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“Prey” is worth spending the money to see on the biggest screen possible. The wide open spaces of Alberta look fantastic, there’s plenty of monster mayhem and action, and the striking score by Sarah Schachner deserves to be blasted from the largest speakers available. So, why is Disney dumping an entry in the popular “ Predator ” series on Hulu in the middle of the summer? The original “Predator” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger turns 35 this year; what better way to celebrate than with a prequel that’s better than any of its sequels? The marketing team could have had a field day promoting this connection. So why is this film, like Disney+'s “ Turning Red ” before it, going straight to streaming with no simultaneous theatrical presence?

Was it because director Dan Trachtenberg ’s sci-fi actioner didn’t have any major stars (besides the Predator, of course)? Was it because the screenplay by Patrick Aison takes place in 1719, making this a period piece? Or was it due to the fact that the protagonist is a woman and her kin are Native Americans, both of which buck the trend for movies like this? Considering the recent cancellations of films scheduled for upcoming release, I suppose I should be thankful that “Prey” can be seen anywhere, including on services to which I do not subscribe. This is not to say that streaming services are bad, just that I always feel itchy recommending movies you need a contract to see. Plus, this deserves a theatrical release.

But I digress. “Prey” bills itself as an origin story of the first Predator alien to appear on Earth. This one is fitted with slightly retro versions of the weapons wielded by the late actor Kevin Peter Hall in the first film. The Predator’s modus operandi is the same, however: it is a hunter and it’s looking for trophies of prey. This gives the creature a kindred spirit of sorts in Naru ( Amber Midthunder ), a young warrior who wishes to hunt like the males in her tribe, including her brother, Taabe ( Dakota Beavers ). Naru is teased by the guys, who state that hunting is men’s work, but we learn she can hold her own in a fight. She’s twice as tough as she looks, and three times more observant than the others. Naru is the one who first notices that there’s a new creature on their land. Perhaps it might have something to do with that blazing streak of fire she saw in the sky earlier.

While on the hunt to find a lion that’s been prowling about, Taabe barely tolerates Naru tagging along. They have an easygoing sibling relationship that Midthunder and Beavers create almost immediately in their first scenes. Their bond adds to our worries once the real danger appears. Naru notices a skinned snake and prints that do not belong to a known entity. “Something scared off that lion,” she tells Taabe, but he is in no mood for her claim that it is a “monster from childhood stories.” Meanwhile, the Predator works its way up the animal chain, teaching a pugnacious wolf a lesson about selling woof tickets by pulling out its spine. Naru finally gets to see it when it ruthlessly guts the bear that was chasing her and her faithful mutt.

The scene with the bear is so cleverly staged that one wishes “Prey” hadn’t given us a good look at the Predator beforehand. As it yanks the bear from its pursuit, lifting it up for the kill, the invisible Predator is painted into view by an outpouring of blood. Naru sees this and runs like Hell. So begins a series of expertly crafted chase scenes, with our antagonist employing familiar and new ways to eviscerate its victims. There’s also a callback to one of the original film’s best lines: “if it bleeds, we can kill it.” Bleed it does, with a neon green blood that, at one point, Naru uses as war paint.

Adding another element of danger (as well as fresh meat for viewers hungry for Predator-based carnage) is a slew of uncouth French fur trappers. When Naru stumbles upon a field of skinned buffalo, she prays over them, thinking that this is the monster’s handiwork. Soon she realizes it’s man, that other evil predator, who is responsible. Even though they agree with Naru that something otherworldly is out there, the trappers are even more villainous than the Predator. So we’re not sorry when they start getting splattered.

“Prey” is a worthy successor to Ah-nuld’s original, even though there are no “choppas” for anyone to get to in 1719. Naru deserves to be added to the list of tough characters who can hold their own against the Predator. She uses brains and brawn in equal measure to handle all of her foes, dispatching them with gory efficiency. Nature also proves a cruel adversary, but she’s ready for that as well. The film creates a portrait of her Comanche nation without othering them—they are the heroes of the story and their village teems with a sense of camaraderie. Even though the film is mostly in English (a full Comanche language version was apparently also shot in tandem), it does not endanger our suspension of disbelief.

Despite the expected whine from immature males who haven’t seen the movie yet but are already deeming it “too woke,” “Predator” fans will not be disappointed by “Prey.” It’s a scary and fun amusement park ride that also elicits a surprisingly tender emotional response. When Naru finally let out the war cry she had previously been denied, I couldn’t help but cheer. It’s too bad I couldn’t do it with an audience full of equally excited viewers.

On Hulu tomorrow, August 5th.

Odie Henderson

Odie "Odienator" Henderson has spent over 33 years working in Information Technology. He runs the blogs Big Media Vandalism and Tales of Odienary Madness. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Film credits.

Prey (2022)

Rated R for strong bloody violence.

100 minutes

Amber Midthunder as Naru

Dakota Beavers as Taabe

Dane DiLiegro as Predator

Stormee Kipp as Wasape

Michelle Thrush as Aruka

Julian Black Antelope as Chief Kehetu

Stefany Mathias as Sumu (Chief Wife)

Nelson Leis as Waxed Mustache

Bennett Taylor as Raphael

Dan Trachtenberg
Patrick Aison

Cinematographer

Jeff Cutter
Claudia Castello
Angela M. Catanzaro
Sarah Schachner

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‘Prey’ Review: Alien vs. Warrior

The “Predator” franchise gets a prequel and the Comanche Nation gets a space invader in this unremarkable adventure.

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By Jeannette Catsoulis

After 35 years and six increasingly mediocre movies, the “Predator” franchise has long since exhausted its ideas and probably its audience. Nevertheless here comes Dan Trachtenberg’s “Prey,” a sort-of prequel and an attempted CPR of a monster who still sports the familiar dreadlocks, but whose flaring oral cavity is mostly denied the lingering, fleshy close-ups we have come to love . Maybe this time the studio suits balked at said orifice’s blatant invocation of a vagina dentata.

At any rate, this Predator (played with gusto by the former professional basketball player Dane DiLiegro) remains, for a frustrating length of time, a diaphanous blur. Dropped out of a spaceship in the Northern Great Plains in 1719, the beast proceeds to research the local wildlife. Taking note of the bloody remains, Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young Comanche woman, and her brother (Dakota Beavers) determine to track the perpetrator. Fatherless and fearless, Naru wants nothing more than to become a respected warrior. Let the other women do the gathering; Naru is all about the hunting.

Yet despite a female-empowerment theme and an adversary fairly bristling with fancy weaponry, “Prey” never builds a head of steam. Jeff Cutter’s gorgeously verdant landscapes glide languidly past, and Midthunder (whose fine performances have too often been buried in forgettable projects ) is gutsy and game. But pitting Naru against a series of pop-up threats — an enraged bear, deadly quicksand, skeevy French fur trappers — is barely a plot. Even if you include the seven-foot space alien.

Boasting a cast drawn almost entirely from Native American and First Nations actors, “Prey” is painstakingly attentive to the authenticity of its Indigenous setting. Similar attention to the script would not have gone amiss.

Prey Rated R for flesh-eating rats, rapacious Frenchmen and a thingy from outer space. Running time: 1 hour 39 minutes. Watch on Hulu .

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Prey Reviews

Prey is a bloody and badass return to form for the Predator franchise.

Full Review | Original Score: 8.5/10 | Jul 12, 2024

It does many smart things —simplification of the character's ethos, First Nations setting, the casting of Amber Midthunder as the lead— but overall it's a run-of-the-mill actioner good enough to make us wonder why it didn't get a theatrical release.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jun 13, 2024

With great casting, character writing, and cinematography, Prey becomes a welcome addition to the popular franchise.

Full Review | Jun 12, 2024

It a fun concept for a prequel.

Full Review | Apr 24, 2024

The biggest complaint I have about “Prey” is that it didn’t have a theatrical release.

Full Review | Oct 26, 2023

Easily the best film in the Predator franchise since the original, this prequel is brilliantly directed by 10 Cloverfield Lane filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg, with a home run of a star turn by Native American actor Amber Midthunder.

Full Review | Sep 13, 2023

It commits to centre Naru’s journey and the obstacles she faced throughout the movie, and their final encounter, which results in a satisfying conclusion.

Full Review | Sep 8, 2023

Prey offers an excellent example of less being more, especially in a series long known for its over-the-top dialogue and gory violence.

Full Review | Aug 18, 2023

Prey lives up to high expectations, being the first movie in the Predator saga to come close to or even surpass the original. Amber Midthunder delivers one of the best performances of her career.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Jul 25, 2023

The perfect predator movie

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

What makes Prey so compulsively watchable is that it does exactly what it promises to do. It’s a frantic fight for survival led by a compelling cast of characters. When the audience finally gets a good look at the Predator, it’s a glorious reveal.

Full Review | Jul 24, 2023

Prey is tied for first place with Predator as the best Predator movie and is definitely one of the best movies of the year. It is one of the best movies to grace the action, horror, and science-fiction genres.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Jul 20, 2023

I loved Prey. I think it’s the best summer “blockbuster” of the year.

Full Review | Original Score: A+ | Feb 10, 2023

The new installment in the Predator franchise risked a lot by changing its name to Prey, but the stellar film wound up earning it wholeheartedly.

Full Review | Jan 9, 2023

The Predator franchise has new life thanks to Prey. The film works on a multitude of levels as a perfect prequel, monster movie, sci-fi flick, a badass heroine story, and win for Native representation and portrayals.

Full Review | Original Score: 10/10 | Jan 4, 2023

With a stunning debut in the Hulu original film Prey, Amber Midthunder proved herself as a sci-fi/action star to watch.

Full Review | Dec 27, 2022

Prey makes for a pragmatic prequel to Predator, but not a pulsating entry to reinvigorate the franchise.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Dec 10, 2022

Questions that Predator raised all those years ago — Who is the invader? Whose land is being invaded? — rebound with special resonance in Prey.

Full Review | Oct 8, 2022

Prey critiques the assumption that survival requires dominance.

Full Review | Oct 7, 2022

Prey reinvigorates and revitalizes the predator legacy, going back in time to show how the franchise still has a future.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.0 | Oct 4, 2022

Entertainment /
Movie Review
Prey understands what makes Predator interesting: the hunt

A refreshing return to form for the franchise

By Andrew Webster , an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.

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Since its debut in 1987, the Predator franchise has had a, let’s say, uneven history. The premise is brilliant in its simplicity: A race of aliens who live for nothing more than a good hunt travel to Earth in search of prey. It worked particularly well for the first two films, but over the course of more sequels, spinoffs, and forays into games and comics, that high-level idea has been diluted quite a bit — which is what makes Prey so refreshing. The latest mainline Predator movie jumps backwards in time and focuses entirely on the most important part of the franchise: the hunt.

This review contains spoilers for Prey.

Prey is set in 1719 in the Northern Great Plains, and centers on a budding Comanche hunter named Naru (Amber Midthunder). Though she’s a skilled healer, Naru desperately wants to be a hunter and leader like her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers), and is constantly pushing against the expectations placed on her. She trains with weapons on her own, pushes her way into hunting excursions, and, when asked why she wants this so badly, says simply, “because you all think I can’t.” The presence of a certain alien forces her into that warrior / hunter role a little sooner than expected.

Of course, Naru and her tribe don’t know it’s an alien — at least at first. Initially, it appears that an aggressive lion is terrorizing them. But careful and observant Naru is the one who realizes something more is happening. She notices key details, like a disturbingly slaughtered snake and strange green fluid, that everyone else misses. When she first spots a fiery red storm in the sky, she takes it as a sign that she’s ready for her first big hunt, known as a “kuhtaamia.”

For the most part, Prey is a pleasantly slow buildup to the ultimate showdown between Naru and the Predator. On one side, we see Naru slowly growing into herself, trusting her instincts even when no one seems to believe her (or in her — with the exception of her supportive brother). She’s equal parts impatient, determined, and resourceful, all of which come in handy as she sorts out just what’s going on. She turns being underestimated into a strength. (She’s also helped along by a very adorable dog who serves as her companion.)

The alien, meanwhile, is steadily testing himself in this new landscape. He starts out slicing up small animals, before moving on to bigger fare like bears and, eventually, humans. This includes both some of the Comanche hunters and a group of French fur trappers.

One of the most impressive things about Prey is how patient it is — especially for an action movie. (The pacing is reminiscent of the original Predator , arguably the high mark for the series.) You don’t even see the alien until around an hour in. Up until that point, it remains cloaked and largely invisible, poking around the edges of the plains in search of a worthy opponent. It terrorizes the humans in brief flashes of violence.

That’s not to say there’s no action until then, because there definitely is, and it’s particularly gruesome and gory. (One excellently gross scene shows the Predator in all its glory, while doused in bear blood.) But the film does an incredible job of slowly teasing out the main conflict. You know Naru and the alien will get into it eventually, but Prey forces you to wait for that moment, making it all the more satisfying. It helps that the Predator is especially menacing here, using an array of futuristic-yet-brutal gadgets and weapons to make it seem basically unstoppable.

I’ll admit that I went into Prey with some trepidation when it came to representation. Hollywood doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to depicting indigenous cultures on screen. And, while I’m not the best person to ultimately judge how successful the movie is in this regard, it does appear that some real thought was put into Prey ’s approach, from the use of the Comanche language to the indigenous talent both in front of and behind the camera . Just as importantly, Naru and her companions are clearly the heroes of the story, and exist as more than just stereotypes. (I did not feel remotely bad when any of the French trappers met their demise.)

