The 2022 film Prey depicts the ancient hunting practices of the Yautja species on Earth during the early 18th century.
Prey returns the Predator franchise to its roots by examining the structured codes that govern Yautja behaviour. Set in 1719 on the Great Plains, the story follows a young Comanche warrior whose confrontation with an extraterrestrial hunter reveals long-established rituals of selection, combat and trophy collection. The film places these traditions within a historical context that predates the urban settings of earlier entries, allowing viewers to trace the consistency of Yautja conduct across centuries.
The Yautja Code in Early Encounters
Central to Prey is the principle that Yautja warriors target only those who demonstrate capability in combat. The hunter in the film consistently ignores unarmed or clearly outmatched individuals until they arm themselves or display skill. This restraint mirrors the selective criteria shown in the 1987 Predator, where the creature passes over civilians before engaging trained soldiers. The repetition of this rule across different eras underscores a cultural framework rather than random aggression.
Weapon Hierarchy and Trophy Practices
The film details the Yautja arsenal with precision. The wrist blade, plasma caster and net gun appear in sequence, each deployed according to the perceived threat level of the prey. When the hunter claims a trophy, the act follows a deliberate sequence of skinning and spine removal that matches descriptions from later films. These visual consistencies reinforce the idea of an unbroken tradition transmitted across generations of Yautja.
Production Design and Historical Grounding
Director Dan Trachtenberg chose practical effects for the creature suit and most weapons, limiting digital augmentation to environments and blood. Costume designer Melissa Chimento consulted Comanche cultural advisors to ensure accurate beadwork, quillwork and hide preparation. The resulting integration of terrestrial and extraterrestrial materials on screen highlights the clash of two distinct technological traditions without relying on spectacle alone.
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h3>Sound and Score Choices
Composer Sarah Schachner blended traditional Comanche drumming patterns with low-frequency pulses to signal the Yautja presence. The sound design team recorded actual flint and steel strikes to create the distinctive click of the creature’s mask, avoiding synthetic tones. These choices anchor the horror in tactile reality while preserving the alien quality of the visitor.
Director in the Spotlight
Dan Trachtenberg was born in 1981 in Philadelphia. He began his career directing short films and web content before moving into features with 10 Cloverfield Lane in 2016. His interest in confined-space tension and moral ambiguity carried into Prey, where the open landscape still functions as a pressure chamber through limited resources and shifting alliances. Trachtenberg has cited the original Predator and The Thing as primary influences on his approach to creature suspense. His filmography includes the 2021 episode of The Boys titled “The Self-Preservation Society” and the 2025 Predator film Badlands.
Actor in the Spotlight
Amber Midthunder was born in 1991 in Montana. Of Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux descent, she began acting in local theatre before securing recurring roles in television series such as Longmire and Banshee. Her performance as Naru in Prey combines physical training in archery and tracking with nuanced emotional restraint. Midthunder’s earlier credits include the 2016 film Hellbent and the 2022 series The Ice Road. She continues to advocate for authentic Native representation in genre projects.
Cultural Placement Within the Franchise
By returning to pre-industrial Earth, Prey expands the cosmological scope of the series. The Yautja are no longer simply invaders of modern military outposts; they appear as recurring participants in human history. This placement aligns the film with earlier works such as Predator 2, where a xenomorph skull aboard the ship hints at deeper galactic cycles. The ritual elements therefore serve as connective tissue across the entire timeline.
Long-Term Influence on Horror Cinema
Prey has prompted renewed discussion of how science-fiction horror incorporates indigenous knowledge systems. Its measured pace and emphasis on observation rather than constant action have been referenced in subsequent creature features seeking to balance spectacle with cultural specificity. The film’s restraint in revealing the hunter until necessary has become a cited model for building dread through implication.
The synthesis of historical setting, consistent ritual logic and practical craftsmanship positions Prey as a pivotal chapter that deepens the Predator mythos without contradicting prior entries. Its focus on tradition and selection criteria offers a coherent origin point for the behaviours observed across the franchise.
Trachtenberg, D. (2022) Prey. 20th Century Studios.
Schachner, S. (2022) Interview with Sarah Schachner. The Hollywood Reporter.
Midthunder, A. (2022) Amber Midthunder on playing Naru. Entertainment Weekly.
Chimento, M. (2022) Costume design notes for Prey. Los Angeles Times.
McTiernan, J. (1987) Predator. 20th Century Fox.
Hopkins, S. (1990) Predator 2. 20th Century Fox.
Trachtenberg, D. (2016) 10 Cloverfield Lane. Paramount Pictures.
IMDb (2024) Dan Trachtenberg filmography. Available at: https://www.imdb.com (Accessed: 2024).
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