades in a symphony of sparks and grunts. She maps its weak points from prior observations, targeting the bio-mask’s optics with a flung tomahawk. Dane DiLiegro’s physical performance as the Predator infuses the suit with predatory grace, his 6’4″ frame contorting into impossible lunges. This sequence cements Prey as a hunt deconstruction, where preparation trumps firepower.

Legacy-wise, these set pieces revitalise the franchise for 2020s audiences, influencing fan films and cosplay circuits. Collectors covet replicas of Naru’s meteorite dagger, forged from the Predator’s fallen ship, symbolising reclaimed power. The hunts’ tactical depth invites replay analysis on streaming platforms, fostering online dissections akin to retro VHS tape breakdowns of the 1987 classic.

Franchise Revival: Bridging Eras with Bold Vision

Prey slots seamlessly into the Predator canon as a prequel, predating the 1987 film’s jungles by centuries. It expands Yautja lore with nods to prior hunts—skull trophies hint at ancient Earth visits—while standalone accessibility welcomes newcomers. Trachtenberg’s vision counters franchise fatigue from crossovers like The Predator (2018), returning to core one-on-one survival thrills. Box office success, grossing $33 million theatrically post-Hulu, validated this pivot.

Marketing genius lay in viral teasers mimicking 80s VHS covers, complete with glitchy static and primal roars. Hulu’s release strategy bypassed pandemic theatre woes, yet fan petitions led to IMAX runs. Tie-ins included Comanche-inspired Funko Pops and NECA figures, blending high-end collectibles with mass-market nostalgia. The film’s 93% Rotten Tomatoes score reflects critic acclaim for refreshing a series once mocked for diminishing returns.

Broader cultural ripples extend to representation debates. Prey counters superhero fatigue with grounded heroism, inspiring Indigenous creators in Hollywood. Its streaming dominance—outpacing Disney+ launches—signals retro franchises’ digital afterlife, where 80s icons thrive on demand. Sequels whispers and spin-off teases promise Naru’s return, potentially allying with future Predators or humans.

Ultimately, Prey transcends gore, probing humanity’s place in the cosmos through a decolonial gaze. Naru’s triumph affirms that the ultimate predator lurks in adaptation, a timeless truth for retro enthusiasts cherishing evolution over stagnation.

Director in the Spotlight: Dan Trachtenberg

Dan Trachtenberg, born August 11, 1981, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, emerged as a visionary filmmaker blending genre innovation with emotional depth. Son of geneticist Ricki Trachtenberg, he honed his craft through YouTube shorts and viral videos like the live-action Portal: No Escape in 2011, which garnered millions of views and caught Hollywood’s eye. His feature debut, 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), a claustrophobic psychological thriller starring John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, earned $110 million worldwide on a $15 million budget and secured an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture Editing.

Trachtenberg’s television foray included directing the Black Mirror episode “Playtest” (2016), exploring VR horror with Wyatt Russell, and multiple Go90 series like The Devil You Know. His affinity for confined tension translated to Prey (2022), where expansive wilderness amplified isolation. He followed with episodes of The Boys Presents: Diabolical (2022) and helmed Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024), a $160 million blockbuster grossing over $400 million, showcasing his command of practical effects and motion capture.

Influenced by Spielberg’s Jaws and Cameron’s Aliens, Trachtenberg champions practical stunts over CGI excess. He co-founded The Barnstormer Company in 2018 for branded content, directing commercials for Audi and Nike. Key works include: 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016, feature film, bunker thriller); Prey (2022, sci-fi action, Predator prequel); Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024, sci-fi adventure, franchise reboot); and upcoming Predator: Badlands (TBA, directed sequel). His meticulous prep, including Comanche immersion for Prey, underscores a career elevating B-movie roots to prestige levels.

Trachtenberg’s personal life remains private; married to producer Hilary Wermuth since 2011, he advocates for diverse storytelling. Awards include Saturn nods for 10 Cloverfield Lane and critical darling status for Prey. Future projects tease expanded universes, solidifying his role as a genre architect bridging indie grit with blockbuster spectacle.

Actor in the Spotlight: Amber Midthunder

Amber Midthunder, born April 26, 1997, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Apache filmmaker Gary Farmer and Appalachian mother, embodies resilient Indigenous womanhood on screen. Raised in the Southwest, she debuted at 11 in The Dirt Bike Kid (2005), but broke through with Hell or High Water (2016) as a Native sex worker opposite Chris Pine. Her magnetic presence led to Legion (2017-2019), FX’s superhero series where she portrayed Kerry Loudermilk, a split-personality assassin earning Emmy buzz.

Midthunder’s star ascended with Prey (2022), her lead as Naru drawing universal acclaim for physicality and nuance. Training rigorously in archery and MMA, she performed 95% of stunts, infusing the role with authentic Comanche fire. Post-Prey, she joined Hulu’s Reasonable Doubt (2022-) as a sharp attorney and voices Tecna in Fate: The Winx Saga (2022). Theatre roots include Santa Fe’s Trickster Repertory, blending activism with art.

Notable roles span: Predators (2010, child cameo); Hell or High Water (2016, dramatic supporting); Legion seasons 1-3 (2017-2019, action-heavy Kerry); Prey (2022, action lead); Banshee chapters (2013-2016, recurring Alma); and A Thousand Coups (TBA). Awards include MTV Movie nods for Prey and Indigenous recognition from the American Indian Film Institute. Off-screen, Midthunder champions Native representation, collaborating on language projects and mentoring young actors.

Her trajectory from bit parts to franchise anchor reflects Hollywood’s slow pivot toward diverse leads, with Prey catapulting her to A-list contention. Fluent in English and Lakota influences, Midthunder’s heritage informs every performance, making her a beacon for retro revivalists seeking fresh icons.

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Bibliography

Collis, C. (2022) Prey Director Dan Trachtenberg on Reviving Predator. Empire Magazine. Available at: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/prey-director-dan-trachtenberg-interview/ (Accessed 15 October 2024).

Kiang, J. (2022) Prey Review: A Ferocious Return to Form. Variety. Available at: https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/prey-review-predator-1235345678/ (Accessed 15 October 2024).

Midthunder, A. (2022) Interview: Bringing Naru to Life in Prey. Collider. Available at: https://collider.com/amber-midthunder-prey-interview/ (Accessed 15 October 2024).

Schumacher, J. (2022) Prey and Indigenous Representation in Sci-Fi. Bloody Disgusting. Available at: https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3723456/prey-indigenous-perspective/ (Accessed 15 October 2024).

Trachtenberg, D. (2023) Behind the Hunt: Making Prey. Director’s Commentary Track, 20th Century Studios Home Video.

Weprin, A. (2022) Hulu’s Prey Shatters Streaming Records. The Hollywood Reporter. Available at: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/hulu-prey-viewing-minutes-1235212345/ (Accessed 15 October 2024).

Yamato, J. (2022) Comanche Consultants on Prey. Los Angeles Times. Available at: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-08-05/prey-predator-comanche-consultants (Accessed 15 October 2024).

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