Ultimately what makes Prey work is its simplicity. It never strays from its concept, instead slowly building up the tension before reaching a very exciting battle. It also adds to Predator ’s fascinating lore. Prey made me wish the Predator franchise was turned into something like Assassin’s Creed , with each new entry touching on a different time period, exploring the mythos from a new lens.

In the second movie, viewers got a glimpse of a room full of skulls that serve as trophies, suggesting that this species has spent a very long time visiting worlds — including our own — in search of the ultimate hunt. And that’s exactly what they find on Earth in 1719.

Prey starts streaming on Hulu on August 5th.

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‘Prey’ Review: ‘Predator’ Prequel Set in the Comanche Nation in 1719 Is a Slight Improvement in a Derivative Franchise

A Northern Great Plains setting and a young tribal hunter out to prove herself almost make the latest "Predator" sequel look less schlocky than the others.

By Owen Gleiberman

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“ Prey ,” a prequel in the “ Predator ” series, stands as proof that Hollywood today can make a socially conscious movie out of anything. I offer an advance apology to fans of this dogged franchise when I say that over the last 35 years, it would be hard to find a strain of sci-fi action cinema more trashy or degraded than the “Predator” films. The original “Predator,” directed by John McTiernan in 1987 (the year before he made “Die Hard”), was a what-are-we-going-to-do-with-Arnold-this-time? vintage-’80s Schwarzenegger combat showdown, and in its overwrought and derivative way it was reasonably well-made. The first sequel, released in 1990, was the pits, but you could already perceive the rationale of the executives. They thought they’d grabbed “the next “Alien'” by the tail.

Sorry, but the Predator was no Alien. He was a monster with more or less one trick — a cloak of semi-invisibility — and with a half-scary, half-silly action-figure look, like RoboCop with Alien’s face and Whoopi Goldberg’s braids. You can more or less measure how inventive (or not) this franchise is simply by listing its titles: “Predator,” “Predator 2,” “Predators,” and “The Predator.” And I haven’t even mentioned the maximally cheesy “Freddy vs. Jason”-style spinoff series that consisted of “Alien vs. Predator” and its overblown sequel, “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem,” which made it feel like time to give the Predator himself a requiem.

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The actors in “Prey” consist almost entirely of Native and First Nation’s talent, marking the film as a step forward in Indigenous casting. Visually, the movie is all vibrant green woods, mountain vistas and sunlit meadows. For a while we could almost be watching a historical Disney fable about a warrior who comes of age, as Naru, in her black eye-mask face paint and fringed buckskin, trains herself in how to rock a crossbow and toss a tomahawk. She has a rivalrous relationship with her brother, Taabe (Dakota Beavers), that plays out over the course of the movie. “Why do you want to hunt?” asks Naru’s mother. “Because you all think I can’t!” comes the 18th-century girl-power reply. But when Naru, who at times suggests the Cherokee warrior Nanye-hi as played by Olivia Rodrigo, looks up to see a fiery spacecraft, it’s clear she’s going to need all her training and more.

There’s not much mystery left to the Predator, who has been revealed in too many sequels too many times. But “Prey,” trying to introduce the creature to a new generation (in this one he’s played by Dane DiLiegro), goes through the game of treating his semi-invisibility as a kind of striptease. In the pristine wilderness of “Prey,” he now seems like a cloaked version of Bigfoot. Once again, we try to divine his shape from the translucent camouflage that turns him into glistening honeycomb glass, with metallic fingers that shoot out like Freddy Krueger’s claws. But it would be monotonous to have him hidden for the whole movie, so the Predator gradually becomes visible — which is always a bit of a letdown, as we come to see how rotely anthropomorphic he is. In this one, he’s not only got a metal loincloth but a ripped belly that looks like it came off a cover of Men’s Fitness. We might also now ask: Is the fact that this demon has dreadlocks…kind of racist?

The rippings and slashings, first of animals and then of humans, arrive right on cue, and they’re brutal enough to have earned the film an R rating. As an alien-attack thriller, “Prey” is competent and well-paced, though with little in the way of surprise. But the journey of Naru lends it a semblance of emotional coherence that most of the “Predator” films have lacked. She’s the one who first figures out that the wildlife she’s tracking is being tracked by something else; this is a grizzly-bear-eat-dog-eat-rabbit movie in which the Predator sits at the top of the food chain. And Naru, beneath her innocent surface, proves not just the biggest badass in the tribe but the only one who grasps the danger.

It’s a famous Hollywood quote, attributed to both Samuel Goldwyn and Jack Warner, that “if you want to send a message, use Western Union.” That line is a testament to the vulgarity of the old studio moguls (plenty of great movies have messages), yet there’s a certain stubborn truth in it. And when you watch “Prey,” a routine if visually atmospheric monster potboiler made over into a fable of “moral” inspiration, you realize how common it is for a movie to send a telegram these days. By the time Naru stands opposite the Predator in hand-to-face-pincer combat, coating herself in the creature’s phosphorescent green blood, it’s clear that even a “Predator” movie can now be styled as a lesson in how to be. But maybe, in the case of this franchise, that marks a slight improvement over movies that wanted to be nothing but what has come before.

Reviewed at AMC Lincoln Square, July 26, 2022. MPA Rating: R. Running time: 99 MIN.

Production: A Hulu release of a 20th Century Studios, Davis Entertainment production. Producers: John Davis, Jhane Myers, Marty Ewing. Executive producers: Lawrence Gordon, Ben Rosenblatt, James E. Thomas, John C. Thomas, Marc Toberoff.
Crew: Director: Dan Trachtenberg. Screenplay: Patrick Aison. Camera: Jeff Cutter. Editors: Claudia Castello, Angela M. Catanzaro. Music: Sarah Schachner.
With: Amber Midthunder, Dane DiLiegro, Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat, Dakota Beavers, Michelle Thrush, Geronimo Vela, Stefany Mathias, Stormee Kipp, Mike Paterson, Julian Black Antelope.

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Entertainment

'Prey' Review: The Predator Movie You've Been Praying For

The deadly alien hunter returns in the greatest Predator adventure in 35 years, and it's available on Hulu now.

The excellent Prey sees Amber Midthunder's Naru hunted by a Predator.

We know the Predator bleeds and we can kill it. We've known that since Arnold Schwarzenegger took on one of the alien hunters in 1987 . Yet, instead of diving further into gritty action fare, every movie since opted for unsatisfying sci-fi ridiculousness .

Prequel movie Prey, which came to Hulu on earlier this month (and Disney Plus Star outside the US), leans away from much of that by turning the clock back to 1719 and pitting Native American warrior Naru ( Amber Midthunder ) against one of these extraterrestrial creatures. It's the kind of stripped-back approach these movies were crying out for, with director Dan Trachtenberg (who previously helmed 10 Cloverfield Lane ) crafting an excellent modern take on the original.

We spend the early part of the movie taking in the rugged, untamed wilderness of the Great Northern Plains with the quietly intense Naru. The beautiful cinematography and hypnotic score make it easy to get lost in her world as she hones her skills as a hunter, gets out of some tight scrapes and explores with her delightful canine sidekick Sarii -- their bond is absolutely lovely.

Red dots glare on man's forehead as she holds a bow and arrow while hiding in reeds

There are some awesome twists on the Predator's traditional weapons.

The lone Predator is used sparingly as it operates in parallel, establishing itself as the apex hunter. The retro versions of its other tech are fun to see, even if its iconic cloaking device still feels like cheating.

Their narratives converge in a visceral sequence that'll sear itself into every fan's memory forever, and the movie grabs you by the throat from that moment on as Trachtenberg goes all-out on the action and gore.

However, the final battle is drenched in the shadow of night, making it hard to discern what's happening as both predator and prey unleash an arsenal of gadgets. This makes sense as a contrast to the brightness and clarity of other action scenes, but might require multiple viewings for you to parse all the details.

Every movie hero should have a dog as good as Sarii.

Prey works because its protagonist isn't the kind of muscle-bound, all-guns-blazing action hero these movies are known for, or part of a forgettable ensemble on some vague sci-fi quest. Instead, Naru is a clever, observant human being, and her occasionally tense relationships with her brother and other fellow Comanche Nation tribespeople give the movie emotional resonance. (There's no tension with her dog though. He's perfect.)

They're still a bunch of badasses, though, wielding their bows and spears with tactical precision and moving through the forest like a special forces squad. This kind of imagery can be cliched in modern settings, but it's incredibly visually engaging here.

We get a satisfying escalation in the dangers they face, too, since their beautiful environment is full of deadly natural threats and foreign poachers (whose French dialogue isn't translated with subtitles, cleverly giving us the sense that they're alien invaders, too). It grounds the movie nicely and builds up to the Predator rather than flinging us straight into the sci-fi deep end.

A Predator crouches in the background as Naru hides behind a tree in Prey

The Predator is cleverly obscured for much of the movie.

It's also extremely cool that the movie was produced by Jhane Myers , a member of the Comanche nation, and most of the cast are Native American or Canadian First Nation , suggesting an admirable commitment to authenticity. You can also watch with a Comanche dub and subtitles for full cultural immersion, but they weren't available on the prerelease version.

This is easily the best Predator movie we've had since the original, with a well-developed protagonist (and her excellent dog), a rich cultural base and clever use of an iconic movie monster. More sci-fi movies should take this kind of grounded approach, and this franchise should just pit its alien hunters against humans in magnificently realized historical settings from now on.

For now though, stick around and give Prey a watch.

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Finally, the excellent Predator film we’ve been praying for

Time Out says

For a series that has only managed one fun film and three poor sequels (plus two really poor spin-offs), the Predator franchise has proven remarkably resilient. What most of the entries have got wrong is to try to over-complicate things. The predator is not a complex creature, just a very violent, very hard-to-kill monster. What director Dan Trachtenberg gets so right with Prey is to make that the entire plot: how does someone with no guns beat a killing machine with alien technology? With great ingenuity and a high body count.

Taking place long before the events of the other films, this is no prequel – it stands alone. Set in the early 1700s on the Great Plains of America, it centres on a young Native American woman, Naru (Amber Midthunder). Raised to be a healer, Naru wants to be a warrior, like her older brother, Taabe (Dakota Beavers), but tradition forbids it. When Naru sees a strange craft in the sky, she begins a hunt for a creature nobody believes exists. Until it starts slicing them all into bits.

That’s really as complex as it gets. Its plot is Naru, a woman whose most advanced weapon is a little axe, learning how to overcome a hulking monster who has all sorts of lasers, explosives and cloaking devices at its disposal. Trachtenberg has form in taking a simple set-up and wringing out almost unbearable tension. His last, and only other, film was 2016’s 10 Cloverfield Lane , in which a young woman tries desperately to escape a bunker in which she was trapped with her kidnapper. The two films share a sense of nerve-jangling danger and a glee in finding clever ways to get someone out of peril.

Aided by a forceful performance from relative newcomer Midthunder, this Predator movie is full of surprises and that makes its alien monster actually scary again. It’s a shame it’s only being shown on Disney+, because this is a film with the sort of gasp-inducing shocks and applause-worthy action that really properly comes to life in a crowded cinema. Still, whatever the size of the screen, this is – and fans of the dated original may disagree – the best Predator movie yet. Streaming on Disney+ where it’s available worldwide, and Hulu in the US, from Aug 5.

Cast and crew

Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Screenwriter: Patrick Aison
Amber Midthunder
Dane DiLiegro
Stormee Kipp
Michelle Thrush

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Movie Review – Prey (2022)

August 5, 2022 by Robert Kojder

Prey , 2022.

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg. Starring Amber Midthunder, Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat, Dane DiLiegro, Dakota Beavers, Nelson Leis, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, and Stefany Mathias.

Naru, a skilled female warrior, fights to protect her tribe against one of the first highly-evolved Predators to land on Earth.

Director Dan Trachtenberg understands creature features. Here, he is re-envisioning the Predator franchise and flipping the script with Prey (the 10 Cloverfield Lane filmmaker is also using a script from Patrick Aaison), an origin story that refreshingly focuses on the arrival of the extraterrestrial species and its matchup against an 18th-century Comanche tribe. And unique ideas are not prone to falling flat on their face, but it quickly becomes apparent that Dan Trachtenberg is a student of the action- sci-fi- horror genre itself, slowly building dread and suspense.

The humanoid alien is seen doing trophy hunting (skinning snakes and battering bears to death). It’s primarily done through trademark invisibility cloaking, heat vision perspectives, and brilliant shot-blocking from cinematographer Jeff Cutter that obscures slicing and decapitations without shying away from blood sprays. Add in the pulse-pounding score from Sarah Schachner, fully realizing sequences of accentuating terror that gradually reveals danger (like some of the best horror movies, there’s not an intentional crystal-clear look at the creature until roughly halfway in), increasingly becoming more violent and chaotically controlled.

It also helps that the Predator kills with brutal and bloody style, pitted against larger groups as the film barrels towards a supremely thrilling showdown that will most likely have one chest-beating and bursting into applause from their living rooms (you know, because Disney is dumb and anti-consumer opting against giving this great blockbuster a theatrical run in favor of boosting streaming subscribers).

Prey is a technical marvel, from the stunning landscapes, brief but detailed look at Comanche settlements, the authenticity brimming with weaponry and tracking, its modern Predator design (a mixture of bodysuits, practical effects, and CGI enhancing certain aspects of the former for a more threatening and physically imposing depiction) and its fast-paced, relentless, and escalating segments of bloodshed. It might sound similar to the tried-and-true Predator formula. Still, in practice, it comes across as wholly distinctive (viewers will also be able to go one step further by streaming the film entirely in the Comanche language, which for some inexplicable reason was not an option for critic review coverage).

Emphasized in this Comanche tribe are siblings Naru (Amber Midthunder) and Taabe (Dakota Beavers), with the former eager to prove and assert herself in hunting. Even though she has the necessary skill sets, some unspoken but blatant sexism comes into play, suggesting she stick to other duties or take on the role of a medic (another one of her specialties). While some of the dialogue from the tribespeople occasionally comes across as forced and more like schoolyard bullying than anything, it doesn’t still Naru with more drive, conviction, and resolve; all of it allows Amber Midthunder to tensely tap into that “if it bleeds, we can kill it” mentality that has always functioned as the backbone of the films.

Fortunately, Naru’s relationship with brother Taabe comes with mutual respect, even if there is a little playful sibling rivalry. Taabe still disregards some of the sister’s tactical advice and doesn’t believe her words about witnessing something far more dangerous than a lion in the wild. Naturally, this creates some internal drama as they try to rescue one of their own (no one knows what mauled him) and return to the campsite. It’s also not a spoiler to say that just about anyone that shrugs off these warnings meets a sadistically pleasant demise.

Eventually, some French trappers also come into the equation (they are more fodder for the Predator) with their plans for killing the beast. Simultaneously, the dynamic between Naru and Taabe emotionally deepens as they get on the same page for a riveting, rip-roaring survival showdown. Amber Midthunder is up to the challenge in Prey , immediately cementing herself as a must-see action heroine; she is a fierce force to be reckoned with.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd , or email me at [email protected]

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Prey Review

Amber midthunder’s spine-ripper of a performance shines in dan trachtenberg’s lean, mean predator prequel..

Prey will stream exclusively on Hulu on Aug. 5, 2022.

After the middling reception of 2018’s The Predator, director Dan Trachtenberg ( 10 Cloverfield Lane , Portal: No Escape) takes the franchise back to the basics in Prey… all the way back to the basics. Set over 250 years before Dutch’s first encounter with that ugly son of a b!t¢#, Prey finds the Predator (Dane DiLiegro) landing in the middle of Comanche Nation for a blood-soaked trophy hunt. It’s an intriguing setup, to take a villain whose initial appearance was defined by how easily he tore through a pack of meatheads armed to the teeth with guns and explosives and transpose it into a time where its targets don’t even have those tools to rely on. But you’d be mistaken to underestimate the Comanche’s odds. Prey tracks the battle for the tribe’s survival through a blisteringly paced, take-no-prisoners tear through the Great Plains while both honoring the roots of the franchise and serving as the perfect entry point for newcomers who want to see what all this spine-ripping, laser-guided goodness is about.

At the heart of the Comanche’s conflict with the Predator is Naru (Amber Midthunder), a teenage girl ridiculed by her family and peers for not being content to harvest crops for the rest of her life. Like her warchief father, she’s a fighter at heart and intent on completing the Comanche hunter’s rite of passage: to hunt something that’s hunting her. But not even her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers), who leads the Comanche’s hunters, believes that to be possible. It gnaws at Naru throughout the film -- more as those around her continue to look past her obvious skill -- and it’s that frustration that fuels Amber Midthunder’s take on the character. Naru’s fight to be taken seriously by her tribe as a warrior is a strong throughline, and that’s a good thing, because hers is the only one the script takes any significant time to focus on. Previous Predator films have mined great material from the interplay between characters going up against the alien hunter, and Prey’s choice to focus on Naru to the exclusion of everyone else means that the supporting characters are a little thinly drawn.

As Naru’s story kicks off, Trachtenberg weaves in scenes of the Predator working his way up the food chain, which serve a dual function: they demonstrate its strength and technological advantage, while building tension in the lead-up to its first face-to-face encounter with the budding Comanche warrior. It’s also through these episodes that the movie begins to draw distinctions between Naru and the Predator’s hunting styles, with the Predator’s overreliance on its tech providing the first hints at how it could be beaten. By comparison, Trachtenberg takes pains to highlight Naru’s secret weapon: critical thinking. Whether it’s in a scuffle with the boys in her tribe or as she’s hiding from the Predator as he tears his way through the Plains, Naru is always listening and noticing, always using a loss or setback as a learning opportunity. It’s a crucial and well-communicated aspect of a character that, given the significant disadvantage she’s at in single combat, hammers home that Naru is the only person capable of stopping the Predator’s rampage. Prey places a lot of stock in Naru, with her at the center of nearly every scene, and Midthunder more than keeps up with the ferocious pace of the action as she is constantly undermined and underestimated, making her victories that much more impactful. At once dry-witted, determined, and capable, Midthunder’s Naru is an excellent addition to the canon of sci-fi heroes, and that axe-on-a-rope that she hurls around Scorpion-style will be the bane of convention security checks for years to come.

If you were worried that Prey taking place 268 years before the original would mean more rudimentary gear for the Predator, you’ll be pleased to hear that Trachtenberg finds room for most of its signature weapons in between the rib cages of those unfortunate enough to get in its way. And the Predator’s rampage through Comanche Nation looks incredible: the film was shot on location in Alberta, and Trachtenberg uses that expansive terrain to make Naru and the Comanche feel even more insignificant next to the towering alien stalking them. The Predator isn’t the only foe that Naru faces, with a second party of invaders crashing in midway through, giving way to an extended and absolutely vicious confrontation between all three parties.

What’s your favorite Predator movie?

Prey’s approach to the Predator’s attacks alternate between quick, fraught encounters which Trachtenberg covers well (there’s an especially nice one-take fight scene to keep an eye out for), and long, drawn-out games of cat and mouse, chess matches in the trees where the Predator yells “checkmate” by snapping people like twigs. Prey is judicious with how it applies these different approaches and, even when the plot feels like it’s on auto-pilot, the way Naru’s encounters with her enemies play out come across as dangerous and unpredictable. Trachtenberg wisely assigns the Predator’s goriest and most brutal kills away from the Comanche and over to the story’s other foes, who tote more “modern” weapons. The Predator’s advantage is significant, and with Prey serving as a rare, high-profile genre platform for Native culture, it may have been overkill to luxuriate in the comparatively under-equipped Comanche’s deaths. Though the Predator spares no one, Trachtenberg films their undoings with a judicious eye, ensuring their deaths are a measure more dignified than how the rest of the characters bite it.

The 31 Best Modern Horror Movies

Screenwriter Patrick Aison’s script draws some smart parallels between Naru’s enemies, with their differing approaches to the hunt full of thematic fodder for Trachtenberg to drive home the injustice that recurs throughout Naru’s story. While the metaphors are clear and vital, Prey’s narrative structure does hew exceptionally close to that of Predator’s: a mission, a trip into the wilderness, an encounter with an unseen foe… you get the idea. For newcomers, this won’t be a distraction, but it does mean that existing Predator fans may find themselves putting the pieces together a lot earlier on, which does deflate some of the tension in the third act. But with a runtime of just over 90 minutes, at least it takes no breaks in getting to where it’s going. There’s not an ounce of fat on Prey, with every piece building off what’s come before and mining every piece of setup for a well-established payoff.

There’s also a dog. The dog’s name is Sarii. Sarii is a very good dog.

Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey never lets up. It’s full of the Predator franchise’s trademark violence and tension, but it’s the ferocious, star-making turn from Amber Midthunder that stands as its greatest strength. The movie’s sole focus on her lead character, Naru, means that the supporting roster comes off a little wooden, but when Prey’s tracking the young warrior’s duel with the Predator -- full of powerful imagery and creative kills -- it rarely falters.

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Star Wars' New Movie Will Drop One Major Mandalorian Season 2 Plot, Confirms Star

Now i understand why george lucas really didn't like the force awakens, darth revan's most impressive star wars feats & powers.

Reboots, revivals, prequels, and legacy sequels have become the norm and it's increasingly rare to see a franchise pull off a genuinely fresh take on its mythology. 2022 alone has seen several debut to success ( Scream and Top Gun: Maverick come to mind) and others falling quite flat (it's best to forget about Netflix's ill-advised Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequel). The Predator franchise has seen its fair share of sequels, and crossovers, and branching IP. Prey is the latest and quite possibly the best Predator entry since the original 1987 film. A lean action thriller, Prey takes Predator back to its ultra-violent roots and proves itself as a worthy entry in the franchise's mythology.

Prey follows Naru (Amber Midthunder) a member of the Comanche Nation in 1719 North America who wishes to prove her hunting capabilities amidst her male counterparts. This includes her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers), with whom she is close and whose bond is the heart of the film. Naru's small acts of rebellion lead her to notice the presence of a peculiar predator, one that is unfamiliar to her. While everyone else ignores her, Naru sets out to stalk the Predator and finds herself on a violent journey that puts her up against the harsh wildlife of the region, violent colonizers, and a brutal alien presence.

Related: How The Predator Is Different In Prey To The Original Movie

One of Prey 's biggest strengths is its back-to-basics approach to the franchise. Whereas other reboots and sequels attempt to build on their franchise roots to varying degrees of success, Prey keeps it quite simple and it's clear that this is what the film needs. Harking back to the natural setting of the first Predator and 2010's underappreciated Adrien Brody starring Predators , the film makes great use of the forest and mountain environments of 18th century North America. Much of the first half of the film follows Naru as she tracks the Predator across the vast land of the Comanche Nation and these sequences are just as suspenseful as when she comes up against the Predator itself. The build-up to Naru's first encounter brings tension to its breaking point before it explodes in a bloody mess that leaves Naru on the run. Director Dan Trachtenberg's appreciation of the environment in the midst of all this gives the film the naturalistic flair that works best for Predator. Pitting man against the titular alien doesn't need to be dressed up to be good.

None of this would work without Midthunder's captivating performance as Naru. Her curiosity outweighs her hesitation in hunting the Predator and this - combined with her fierce protectiveness that goes unnoticed by those she cares about most - makes her increasingly dangerous predicaments all the more suspenseful. Naru and Taabe's relationship is one borne out of necessity and love and Midthunder and Beavers carry a natural bond that gives Prey just the right amount of emotional heft.

All of this is underscored by Prey 's clear connections to themes of colonization and violence perpetuated against Native Americans by imperialistic forces. Jhane Myers (who is of Comanche and Blackfoot descent) was brought on board to consult on Prey 's representation of Indigenous peoples and the film ensures that its depiction of them goes beyond the stereotypical ways they have been portrayed in the past. Additionally, seeing an Indigenous woman lead the film with a steely heart and fierce grace is a refreshing turn for a genre that still struggles to look beyond its purview of white male leads.

Ultimately, Prey certainly has the potential to relaunch a franchise that has struggled in the past decade and a half. Movies like Prey don't need copious worldbuilding or mythologizing - deft character work and an established visual language go far in creating a movie that barely pauses to take a breath. Where Predator goes from here remains unclear but Prey certainly proves that there is more life left in the franchise.

More: 1 Prey Movie Trick Will Make Its Predator So Much Better

Prey releases to Hulu on Friday, August 5. The film is 99 minutes long and is rated R for strong bloody violence.

Serving as a prequel to the entire Predator series, Prey is set in the world of the Comanche Nation 300 years ago. The action-thriller follows Naru, the skilled warrior who fiercely protects her tribe against a highly evolved alien predator. The film will also reveal the origin of the Predator warrior race's descent to Earth for the first time. Naru will have to utilize the tools of her time to combat a threat with skills and weapons that exist far beyond her time.

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Prey (2022).

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 8 Reviews
Kids Say 18 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Engaging series prequel has gory, bloody violence.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Bloody and gory action-horror monster violence. Brutal deaths: spikes through sk

"S--t" said in French by fur traders.

Any Positive Content?

The story is set in 1719 among the Comanche. Explores rite of passage kütaamia,

Naru is a young Comanche woman in 1719 who's skilled with weapons and fighting w

Violence & Scariness

Bloody and gory action-horror monster violence. Brutal deaths: spikes through skull, arrow in eye, slices across chest with knife, character gravely injured by a tiger (deep, bloody claw marks), arms cut off, decapitation. Rifle butt to head. Fighting with punches, kicks, biting. Animal attacks: tigers, snakes. Lead character steps in bear trap. Dog steps in bear trap. Peril: trapped in quicksand.

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Diverse Representations

The story is set in 1719 among the Comanche. Explores rite of passage kütaamia, in which young warriors fight predators in the woods. Positive depictions of Indigenous people and women. Characters are cast authentically, including lead actors Amber Midthunder (member of the Fort Peck Sioux tribe) and Dakota Beavers (whose mother has roots in the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo and Apache nations). Prey is the first-ever film to get a full Comanche language dub.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Positive Role Models

Naru is a young Comanche woman in 1719 who's skilled with weapons and fighting who stands up to the boys and men who try to relegate her to traditional gender roles. She proves her skill and bravery while fighting the Predator.

Parents need to know that Prey is a 2022 action-horror movie in which Comanche warriors do battle against an alien predator. This is a Predator prequel, and there are many moments of strong violence throughout. Characters die in bloody and gory ways, including spikes through the skull, arrows to eyes, decapitation, sliced chests. Characters are mauled by tigers, and there are other animal attacks. The lead character and a dog both step on bear traps at different points in the movie. Peril includes being trapped in quicksand. "S--t" is said in French by fur traders. The movie is set in 1719 among the Comanche, and the lead character is a strong role model: a young woman who proves her worth time and time again even as she puts up with the expected bullying and insults from the boys and men around her who would prefer that she stay with the other women and learn to cook. The movie is centered on Indigenous people, and characters are fully developed, free of the stereotyping that characterizes decades of depictions of Native Americans in movies. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Kids say (18)

Based on 8 parent reviews

A BRILLANT Prequel!

An invisible monster film done right, what's the story.

In PREY, it's the year 1719 in the Northern Great Plains, and Naru (Amber Midthunder) is an aspiring Comanche warrior eager to prove her worth. She wants to take part in kütaamia, a rite of passage in which warriors fight predators, but with the exception of her friend and fellow warrior Taabe (Dakota Beavers), the young men around her don't think she's good enough and want her to stay with the other women. Instead, Naru continues to practice and hunt in the woods, where she begins to see inexplicable animal deaths, and when a young warrior survives a tiger attack, she wonders why the tiger ran off instead of finishing the job. As Taabe and the other young men explore and search for the tiger, Naru discovers something far more sinister than the natural predators in the area. Naru must evade French trappers and the perils of nature to convince Taabe and the others that a seemingly invisible and all-powerful predator is on a deadly hunting spree and must be stopped before they're all killed.

Is It Any Good?

This is a surprisingly good entry in the Predator franchise. Prey not only breathes new life into a movie series that seemed beyond played out by the inevitable shark-jumping fare of Alien vs. Predator , but also points to exciting new possibilities. This movie is, essentially, the Predator movie, only here pitting the titular villain against Comanche warriors in the early 18th century. Considering the franchise's spotty-at-best track record, cynics can be excused for thinking this would be little more than a gimmick, but the terrific acting, story, and nonstop action make it a solid action movie.

As lead character Naru, Amber Midthunder turns in a strong performance as a young warrior eager to prove herself and improve as a hunter while enduring the inevitable sexist digs and a mysterious, invisible, all-powerful hunter that's wreaking some fatal havoc in the woods. What sets this apart from so many other action movies is that it finds that effective balance between story and action. The two work perfectly together, which is no easy task.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the depictions of Indigenous people in Prey . How is this different from the stereotyping that has characterized decades of portrayals of Native Americans in movies?

How is Naru a positive role model? What character strengths does she show?

This is a prequel in the Predator franchise. How is this similar to and different from other movies featuring the Predator?

Movie Details

On DVD or streaming : August 5, 2022
Cast : Amber Midthunder , Dakota Beavers , Stormee Kipp
Director : Dan Trachtenberg
Inclusion Information : Female actors, Asian actors, Indigenous actors
Studio : Hulu
Genre : Action/Adventure
Topics : Great Girl Role Models , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance
Run time : 99 minutes
MPAA rating : R
MPAA explanation : Strong bloody violence.
Last updated : March 15, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Prey Review

05 Aug 2022

Prey (2022)

If you want an accurate representation of the state of masculinity circa 1987, look no further than John McTiernan’s Predator . A platoon of oiled-up musclemen with biceps like bollards and Freudian überguns descend on Central America like some kind of WWE field trip — a Royal Rumble in the jungle. It’s a big, fat testosterone milkshake of a movie that perfectly encapsulates the era. Prey , by contrast, takes the same basic set-up (warriors in the wilderness, hunted by an alien) but strips out the absurdity and neatly realigns the original with more modern sensibilities.

Six years after his directorial debut with the delightfully subversive 10 Cloverfield Lane , Dan Trachtenberg is back in the spin-off business, his belated follow-up neatly sidestepping the legacies of previous sequels by turning back the clock 300 years to America’s colonial past. Instead of Arnie at his Arniest, we have Amber Midthunder’s Naru, a defiantly competent Comanche fighter who flatly rejects her people’s notion of a woman’s role — a cause touchingly supported by her war chief brother, Taabe (Dakota Beavers).

A ferocious heroine, authentic period setting, and a bloody string of inventive action beats.

Electrifying every scene, Midthunder is a ball of elemental fury, imbuing Naru with shatterproof resolve and ruthless pragmatism — a meeting between barbed saw-blade and French colonialist’s leg is chillingly matter-of-fact — yet Patrick Aison’s economical script never robs her of empathy, nor suggests a need to adopt masculine traits in order to outwit and out-fight any man who gets in her way. Naru may lack the no-neck brawn of Dutch’s crew, but she’s wiry and ferret-quick, efficiently dispatching quarry both four-legged and two with bow, blade and tomahawk-on-a-rope (genius) in a symphony of choreographed mayhem that wouldn’t look out of place in John Wick: Chapter 4 . Consistently underestimated, she’s even marginalised by the Predator, who refuses to acknowledge the hunting party’s lone female, at one point literally unable to see her as it casts about for worthy prey. The gender commentary may not be subtle, but it is stark and to the point.

McTiernan’s original was a showpiece for slow-burn tension, tapping into the claustrophobic terror of an enemy unseen. Trachtenberg, though, is all too aware that the bulk of his audience has been here before. So Prey plays to the gallery, never coy about what’s waiting in the trees. This costs the film some of the original’s creeping dread, but the Predator’s full, uncloaked reveal (doused in ursine blood) shocks with a startling, sinister new look: this is one even uglier motherfucker.

With its ferocious heroine, authentic period setting, and a bloody string of inventive action beats (frantic flight through tall grass; pile-on in the ash-rain of a burned-out forest; heart-pounding confrontation with an ornery bear), Trachtenberg’s film breathes new life into a long-deflated series. At once pleasantly familiar and yet delightfully fresh, this is classic Predator artfully rejigged for 2022 — a shining example of how to take something old and make it new again.

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Review: ‘Prey’ Is The Best ‘Predator’ Since The First ‘Predator’

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Prey (2022)

20th Century Studios/rated R/97 minutes

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg

Screenplay by Patrick Aison

Produced by John Davis, Marty P. Ewing and Jhane Myers

Starring Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush and Julian Black Antelope

Cinematography Jeff Cutter

Edited by Angela M. Catanzaro and Claudia Castello

Music by Sarah Schachner

Debuting on Hulu on August 5 courtesy of Walt Disney

The best thing about Daniel Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison’s Prey is that it’s barely a Predator movie. It’s a prequel to the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger actioner with at least a few visual or verbal callbacks (only one of which made me roll my eyes). But it’s a singular, stand-alone survival adventure set in 1719 featuring a dynamic new action heroine (Amber Midthunder) facing off against a technologically advanced alien. Granted, I’m not huge on most other Predator sequels, even if Predators at least inverted the formula by placing a dozen various action movie stereotypes into a Predator flick. However, I admire that they are mostly stand-alone adventures that don’t require prior knowledge or IP awareness. Sure, it’s by default the best Predator movie since the first Predator movie. However, it succeeds by deemphasizing the IP and ensuring it works as a kick-ass, character-focused action-adventure flick.

The picture, full of lush exterior locales and a sense of scale that feels more expensive than it probably was, opens with our protagonist (Midthunder) acting out a conventional Disney princess arc. That’s not a criticism, but it bemuses me considering external variables. Naru plays out the typical “I don’t want to adhere to gender-based familial expectations” role as she relentlessly convinces her older brother (a scene-stealing Dakota Beavers) that she’s a hunter and not a farmer. She gets that chance, for better or worse, when her Comanche brethren are attacked by something out there in the woods. It’s not an animal. It’s not would-be European settlers. It’s seemingly not of this world. However, and this is a problem with almost every Predator sequel, we spend the first act watching our protagonist trying to solve a mystery to which we already know the answer. Spoiler: It’s a predator.

Midthunder, who owns nearly every frame of this 97-minute actioner, commands our attention and sympathy even when the film goes through the franchise-specific motions. That’s good because she’s the only character who gets much in the way of shading or development. The picture soars in its second half into a rock-n-roll action extravaganza. Slight second-act spoilers, but we are eventually introduced to a group of bloodthirsty, racist French fur traders. They make the wrong choices at almost every opportunity, allowing for subtle political commentary regarding “civilized Europeans versus indigenous savages." They supply ample cannon fodder for our amusement, avoiding the not-enough-red-shirts problem that can plague monster movies like, for example, Jurassic Park III . These folks aren’t presented with any more sympathy than the British villains from RRR , and there’s a cathartic value in watching them getting outwitted by Naru and Predator-ed to bloody pieces.

Like Trachtenberg’s 10 Cloverfield Lane, an original screenplay slightly rejiggered into an IP spin-off, Prey is an original film with compelling characters but just enough IP seasoning to avoid allegations of mismarketing. All due respect to Danny Glover’s over-the-top star turn in Predator 2 , I’d argue that Prey is the first Predator sequel/prequel where the main human protagonist is more compelling than the monster. That’s a critical point. Too many in Hollywood have presumed that the Predator creatures themselves were monetizable IPs. Instead, I’d argue the original John McTiernan-directed film was a hit ($98 million worldwide on a $15 million budget in 1987) because of its specific 'Arnold fights a jungle alien' pitch. It joins Conan the Barbarian, Total Recall and Terminator as hit films that weren’t franchises so much as examples of audiences wanting to see a big-budget Schwarzenegger action fantasy.

It matters that Naru holds the screen even when she’s the only thing on it and when she is merely prepping or avoiding battle. It matters that the film’s narrative, about an undervalued hunter holding her own against an unthinkably challenging foe, works regardless of whether you’ve ever seen a Predator movie. The picture looks great, I mourn for those who won’t get to see this in theaters even if I understand the business behind that choice, and I hope Midthunder gets more work beyond roles that *require* Native American characters. Prey is a generally engaging and often engrossing action-adventure film with a strong lead performance, theater-worthy production values, agreeably R-rated violence and just enough of a connection to the prior Predator films to appease that fandom. Prey is barely a Predator movie, which is why it’s the absolute best Predator movie in 35 years.

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Prey (2022) Movie Review – The best Predator movie in years

The best predator movie in years.

The original Predator was one of the finest action movies of the 80’s and it is still highly regarded by many people today. The sequels? Not so much. Predator 2 was a bit of a disappointment after the Arnold Schwarzenegger original and the movies that followed failed to match the power of the testosterone-fuelled hit that started it all.

So, what about Prey ? This prequel movie bypassed theatres and went straight to streaming, which is rather strange considering the popularity of the franchise. Is this indicative of the movie’s overall quality? Thankfully, no. While Prey isn’t quite as good as Predator , it’s still a decent watch and is arguably better than the sequels that followed on from the 1987 movie.

Prey takes place in 1719, centuries before Arnie and his military rescue team came face-to-face with the technologically advanced alien. This time, it’s up to Comanche tribe member Naru (Amber Midthunder) to take on the extra-terrestrial invader but her chances of survival are even slimmer than they were for the group in the original movie who were stronger than her in both firepower and muscle strength.

Thankfully, Naru is an able warrior, despite being smaller in stature than the Predator she finds herself up against. The male members of her community aren’t convinced of this but they soon realise their error in judgement when she proves to be smarter and more skilled than any of them in combat against this strange new threat. As the movie runs its course, the tribe starts to dwindle in size as the Predator takes each person out with ruthless efficiency, and it’s eventually left to Naru and her faithful dog Sarii to take down this fearsome foe.

In the first half of the movie, there is very little Predator vs hunter action. Instead, we are introduced to Naru and the patriarchal structure of her community and are drawn into her struggle to prove her worth outside of domestic servitude. When the Predator does arrive on the scene, it’s a while before it takes on any human foes as bears, wolves, and other forms of wildlife are the first to encounter the alien and its specialist set of skills.

Despite the lack of any real combat, these initial scenes are integral to the story as they showcase both Naru’s plight and the Predator’s quest to find the dominant species on the planet. We learn more about Naru and her battle to fight for equality (a fight that has never really gone away) and we discover more about the Predator’s abilities as it hunts its prey for sport rather than for survival purposes.

The alien vs human combat, when it does eventually come, is raw and brutal, as the indigenous people of the land take on the being that is quite unlike anything they have encountered before. They are as underpowered as you might expect, which is partly the cause of their downfall, but as they have trained themselves to fight on regardless, despite the power of the enemy, they aren’t prepared to back down.

Director Dan Trachtenburg ( 10 Cloverfield Lane ) handles these scenes of action well, without the need for slow-mo or other directorial flourishes to ramp up the levels of excitement. Combat is swift and well-constructed, even though the outcome of most fights is never really in question, as it soon becomes clear that rushing in for the kill isn’t the right answer.

Naru realises this and as any good hunter does, starts to spend more time observing the Predator and its movements before making a plan of attack. In this age of superhero movies and Taken -knockoffs where the heroes spend more time punching their way to victory instead of using their brains, Naru’s decision to slow down and chart her enemy’s weaknesses before going on the attack is quite refreshing.

Sadly, the movie has a relatively short run-time, which wouldn’t be a problem if the movie had featured more scenes of human vs Predator action. But as a good portion of the movie is spent exploring the dynamics of Naru’s tribe and their interactions with the land around them, there isn’t enough time for the full-blooded alien encounters that I wanted. If the run-time had been extended by 30 minutes or so, the movie may have been better balanced.

Still, this is my only nit-pick as this is still a decent movie. The Predator is as intimidating as it ever was and remains an unnerving presence due to its ability to remain invisible while stalking its prey. Naru’s story is an interesting one as she fights not only to save her tribe but to also prove her worth to her community. And the confrontations that do take place between the Predator and its various adversaries are suitably bloody and heart-pounding.

So, while this isn’t quite the movie that I hoped for, it is far more intelligent and thought-provoking than the sequels that have come before. And as the closing credits suggest a further encounter between Naru and the Predator race, it might be that a sequel could provide the extended scenes of combat that are sometimes lacking in Prey .

Feel free to check out more of our movie reviews here!

Verdict - 7/10 7/10

18 thoughts on “Prey (2022) Movie Review – The best Predator movie in years”

I haven’t started Season 3 of The Orville yet but its on my list of things to watch. I’m currently watching Night Sky, a slow-burning sci-fi drama with Sissy Spacek and JK Simmons, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which is (to date) a bit of a disappointment.

Re The Sandman, it’s based on a graphic novel series by Neil Gaiman. Check out Greg’s review as that should give you some insight – https://www.thereviewgeek.com/thesandman-s1review/ . If you like fantasy, you might get a lot from it. I enjoyed it and am hoping for a season 2.

I currently subscribe to a few streaming services but it is getting expensive. Like you, I should probably cancel when I have run out of things I want to watch!

I’ll check out Evil if I can track it down. thanks for the heads up!

I hope you’re enjoying ‘The Orville.’. When you get around to it you’ll find Season 3 a little different as it’s more focussed on action and drama, and is a little less on jokes

It’s a very good third Season but I personally miss the prominence of the humour that defined the first two. Season 3 starts to remind me a little too much of the likes of ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.’.

I also recently discovered a pretty good Supernatural Drama Series (which also has a [very] little subtle humour in it) called ‘Evil.’ starring Katja Herbers, Aasif Mandavi and Mike Colter. I think it’s worth a look.

I’ll give ‘The Sandman.’ a look too sometime soon. I’ve seen the trailer and it does look quite creepy.

But since I’ll no doubt have to subscribe to a streaming service in order to watch it, perhaps you could tell me a little more about it (no spoilers please!) so that I can make my mind up before I go spending yet more money on a subscription?…

I’m starting to fall into the slightly annoying habit of finding new Seasons of shows that I like, on streaming services, subscribing or re-subscribing to them, watching the Seasons and then cancelling my subscriptions.

Then again maybe this is the habit that I’ll have to get used to if I want to keep up with my favourite shows.

Best Regards, Chris Rasdale.

Hey Chris, I will let you know if I spot a CD. Like DVDs, they are becoming more of a rarity these days!

I saw the first two seasons of The Orville and am trying to get through a few other shows on my watchlist before I see season 3. Too many shows, too little time! I have just finished The Sandman on Netflix, which I recommend if you like fantasy and the works of Neil Gaiman!

Best wishes

I’ve almost finished Season 3 of ‘The Orville’. – which if you haven’t seen it I highly recommend due to its obvious ‘Star Trek.’ vibe, but with a more comedic tone.

Then I’ll do one more viewing of ‘Prey.’ this evening before saying goodbye to Disney+.

Finally; I’d Iove to get the ‘Prey.’ Original Music Score by Sarah Schnacher on CD, but so far all I can find is a digital download on Amazon. So please do let me know if you happen to come across it on CD

Bye & Best Regards Lee, Chris Rasdale.

I don’t think any of the Predator sequels (with the exception of Prey) have been particularly good. They have been passable in terms of light entertainment but none have reached the classic status of the first. Trachtenburg has managed to buck the trend so I do hope he returns.

Once again, thanks for your thoughts.

Thanks Chris. Enjoy your last few days of Disney 🙂

I look forward to reading your response to other movies and shows that are covered on this site. I have enjoyed your responses to Prey.

Until the next time.

Finally Lee,

I’m going to finish catching up with Season 3 of ‘The Orville.’ on Disney+ and then I’ll no doubt watch ‘Prey.’ once or twice more before I close my subscription. I’m going to miss having instant access to ‘Prey.’ but I reckon it’ll only be a couple of months before it comes out on 4K blu ray.

What’s the betting that I’ll restart my subscription to Disney+ after not too long, just so that I can watch ‘Prey.’ again?!

As I said in a previous post I really like ‘Predator.’, ‘Predator 2.’ and the superior Unrated Cut of ‘Alien Vs Predator.’

Although I have seen them all I don’t watch the other movies in the franchise. Without going into huge detail; for me the other films in the franchise either lack suspense or have too many other creative failings like uninteresting characters, bad cinematography or sick violence.

From that description, your own preferences notwithstanding, you can probably figure out which negative applies to which film(s).

I remember that I watched ‘The Predator.’ a second time a few months after my first viewing of it in order to try to give it a second chance – and it was just as bad second time around!

‘Prey.’ has finally brought the franchise back on track and as I said previously, I really hope that Dan Trachtenberg is allowed to keep hold of the creative and directorial reigns in the next films. The franchise badly needs a singular vision and I reckon Trachtenberg is our boy!

I’m still a bit torn as to whether Naru should be brought back. My head says ‘Yes’ but my heart says ‘No’, for the reasons that I suggested in one of my previous posts. Ultimately I think I’d prefer to have Naru only spoken of in reverential tones in the next film so that she acquires mythical status.

I’ve just realized that I find ‘Prey.’ so utterly mesmerizing because for me it’s Iike watching an adaptation of an old Native American Myth.

Good to correspond with you too. Sadly, I have never written a screenplay but I do have a published short story and I have written scripts for plays, so I do have some credentials! Clearly you do too! Hollywood would be missing the next great screenwriters if they failed to give us a shot so for the sake of the future of cinema, here’s hoping somebody is reading 🙂

What are your thoughts on the other Predator movies?

I really like your idea of using one of Naru’s forebears in the next film. I think it could be made to fit quite easily into my idea of setting the next film during the American Civil War.

I wouldn’t necessarily like to see Naru taken to the Predator homeworld and I doubt it would happen anyway. I think it would take the franchise back to the kinds of Predator films that we’ve seen before and I don’t think that’s Dan Trachtenberg’s intention for the sequels to ‘Prey.’.

Although having said that; I’ve been waiting for years for a Predator movie that’s set on their homeworld and I don’t understand why it hasn’t been done yet. I really want to see the homeworld that was briefly glimpsed at the beginning of AVP: R.’. – which unfortunately I think was the just about only good thing about that entire movie!

It’s a small point but there’s one thing about the Predator that I’d like Dan Trachtenberg to get rid of when he makes the sequel to ‘Prey.’ – that fiery glowing red outline that appears at the edges of the Predator’s cloaking effect. There’s just something about it that sometimes doesn’t sit all that well with me. To me it looks like the Predator’s cloaking device isn’t working properly!

I did like the new cloaking effect on the whole though. Although as some people have commented and they may have a point; perhaps it does at times reveal a little too much of what’s underneath the cloaking? I’m not personally convinced of that though – I’m just playing devil’s advocate.

And I agree entirely with you about the superiority of physical 4K over streaming 4K. That’s exactly why I want ‘Prey.’ to get a physical release.

Even though you were (I assume?) joking I think that you may be on to something about Dan Trachtenberg hiring us to write the screenplay for the sequel to ‘Prey.’. I actually did a Film Studies degree some years ago during which I did a module on screenwriting – and I was pretty good at it, if I say so myself! Although they were just short pieces and I don’t know if I could write a whole feature length movie.

I don’t know how much experience you have of screenwriting but nevertheless I suspect that Dan Trachtenberg might just have the ideal writing team if he were to take us on and allowed us to put our heads together to see what we could come up with. Well, maybe…

Maybe instead of setting the movie during the American Civil War we could set it during the later Sioux Wars and we could rewrite history by having George Armstrong Custer killed by a Predator during The Battle Of The Little Big Horn!!

OK, bad idea.

Still; I reckon we could split the writing tasks with you focussing on the Sci-Fi elements and really blood-soaked Predator-Human fights, and me focussing on the earth-bound historical & cultural stuff.

Let’s write to Dan Trachtenberg and ask him if he’s interested… Just kidding!

I’d better make this my last post otherwise I’ll find myself sitting down to write an entire Predator movie and sending it to Hollywood as a Spec Script!

One final thought… I wonder if we might one day get a Director’s Cut of ‘Prey.’, with the extra fighting that you want and the extra scenes set in the Comanche camp that I’d like to see?

It’s been great fun corresponding with you Lee!

Very Best Regards, Chris Rasdale.

Hey, thanks for your reply. If Dan Trachtenburg is reading this, maybe he should consider hiring us as screenwriters 🙂

The American Civil War would be interesting as a backdrop. I don’t think there has been any information about a new film yet but I would be surprised if it didn’t happen. If they decide not to focus on Naru, they could pay tribute to her with a movie about one of her ancestors taking on the Predator. Or maybe a movie about Naru visiting the Predator homeworld. If the Predators see her as a worthy adversary, they could transport her from Earth to their world. Whatever they do next, I just hope its not a rushed cash-in.

A blu-ray edition of Prey is expected I think – according to something I read online – but there isn’t a release date yet. 4K discs are superior to 4K streaming I believe so it would be great to see Prey get a release.

Thanks for your new response. This is really fun pondering the future of the franchise!!

I take your point. No doubt loads of people (including me in a way) would love to see Amber Midthunder return as Naru, and as you say the end credits animation does hint quite heavily at a further Predator invasion.

However my fear is that a sequel that is a direct continuation of ‘Prey.’ could easily stretch credulity. Not to mention being little more than a retread.

I doubt that neither the inhabitants of Naru’s camp even if they banded together, nor certainly Naru alone could defeat either a single bigger Predator, and definitely not a group of Predators. Not with just bows & arrows and spears!

Unless of course they banded together with the French fur trappers?… But I have to wonder whether even that couldn’t be made to work with any semblance of historical believability.

All of which makes me realize as I’m writing this, come to think of it, that I’m really disappointed that Raphael Adolini was killed off so quickly and easily in ‘Prey.’. I think that did a character that ‘Predator’ franchise fans have been waiting such a long time to see, a great disservice. He should be a Hero in the franchise, not such easy prey!

Anyway I really think the best thing now is to not risk a lesser follow-up featuring Naru.

Instead move the timeline on and perhaps have Naru verbally referred to most reverentially in the next film as someone who once defeated a Predator, and then maybe died heroically whilst defending her people during the next Predator attack.

I think that would be a nice way to honour the character of Naru and cement her as a hugely important character in the franchise, better than any direct continuation of ‘Prey.’ could.

Ultimately I think ‘Prey.’ is such a wonderful film that Naru’s life shouldn’t be revisited and that ‘Prey.’ should be left to stand as a towering example of how to make a great ‘Predator’ film.

I admit Lee that when I say all this I am pushing the idea of the next film being set during the American Civil War!

To me it just seems like such an obvious choice and it could also involve the Comanches again in some capacity. As long as the screenplay is written with as much thought and care as ‘Prey.”s screenplay obviously was.

In that regard I have to say that with every viewing of ‘Prey.’ it amazes me just how well all of the action knits together so smoothly, and doesn’t leave you with the niggling feeling that certain things don’t make sense.

Anyway I’m not going to be writing the next films so who knows where the franchise will go? But I still think that my ideas about the next two films make the most sense!!😁 So I hope Dan Trachtenberg reads this!

All I can do now is to wait patiently for ‘Prey.’ to be released on 4K blu ray.

l haven’t read anything pertinent to the question yet but I sincerely hope that ‘Prey.’ doesn’t end up being one of those streaming productions that never gets a physical release.

Finally; I recently read online that actor Bennett Taylor, the actor who plays Raphael Adolini, has voiced some interest in playing the character again in a prequel to ‘Prey.’.

Maybe that would be the way to go. It’s definitely a film I’d like to see.

Thanks for your reply.

You’re right about the movie’s final confrontation – it was a bit anti-climactic. The Predator was dealt with too easily and quickly. This is partly why I wanted a longer running time so more time could be spent with the battle. It’s still a good movie but I was left with wanting more. I suppose this could be a good thing though as it raises interest in another Predator movie.

As for the direction of the franchise, I am not sure. I think a direct follow-up to this movie would be good, with Naru facing a bigger Predator threat. The end credits suggest the possibility. I guess the opportunities for further battles in time are endless as there are all kinds of time periods that could be considered. Whatever they do next, I hope they maintain the quality of Prey instead of making a quick cash-in to capitalise on its success.

Thanks again for getting in touch 🙂

I’m glad you enjoyed reading my review and having offered my ideas about the directions that future sequels could go in, I’d be very interested to read your take on that question.

Also; there’s one final comment I’d now like to make about ‘Prey.’ which I didn’t mention in my review because I didn’t, and frankly still don’t quite know, what to make of my reaction.

It’s about the penultimate scene, in which Naru finally kills the Predator. I wonder if I’m the only one who finds it a bit anti-climactic? But having thought about it I think I may know why…

My theory is that because the movie makes Naru’s tactics with the Predator’s face mask so obvious, when the arrow does a circle around the trees and kills him – there’s no surprise, because it’s all been telegraphed too much.

In ‘Predator.’, ‘Predator 2.’ and ‘Alien Vs Predator.’ – which by the way are my favourite Predator movies, there’s at least some (admittedly very modest) element of surprise as to how and when the Predator gets killed, and for me it’s missing in ‘Prey.’.

Either that or I just don’t like the fact that this exceptional film has come to an end!

Anyway that’s one final point that I should have added to my review.

Best Regards.🙂🖖

Hey, thanks for your comments and your review. You’re completely right about viewing preferences – we all differ in our opinions and movie-going needs. I felt the movie needed a longer running time to balance out the moments featuring the tribe and their dynamics and the alien encounters later on. It seemed to take a while before the encounters took place although it might be that my mind changes with a second viewing.

Really appreciate your feedback though and your own critique of the film. I will likely watch it again soon as it was a quality entry in the franchise.

Having read Lee’s review, the vast majority of which I completely agree with, I’m once again reminded of the fundamental fact that any movie review is often far more a reflection of the reviewer’s film viewing preferences than it is the quality of the movie under review.

If there’s one point that I tend to disagree with Lee on, it’s the idea that there aren’t enough ‘…full-blooded alien encounters…’. on balance I think there are just enough of them and that any more might be overkill.

However I would also say that during a few of the Predator’s heart-stopping encounters with the unfortunate humans, the action is cut together so fast that one can’t quite see how the kill is achieved or how the maiming is done.

There were a couple of moments during my first viewing of ‘Prey.’ when I found myself hitting the rewind button and then using frame-advance in order to see exactly what happens. With a well edited movie I don’t think one should have to do that.

Another small point that’s just come to mind about ‘Prey.’, which may have been down to budgetary restraints, is in regard to one wide shot during the Comanche Warriors’ first big encounter with the Predator.

As the Predator is pulling his metal arrows out of his first victim’s dead body you should definitely be able to see the Predator’s cloaked outline standing next to the body. The arrow floats about in the air but there’s quite obviously no cloaked Predator there!

I can’t help wondering whether that was a terrible oversight on behalf of the people doing the CGI rendering. But that somehow seems unlikely to me since it would have been such a HUGE oversight and would surely have been corrected at some point.

So I’m at a loss as to why in that particular shot the Predator’s cloaked outline isn’t on-screen. To my mind Dan Trachtenberg should have removed that wide shot altogether and just cut straight to the close-up shot of the Predator’s cloaked hand pulling an arrow out of his victim’s body.

Anyway what follows is my review of Dan Trachtenberg’s new Predator movie ‘Prey.’:-

Having read the glowing comments about ‘Prey.’ after the pre-release screening at Comic-Con I knew I’d enjoy it. The reviews seemed to promise everything that I want from a Sci-Fi Action movie. After all; there must be a good reason why it got a standing ovation at Comic-Con!

However I wasn’t quite prepared for just how good it is, that I’d end up loving it as much as I do and that I’d end up watching it four times in three days! – once in the English language and three times in the superior and far more authentic Comanche language dub.

So I hold my hands up and declare upfront that this review is obviously going to be biased in the movie’s favour!

The first thing I have to say is that what surprised me most about ‘Prey.’ is that it’s enormously artful for a Sci-Fi Action movie.

The basic story of ‘Prey.’ is quite similar to that of the 1987 classic ‘Predator.’ starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; with a group of people, although they don’t initially realize it, hunting an alien until one particularly capable individual comes to the fore and takes on the beast 1 on 1 in a battle to the death.

However with the film set in 1719 on the Northern Great Plains of America and featuring Comanches (who are apparently depicted as accurately as they ever have been), ‘Prey.’ often has a surprisingly gentle tone when blood isn’t splattering.

The music score is entirely different from what one usually expects from a Predator movie – although there are one or two very brief subtle callbacks to the original score. And different though it is, the score is entirely fitting for the period in which the movie is set and plays a huge part in setting the mood and tone of ‘Prey.’.

I agree with those who’ve said that it’s a great shame that this outstanding movie can’t be shown in cinemas on the biggest screens – apparently because the option of two languages wouldn’t be available to the audience. The cinematography is outstanding in an appropriately understated way and it deserves to be see on the biggest screen possible.

Amber Midthunder is perfectly cast as the lead character Naru and Dakota Beavers is great as her brother Taabe – in fact Taabe may be my favourite character. Apart from the Predator there really is only one other character of note in ‘Prey.’ but in the interests of avoiding spoilers, the less said about that character the better.

The script is also very well written – particularly in the sense that the Comanches generally don’t use out-of-place modern phrases. Although there are one or two moments when I find myself asking: ‘Would a Comanche Warrior in 1719 really have said that?!

Importantly; the plotting is also airtight enough that everything that happens in ‘Prey.’ seems believable in the context of the movie. It’s a very clever script that seems to have had a lot of time and care put into it with an eye on logic and believability.

My only criticisms are that a) the CGI animals don’t always look entirely photo-realistic or move entirely accurately – including the predator itself in one scene. Although to be fair even far bigger budgeted Hollywood movies still often seem to have trouble rendering animals entirely realistically. And b) most of the French fur trappers are depicted as little more than brutish morons. Perhaps they were exactly that in real life but they come across to me as stereotypes rather than fully developed characters.

One could argue that the supporting Comanche characters are also more stereotypes than characters, and perhaps should have more screen time in order to become characters that we genuinely care about.

However on the whole those are small bugbears about a Sci-Fi action movie that exceeded all of my expectations, especially having watched a trailer which I found a bit boring and frankly not promising much from the movie itself.

Dare I say it but in some respects I think ‘Prey.’ is superior to the 1987 classic ‘Predator.’ with Arnold Schwarzenegger and, I suspect, like ‘Predator.’, is destined to go down in the annals of Hollywood history as a true classic of it’s genre. Particularly when viewed with the Comanche dub.

I absolutely love ‘Prey.’ and could write pages and pages praising it’s many virtues, but suffice it to repeat that over three days I watched it four times and I can’t get enough of it!

I can’t recommend ‘Prey.’ highly enough and would urge anyone with an interest in well made movies generally, regardless of genre, to watch it.

After 2018’s dreadful ‘The Predator.’, ‘Prey.’ elevates the ‘Predator’ franchise to much-needed new heights and I sincerely hope that ‘Prey.”s Director Dan Trachtenberg helms the sequel(s) as well, since I understand that sequels are already under discussion.

There’s so much potential for exciting new movies set in different time periods and I hope that Dan Trachtenberg makes the most of those opportunities.

I’d personally like to see the next movie set during the American Civil War and the one after that set in Germany (in the German language) during the Second World War.

Now that would make a fantastic trilogy in which we see the Predators’ weapons and technology slowly evolve as we move through time toward the original Predator’s fateful meeting with Dutch and his muscle-bound Elite Special Forces unit.

Until then; I can’t wait to get ‘Prey.’ on 4K blu ray!!

Thanks for your comments. Glad you enjoyed it too!

This movie was exceptional. Great visuals, solid acting and action scenes by newcomers, a total breath of fresh air. The short length of the movie is part of its appeal, we know the predator story through the franchise, so it’s totally fine and appreciated that this adaptation gets right to the point, predator and prey. The attention given to the time period is well done. A 9/10 for me, and I have no doubt if this was shown (and heard) on the big screen it would have been a 10.

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Prey (I) (2022)

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Prey (2022)

It is the early 1700s and a young girl, Naru (Amber Midthunder, of one of the best shows of the last decade, Legion), seeks to be a hunter like her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers). During a ceremonial ritual where young men venture off into the wilderness to get their first kill, Naru tags along aiming to bag a lion threatening the camp. The hunt turns even deadlier however when Naru encounters a large, cloaked beast that overpowers every alpha predator in the area. She races to convince the tribe the monster is out there while the predator hunts them all one-by-one for sport.

First of all, Prey should have used the same stealth advertising tactics of Dan Trachtenberg’s Cloverfield franchise film . How much more fun would this movie have been if we didn’t know it was a Predator movie? The premise of Prey is a great one, one of those “someone in Hollywood can still come up with an original take” stealth prequel ideas that takes the long way around to get back into a franchise. Instead of exploring the “urban jungle” of Predator 2 or facing off the Predator against criminals and autism in the laughable The Predator or putting it up against rubber monsters in the dark in the awful Alien vs. Predator movies, Prey strips everything back down to the basics and again presents us with a survival story. No guns, no bombs, just hunters using instinct in the jungle. This is a movie you can view through 2 different lenses: as a Predator sequel – several of it’s choices deliberate to differentiate it from those sequels – and as a native Comanche monster movie. Like the debate about whether Rogue One’s ending would work in a stand alone film or does it have to have that ending because it’s a Star Wars movie, the same can be said for how Prey may work as a stand-alone vs a Predator prequel and how some of those demands inhibit it.

The first of those demands is the look and feel of the movie. First of all, it’s gorgeous. Trachtenberg (whose instincts I totally trust after the wonderful surprise of 10 Cloverfield Lane ), takes care to make it feel like you’re immersed in the wilderness, photographing beautiful and vast natural vistas for Naru to explore. It’s also a little bit too glossy. I would have loved to see this movie a little bit more stripped down, a little grittier looking. I would have made the film feel more harrowing and given us a refreshing look at the Predator. With a franchise budget like this one on the line, that was not going to happen. Fox will want it’s villain to be seen in hall his glory (and lets have him punch a bear while we’re at it). I also liked how brutally the film depicts nature. This isn’t a “mankind is the real animal” movie, the lions, bears and wolves of this land are vicious threats that present Naru with kill or be killed choices.

Similarly, Trachtenberg goes as far to immerse us in the Comanche nation as the franchise will allow. Lot of actual Comanche is spoken in the film, but the majority of it’s dialog is in English, which is the most distracting and disengaging element of Prey. While I get that no franchise film spending as much on Predator special effects as this movie needs would dare make a movie entirely in Comanche – God, that would have been a daring, brilliantly immersive experience. Apocalypto with Predators.

For an R-rated film, the violence is limited and very stylish. The meat of it, the cat-and-mouse fight between Predator and prey is well done, cleverly delivering a variety of kills and clever ways for Naru to fight back with brains where she lacks in brawn. The movie stumbles a bit in her arc. It understands that she needs to try, fail and eventually succeed – and presents us both sides of that line, but it doesn’t quite connect as satisfyingly as it could. Instead of Naru learning something that unlocks her success, at a point in the movie she just flips a switch and starts kicking ass. She goes from struggling with her bow to taking out a village of French fur trappers with an rope ax and then flinging it back into her hand like Thor’s hammer in 2 days. Again, the heroine of Trachtenberg’s 10 Cloverfield Lane provides a better example of this in execution.

With the first Predator such a hyper-almost-satirical show of masculinity, a movie centered around Arnold Schwarzenegger being such a machine that only an alien species would provide him a challenge, flipping the dynamic to it’s diametric opposite is a worthy angle. Maybe I’m reading a lot into this but I got the impression that the predator in this film was also on it’s first hunt. Some sort of Predator species version of the Comanche ritual Naru was engaging in, matching them in parallel motivations.

Still, all of the would-haves and what-if’s of this movie come from viewing it as a Predator prequel, as a film it is very well done and a lot of fun. I enjoyed it more than any Predator sequel since Predator 2 twenty years ago. It’s a back-to-basics approach that works.

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The Devil Inside (2012) directed by William Brent Bell is a horror/ documentary style film set mainly in Rome Italy in 2009 about Isabelle Rossi’s quest to find answers concerning

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Cast: Jay Hernandez, Heather Matazarro, Lauren German Director: Eli Roth Rated R for sadistic scenes of torture and bloody violence, terror, nudity, sexual content, language and some drug content Runtime

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Like Alien: Romulus? Then watch these three great sci-fi movies now

The Xenomorph hisses in close-up in a still from the movie Alien: Romulus.

With the release of Alien: Romulus , the Alien franchise is back in the spotlight. It also looks like we’ve got a lot more to look forward to as well, with the upcoming Alien: Rogue Incursion video game and the Alien: Earth TV series, which finished shooting in July. But fans (like myself) are ravenous for more sci-fi madness right now.

Luckily, there are some great movies out there that Alien fans will love, from an alien invasion film to a grim and gritty outer space saga, and even a certain film from a franchise that’s so closely associated with Alien that they (sometimes) inhabit a shared cinematic universe. If you love Alien: Romulus , check out these three movies currently available online.

Prey (2022)

Alien: Romulus decided to go back to basics and return to the story and style of the original Alien movies , with it taking place between the first two movies. It also did a great job at returning to the franchise’s horror and suspense roots. If you loved the way Romulus was a return to form, you’ll also love Prey .

The Alien and Predator franchises go together perfectly. So perfectly that they’ve even created their own franchise, Alien vs. Predator. So, Alien fans will definitely love Prey . Set in the year 1719, the movie follows a young Comanche girl who finds herself stalked through the woods by a Predator.

Unlike the more recent Predator movies, which can only be described as something between a trainwreck and a crapfest, Prey gave audiences a fantastic cat-and-mouse chase. It brought back a good dose of fear, suspense, and action to the series and felt like a true successor to the original movie.

Sunshine (2007)

In the year 2057, the sun is dying and the Earth is getting colder. Soon, it will be uninhabitable. Humanity’s last attempt at salvation is sending a group of astronauts to the sun. Their mission is to launch a nuclear bomb into the star, hopefully reigniting it.

Directed by Danny Boyle, Sunshine definitely has an Alien vibe to it. Despite the story being quite different, the look and feel of the movie is so similar that you’d think Sunshine is in the same cinematic universe as the iconic xenomorph. That’s no coincidence either. When speaking to Empire , Boyle himself said that 2001: A Space Odyssey , Alien , and Solaris were three massive inspirations for his film.

Another really unique aspect of Sunshine is that the movie completely changes halfway through. I won’t give any spoilers because the mystery is half the fun, but let’s just say something shocking happens and Sunshine starts to feel less like a typical dystopian sci-fi flick and more like a horror movie. It’s brilliant and unexpected, giving Sunshine a unique edge over other sci-fi films.

No One Will Save You (2023)

If you’re watching Alien , it’s probably because you love a good alien movie. And sadly, we don’t get many solid alien films. But one recent alien movie that was surprisingly good is Hulu’s No One Will Save You . It centers around a young womanwho is home alone during the start of a full-blown global alien invasion. As the title implies, when she escapes her house looking for help, she discovers the rest of her town (and likely the world) has already been attacked.

No One Will Save You also has a really great twist ending that’s smart, meta, witty, and totally unexpected for an alien invasion film. By the end, you’re not sure if you’re scared or happy, which is a brilliant and startling way to conclude a blood-pumping invasion film. The movie takes a pretty different approach from Alien , going for the classic “little gray men” and abductor-beam flying saucers style of extraterrestrials, but it’s still got a solid story that will keep you hooked until the end.

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As summer winds its way into fall, you might be looking for something a little less sunny and upbeat to fill your time. Max has one of the richest movie libraries of any streaming service, but knowing where to start on the service can be tricky.

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You could spend hours scrolling Netflix for a movie to watch, or you can trust our recommendations. Our five sci-fi picks for August range from a blockbuster and thriller to an adventure and mystery. One film is in the running for the greatest sequel of all time, while another is the second film in a prestigious trilogy. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

The 10 Best Sci-Fi Movies on Hulu Right Now (August 2024)

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Sci-fi has never been more in the mainstream than it is today! Part of it is the wonders that technology has allowed us to perform, making it easier to match the mind-blowing visuals in our heads to what comes up on the screen. But the other part is how much access everyone has to great science fiction. Platforms like Hulu make it easy to find the best sci-fi from multiple studios while diversifying your genre tastes with titles from all across the spectrum of fiction.

Here are the best sci-fi movies on Hulu right now.

For more recommendations, check out our list of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix or the movies and shows on Hulu across all genres.

‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ (2024)

Rotten tomatoes: 80% | imdb: 7/10.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Since the re-reboot of the Planet of the Apes franchise back in 2011, the new series of films has been pushing the boundaries of innovation in terms of both technology and storytelling. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes continues this tradition with breathtaking motion capture CGI and writing strong enough to humanize this world run by talking apes. The story takes place centuries after the Caesar trilogy and establishes a new setting where the apes now flourish in a medieval-style kingdom. Owen Teague ( Bloodline ) takes the reins as the lead chimpanzee and begins his own journey by joining forces with a primitive human, played by Freya Allan ( The Witcher ), to topple the new king of the apes who murdered his father.

Watch on Hulu

‘2012’ (2009)

Rotten tomatoes: 39% | imdb: 5.8/10.

With climate change threatening to destroy humanity as we know it, there is a bit of catharsis in watching disaster movies . Roland Emmerich ( Independence Day ) is a master of the craft, and he delivers two-and-a-half hours of harrowing visuals of the world ending while highlighting the strength of human determination. The story follows John Cusack ( Utopia ), a divorced sci-fi writer who struggles through hell on Earth to save his family from the cascade of unnatural disasters occurring all over the world. Anyone who enjoys large-scale destruction that you can only really see in big-budget sci-fi stories can just kick back and vibe to the horrors and excellent craftsmanship that goes into constructing them.

‘Alien’ (1979)

Rotten tomatoes: 93% | imdb: 8.5/10.

Alien (1979)

Ridley Scott ( Blade Runner ) is a visionary genius of science fiction, and he burst out the gate with this sci-fi horror mashup that takes the thrill of a haunted house and sets it in the dark void of space with an unstopping alien. Alien takes a simple premise and elevates it with loveable characters, unmatched visual storytelling, and some of the wildest creature designs to eat their way out of H. R. Giger’s brain. It only makes sense this would become a franchise that spans over 50 years , and a big part of its success is due to the best final girl to ever exist: Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver ( Avatar ). With Alien: Romulus set directly after this film, this is the perfect time to check out this masterpiece.

‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ (2017)

Rotten tomatoes: 76% | imdb: 7/10.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Okay, listen…am I cheating a bit by adding Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle to this list? Maybe, but we don’t definitively know what makes the game work. It could be aliens or 5th-dimensional beings! Just let me talk about how this soft reboot gives us some of the best against-type performances for each and every lead: Dwayne Johnson ( Baywatch ) gets to play a little softie, Karen Gillan ( Guardians of the Galaxy ) gets to be a self-conscious awkward teen, and Jack Black ( School of Rock ) blesses the screen with his best popular mean girl act. Plus, since this installment pulls the characters into the game, there are a myriad of delightful gaming nods and jokes that elevate this sequel to a new level.

‘The Day After Tomorrow’ (2004)

Rotten tomatoes: 45% | imdb: 6.5/10.

The Day After Tomorrow

Back to climate catharsis central, The Day After Tomorrow is the predecessor to Roland Emmerich’s other disaster flick, 2012 , mentioned above. It was inspired by the novel The Coming Global Superstorm by Art Bell and Whitley Strieber, which speculates about the worst-case scenarios of climate change . Anyone looking for less disaster porn will want to start here, as the focus is less on the destruction itself and more of a character-driven story of a father, played by Dennis Quaid ( Frequency ), who traverses a new global ice age and dangerous storms to get to his son, played by Jake Gyllenhaal ( Donnie Darko ).

‘Prey’ (2022)

Rotten tomatoes: 94% | imdb: 7.1/10.

Prey , directed by Dan Trachtenberg ( 10 Cloverfield Lane ), is the best film in the Predator franchise since the original. The films are at their best when they lean into the horror of being stalked by a technologically advanced enemy that will stop at nothing to complete their hunt, and this film does so while paying tribute to the Great Plains Comanche tribe. This installment takes place during the early 1700s in the colonial United States and follows Amber Midthunder ( Legion ) as a young healer trying to prove her hunting skills to the tribe. Unfortunately, her tribe becomes the prey of a sadistic alien who kills humans for sport. It’s the ultimate underdog story full of suspense, terror, and great action.

‘Men in Black: International’ (2019)

Rotten tomatoes: 23% | imdb: 5.6/10.

Men In Black: International

Diving back into the world of secret aliens and world-ending threats, Men in Black: International is a soft reboot for the MIB franchise. MCU alums Tessa Thompson ( Westworld ) and Chris Hemsworth ( Thor: Ragnarok ) join forces once again as buddy cops in the clandestine organization that monitors intergalactic activity on planet Earth, except this time, the operation takes them out of New York and across the pond to London to sniff out a mole. Thompson and Hemsworth are great comedic foils for one another, while Director F. Gary Gray ( The Fate of the Furious ) delivers a visually dynamic world with new creature designs and whimsical alien technology. Also, any fans of the animated series from the '90s will be geeked up by some of the big plot reveals that mirror a big arc in the show.

‘Alita: Battle Angel’ (2019)

Rotten tomatoes: 61% | imdb: 7.3/10.

Alita: Battle Angel

Adapting anime and manga is hard , especially since a lot of the magic comes from the stylistic choices in the artwork. However, Alita: Battle Angel is one of the best films to capture the spirit and visuals of the source material. Set in a dark cyberpunk future where the wealthy literally look down on the common person from a floating city, we find Alita, played by Rosa Salazar ( Bird Box ). She’s a cyborg with no memory of her past who desperately wants to get to the floating city to figure out who she is. In addition to being visually stunning, the film features an all-star cast, including Christoph Waltz ( No Time to Die ), Jennifer Connelly ( Hulk ), and Mahershala Ali ( Leave the World Behind ).

‘The Creator’ (2023)

Rotten tomatoes: 67% | imdb: 6.7/10.

The Creator

Visionary director Gareth Edwards ( Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ) flexes his sci-fi muscles with an original story about a war between humans and artificial intelligence. John David Washington ( Tenet ) stars in this action-adventure flick as a special agent tasked with eradicating a weapon that could threaten to destroy all of humanity, but that weapon turns out to be a robot in the form of a child. Edwards is no stranger to big-budget sci-fi, but this is a wonderful feat of worldbuilding that blurs the lines of what makes something human and worthy of being “alive." Not to mention, the movie has a great sense of humor as Washington bounces off his co-star Madeleine Yuna Voyles in her breakout role.

‘No One Will Save You’ (2023)

Rotten tomatoes: 82% | imdb: 6.3/10.

No One Will Save You

Written and directed by Brian Duffield ( Underwater ), No One Will Save You is a genre mashup of home-invasion horror and extraterrestrial attack that, like Alien , takes the best aspects of both to create something that feels fresh. The film is an ambitious venture featuring almost no dialogue throughout, effectively carried on the back of star Kaitlyn Dever ( Booksmart ), who pushes herself to the brink to keep the audience beside her deep in the trenches of fear as she fends off this supernatural threat. Duffield creates a suspenseful, deeply unsettling atmosphere that is so tense you might fear making a sound yourself lest you be ripped from your couch by a beam of light. This movie is sci-fi horror at its best.

What to Watch

How Alien: Romulus is Avoiding the Biggest Mistake Disney Made With the Predator Franchise

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Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez explains how his new entry in the sci-fi horror franchise went from a streaming original on Hulu to a big-screen theatrical summer blockbuster. Alien: Romulus is the latest movie in the popular Alien franchise and takes place between 1979's Alien and 1986's Aliens . The film seems to have generated a great deal of interest from fans and critics alike, but at one point, Alien: Romulus was not going to be released in theaters and instead was greenlighted as a streaming movie.

Speaking with Variety , director Fede Álvarez talked about how Alien: Romulus was originally intended for Hulu. He signed on to direct the movie in 2021 as theaters were just starting to open up. By the time Alien: Romulus was officially announced in 2022 to the public, it seemed only guaranteed box office successes would be given theatrical releases, while smaller mid-budget films would go to Disney+ or Hulu. Eventually, 20th Century Fox decided to give the movie a theatrical release, a decision that had a big impact on the crew. Álvarez said:

“That decision was not made at the point where theaters were healthy [But] it was always going to be an ambitious movie for [a streaming] platform...I remember making an announcement to everybody that this movie was going to in theaters, and there was a big cheer. I was like, wow, even the gaffer cares that this goes into theaters!”

Alien: Romulus

Is alien: romulus' theatrical release thanks to prey.

Fede Álvarez was first announced to be directing the then-unnamed fifth Alien film in March 2022. While Spider-Man: No Way Home was a runaway smash hit at the end of 2021, there was still a lot of uncertainty around the theatrical marketplace. Disney's then CEO Bob Chapek put a lot of emphasis on streaming releases for Disney+ and Hulu, which resulted in the Predator prequel Prey getting sent straight to Hulu, much to the later annoyance of fans.

Chapek was ousted from Disney in November 2022 with Bob Iger returning to his former role. Iger seemed to emphasize theatrical distribution, and in June 2023, the film that would be titled Alien: Romulus was bumped up to a theatrical release .

An argument could be made that Prey might have played a factor in getting Alien: Romulus a theatrical release. As soon as Prey hit streaming, fans questioned why they had not been able to see it on the big screen . While it might have made sense at the time following the disappointment of The Predator in 2018, Prey delivered what many believe to be the best film in the Predator franchise and, with its smaller budget and rave reviews, might have turned into a box office hit. Alien: Romulus was announced as a Hulu Original five months before Prey came out. However, after Prey was a hit, Disney and 20th Century Studios seemed to gain new faith in their R-rated sci-fi horror properties.

Dan Trachtenberg Will Direct Prey 2 & Another Standalone Predator Outing Titled Badlands

Prey director Dan Trachtenberg will return to helm a direct sequel and another standalone movie in the Predator franchise.

Many studios have since realized that streaming releases can be good for subscriber numbers, but the loss of potential box office revenue can be a bitter pill to swallow. In the last couple of years, this has seen many movies intended for streaming getting theatrical releases. Both Smile and Mean Girls were initially intended to be Paramount+ exclusives, but both were moved up to successful theatrical releases. Warner Bros. originally planned for 2023's Evil Dead Rise to be a Max Original before deciding to release it in theaters, where it became the highest-grossing film in the Evil Dead franchise . In all three cases, that is extra profit that the studios did not count on when these films were greenlit as streaming exclusives. As it stands, the decision to release Alien: Romulus in theaters looks to be paying off. The movie earned an impressive $6.5 million in Thursday previews, suggesting a high demand from audiences to see the latest Xenomorph onslaught on the big screen.

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‘Alien: Romulus’ Filmmaker Fede Alvarez Teases His Vision For ‘Alien Vs. Predator’

By Melanie Brooks , Anthony D'Alessandro

Alien: Romulus filmmaker Fede Alvarez is totally open to doing a revamped Alien vs. Predator movie, but he’ll need a little help.

“Maybe it’s something I have to co-direct with my buddy Dan,” Alvarez said. That friend being Dan Tratchenberg who helmed the widely watched Predator 2022 prequel Prey for Hulu and is already working on another standalone pic in the franchise.

“Maybe we should do like Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez did with Dusk Till Dawn. I’ll direct a half, and he’ll direct another half.”

'Alien: Romulus' Sinks Teeth Into $108M+ Global Debut, Aided By Unexpected China Burst - International Box Office

Archie Renaux helps Cailee Spaeny aim a futuristic gun on a spaceship in a scene from 'Alien: Romulus'

'Alien: Romulus' $41M+ Scores Record Openings For Fede Alvarez & Cailee Spaeny; 2nd Best For Franchise - Sunday Box Office Update

But before embarking on Alien vs. Predator, Alvarez told us at the premiere earlier this week, “It depends on how well this ( Romulus ) does, if people want to see that.” Well, at a $40M opening, Alvarez’s latest Alien movie is going to do exteremly well, notching the second biggest opening in the franchise ever behind Ridley Scott’s 2012 Prometheus ($51M).

Alien: Romulus is also going to rank as Alvarez’s top domestic opening of his career at the box office, in addition to the best stateside debut ever for star Cailee Spaeny.

Dusk Till Dawn came out in 1996 and was co-written by Rodriguez and Tarantino. The movie starred George Clooney, Salma Hayek, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis and Tarantino in a tale about two criminals and their hostages who unknowingly seek temporary refuge in a truck stop populated by vampires, with chaotic results. The pic grossed $25.8M.

Fede Álvarez reveals his pitch for ‘Alien vs. Predator’ : “Maybe something that I have to co-direct with my buddy Dan (Trachtenberg)” pic.twitter.com/HmhabAXN84 — Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) August 16, 2024

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Marvel’s ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ surpasses $1 billion worldwide, sets new record

Disney traditionally stays away from r-rated movies. now, marvel’s first r-rated movie earns big.

By Margaret Darby

Marvel’s first-ever R-rated movie, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” is officially the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time.

On Thursday, the third “Deadpool” movie reached a global earnings total of $1.086 billion, surpassing the previous highest-grossing R-rated movie, “Joker,” per The Hollywood Reporter . These are the only two R-rated movies to ever surpass $1 billion at the box office.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” smashed at the box office in July with a $211 million domestic opening, per Box Office Mojo . The film’s domestic earnings now total more than $512 million.

It sits behind Disney Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” and the second- highest earning movie of the year.

Amid dying interest in Marvel movies, the success of “Deadpool & Wolverine suggests there is still a large audience interested in superhero flicks.

Marvel mania was presumed dead with the release of “Madame Web” in February, which grossed just $100 million at the box office worldwide, per Box Office Mojo .

But the third “Deadpool” installment could be reviving superhero fandom. It is the first superhero film to earn over $1 billion worldwide since 2021′s “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” reported The Hollywood Reporter .

Marvel’s change in direction could account for renewed interest in superhero movies.

“People thought when Disney bought Marvel, ‘They’re going to shave off the hard edges. They’re going to make it all G-rated’. ... Of course, that was never the intention,” said Kevin Feige Producer and President at Marvel Studios, per Disney .

How many R-rated movies has Marvel made?

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is the first and only R-rated movie ever released by Marvel. “Deadpool” and “Deadpool 2″ — both rated R — were released by 20th Century Fox, per Screen Rant .

Disney and Disney-associated studios such as Marvel, Lucasfilm and Pixar have traditionally stayed away from R-rated content. There are no R-rated “Star Wars” movies and Pixar has never released a film with a rating above PG.

In July 2022, Disney+ added its first R-rated movies to the streaming platform: “Deadpool,” “Deadpool 2″ and “Logan,” per Variety . In the two years since, a handful of more R-rated movies have been added to the platform, including “Bullet Train,” “All of Us Strangers” and “The Predator.”

DC Studios, owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment, has not strayed from releasing R-rated superhero movies. “Joker,” “The Suicide Squad,” “Birds of Prey,” “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and other DC superhero movies all have an R rating.

Why is ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ rated R?

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout (118 uses of the F word), gore and sexual references, per IMDb .

“‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ is stuffed full of foul language, sex jokes and gore,” wrote The New York Times. “‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ is certainly not for kids.”

“Disney’s newest superhero film features plenty of violence, bloody and relentless and eventually mind-numbing ... filthy wisecracks abound.”

About 57% of movies are R-rated

A 2018 study from the Motion Picture Association of America found that since 1968, more than 17,200 movies have been given an R rating, per The Hollywood Reporter . Less than 5,000 movies had a PG-13 rating, a rating which was conceived in 1984. And nearly 5,600 movies were rated PG.

Between 1968 and 2018, the MPAA rated 29,791 films — 57% of those movies were rated R, per Business Insider .

Despite the majority of released movies having an R rating, trends show R-rated movies aren’t typically as successful at the box office. In 2022, nearly two-thirds of box office revenue came from PG-13 movies, per Statista .

“If the greatest chance of box office success is having a PG-13 rating, or not having an R rating, then that’s where the industry really had to go if that was the primary goal,” said Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian, per Axios .

Are there any family-friendly superhero movies?

Yes. Most Marvel and other superhero movies are rated PG-13, but there are superhero movies you can watch with the entire family, including young kids.

Here are some superhero movies that are all rated PG:

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse”
“Superman: The Movie”
“Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”
“The Incredibles”
“Big Hero 6”
“The Rocketeer”

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COMMENTS

Prey movie review & film summary (2022)
Despite the expected whine from immature males who haven't seen the movie yet but are already deeming it "too woke," "Predator" fans will not be disappointed by "Prey.". It's a scary and fun amusement park ride that also elicits a surprisingly tender emotional response. When Naru finally let out the war cry she had previously ...
Prey (2022)
Prey (2022) Prey (2022) Prey (2022) View more photos Movie Info Synopsis Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, "Prey" is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior.
'Prey' Review: Alien vs. Warrior
Prey Rated R for flesh-eating rats, rapacious Frenchmen and a thingy from outer space. Running time: 1 hour 39 minutes. Running time: 1 hour 39 minutes. Watch on Hulu .
Prey
Full Review | Original Score: 10/10 | Jan 4, 2023. With a stunning debut in the Hulu original film Prey, Amber Midthunder proved herself as a sci-fi/action star to watch. Full Review | Dec 27 ...
Prey (2022)
Prey: Directed by Dan Trachtenberg. With Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Stormee Kipp. Naru, a skilled warrior of the Comanche Nation, fights to protect her tribe against one of the first highly-evolved Predators to land on Earth.
Prey review: a movie that understands what makes Predator so
The latest mainline Predator movie jumps backwards in time and focuses entirely on the most important part of the franchise: the hunt. This review contains spoilers for Prey. Prey is set in 1719 ...
'Prey' Review: Proves That Anything Can Now Be a Social-Message Movie
'Prey' Review: 'Predator' Prequel Set in the Comanche Nation in 1719 Is a Slight Improvement in a Derivative Franchise Reviewed at AMC Lincoln Square, July 26, 2022. MPA Rating: R. Running ...
'Prey' Review: A Smart, Gripping Action Thriller That Asks Who's
The result is a tense, engaging action-thriller that asks us to question exactly which of our leads has actually assumed the role of the Predator this time around, and which one might find ...
'Prey' Review: The Predator Movie You've Been Praying For
The beautiful cinematography and hypnotic score make it easy to get lost in her world as she hones her skills as a hunter, gets out of some tight scrapes and explores with her delightful canine ...
Prey review: Finally, the excellent Predator film we've been praying for
Review. Prey. 4 out of 5 stars. Finally, the excellent Predator film we've been praying for. Wednesday 3 August 2022. Share. Copy Link. Facebook ... this Predator movie is full of surprises and ...
Prey (2022)
Movie Review - Prey (2022) August 5, 2022 by Robert Kojder. Prey, 2022. ... Movie Review - The Abandon (2024) Kevin Smith shares The 4:30 Movie trailer, announces new Jay & Silent Bob film.
Prey Review
Prey places a lot of stock in Naru, with her at the center of nearly every scene, and Midthunder more than keeps up with the ferocious pace of the action as she is constantly undermined and ...
Prey Review: Predator Franchise Is Revived In Efficient & Violent Thriller
Prey is the latest and quite possibly the best Predator entry since the original 1987 film. A lean action thriller, Prey takes Predator back to its ultra-violent roots and proves itself as a worthy entry in the franchise's mythology. Prey follows Naru (Amber Midthunder) a member of the Comanche Nation in 1719 North America who wishes to prove ...
Prey (2022) Movie Review
Parents need to know that Prey is a 2022 action-horror movie in which Comanche warriors do battle against an alien predator. This is a Predator prequel, and there are many moments of strong violence throughout. Characters die in bloody and gory ways, including spikes through the skull, arrows to eyes….
Prey Review
Dan Trachtenberg. To earn her stripes as a warrior, Comanche hunter Naru (Midthunder) must take the ritual of kühtaamia and bring down a particularly dangerous beast. Unbeknownst to her, though ...
Prey
Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, this prequel to the Predator franchise tells the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior. She has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a ...
Review: 'Prey' Is The Best 'Predator' Since The First ...
David Bukach. Prey (2022) 20th Century Studios/rated R/97 minutes. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg. Screenplay by Patrick Aison. Produced by John Davis, Marty P. Ewing and Jhane Myers. Starring Amber ...
Prey (2022) Review
So tragic about The Predator, Shane Black used to be one of my favorite directors. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys are two of my favorite movies of all time. The dialogue in both of those movies was so insanely good. Harry: "You should go for it. I've got twenty bucks that says you could still have him."
Prey (2022) Movie Review
Thankfully, no. While Prey isn't quite as good as Predator, it's still a decent watch and is arguably better than the sequels that followed on from the 1987 movie. Prey takes place in 1719, centuries before Arnie and his military rescue team came face-to-face with the technologically advanced alien. This time, it's up to Comanche tribe ...
Prey (2022)
People are rating this movie WAY TOO HIGH. If people are giving "Prey 2022" a rating of "7+ stars", then "Predator 2010" should be a "10 Star". If "Prey 2022" had a better writer (like Christopher McQuarrie or Michael Finch) and better Director (like Joseph Kosinski), "Prey" would have been an awesome Predator movie.
Prey (2022 film)
Prey is a 2022 American science fiction film in the Predator franchise.It is the fifth film in the mainline series and seventh in the overall franchise. It is a prequel to the first four films, being set in the Northern Great Plains in 1719. The film is directed by Dan Trachtenberg and written by Patrick Aison. It stars Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Michelle Thrush, Stormee ...
Prey (2022)
2022 | R | starring Amber Midthunder | directed by Daniel Trachtenberg | 1 hr 39 mins | It is the early 1700s and a young girl, Naru (Amber Midthunder, of one of the best shows of the last decade, Legion), seeks to be a hunter like her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers).During a ceremonial ritual where young men venture off into the wilderness to get their first kill, Naru tags along aiming to bag ...
Prey (2022)
Prey (Trachtenberg, 2022) Other films in this series, yet to be reviewed Predator 2 (Hopkins, 1990) Tim Brayton is the editor-in-chief and primary critic at Alternate Ending. He has been known to show up on Letterboxd, writing about even more movies than he does here.
Like Alien: Romulus? Then watch these three great sci-fi movies now
Prey (2022) 20th Century Studios. Alien: Romulus decided to go back to basics and return to the story and style of the original Alien movies, with it taking place between the first two movies.It ...
The 10 Best Sci-Fi Movies on Hulu Right Now (August 2024)
Prey, directed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane), is the best film in the Predator franchise since the original. The films are at their best when they lean into the horror of being stalked ...
Prey (2022)
Prey is een Amerikaanse sciencefiction-horrorfilm uit 2022, geregisseerd door Dan Trachtenberg en geschreven door Patrick Aison. De film is het vijfde deel in de Predator-franchise en een prequel op de vier vorige films. Het verhaal speelt zich af in de noordelijke Great Plains in Noord-Amerika in 1719. In de hoofdrollen acteren Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Michelle Thrush, Stormee Kipp ...
Alien: Romulus Director Explains How The Film Went from a ...
Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez explains how his new entry in the sci-fi horror franchise went from a streaming original on Hulu to a big-screen theatrical summer blockbuster. Alien: Romulus ...
'Alien: Romulus' Fede Alvarez Teases Vision For 'Alien vs. Predator'
Predator movies; one in 2004 ($177.4M WW) and the second, Aliens vs. Predators: Requiem, in 2007 ($130.2M WW box office). The first hybrid between the two sci-fi monsters per industry sources was ...
'Deadpool & Wolverine' is the highest earning R-rated movie ever
Despite the majority of released movies having an R rating, trends show R-rated movies aren't typically as successful at the box office. In 2022, nearly two-thirds of box office revenue came from PG-13 movies, per Statista. "If the greatest chance of box office success is having a PG-13 rating, or not having an R rating, then that's where the industry really had to go if that was the ...

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