Prey (2022)
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Screenwriters: Patrick Aison, Dan Trachtenberg
Starring: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DeLiegro, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, Stefany Mathias, Bennett Taylor, Mike Paterson, Neldon Leis
Thirty-five years after John McTiernan’s original Predator, which became a landmark action film blending military thriller elements and science-fiction horror, Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey returns to the franchise with a bold, pared-down approach. Set roughly three centuries in the past and rooted in Indigenous perspective, the film strips away franchise excess and focuses on a tense, elemental clash between two hunters: a young Comanche woman and an alien predator on a trophy hunt.
The story centers on Naru (Amber Midthunder), a Comanche healer-in-training who yearns to prove herself as a hunter despite cultural expectations that assign that role to men. Protective but conflicted, her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers) embodies the tribe’s traditional view: supportive to a degree, yet ultimately skeptical of Naru’s ability to match the hunters in skill and experience. When the tribe embarks on a hunt after a dangerous mountain lion, their expedition is interrupted by a far deadlier presence—the Predator—forcing Naru to tap into every lesson she has learned about tracking, stealth and survival.
Trachtenberg, known for delivering taut, economical narratives, uses that same discipline here. He avoids overcomplicated subplots and cinematic excess, choosing instead to present a focused survival thriller whose stakes are felt through Naru’s eyes. The film emphasizes ritual, craft and observation; both Naru and the Predator follow distinct pre- and post-hunt routines, adapting their tactics as the confrontation escalates. This mirroring—two hunters from vastly different worlds learning and evolving—is at the heart of the film’s dramatic momentum.
Visually, the Predator’s kills are staged with striking, often brutal imagery that underscores the creature’s relentless efficiency. The film lingers on the alien hunter’s trophies and methods: small details—a crawling ant, a rattlesnake’s snap, a river struggle with a bear—build a portrait of an apex predator whose technology amplifies natural savagery. Trachtenberg balances these moments with sequences that highlight early weaponry and hunting techniques of the period, creating a palpable contrast between human ingenuity and alien tech.
Amber Midthunder anchors the film with a grounded, emotionally resonant performance. Naru is not written as a flawless wunderkind; she learns through error, improvises under pressure and endures setbacks that make her growth believable. Critics on social media who dismiss the premise as implausible miss that this is a story about adaptation and cunning rather than brute strength. Naru often relies on observation, patience and craft to exploit weaknesses she discovers in her opponent—qualities that feel authentic to her training and cultural background.
Some plot beats are arranged to prepare Naru for later challenges—a near-drowning in a bog, frantic knot-tying under stress, and other survival trials—but these moments serve the film mechanically and thematically, reinforcing the idea of preparation and trial. The narrative never loses focus: it remains largely limited to events Naru experiences firsthand, keeping the tension immediate and the perspective intimate.
The Predator’s arsenal is redesigned with inventive brutality. Trachtenberg retains hallmark elements—such as the targeting laser—but substitutes the franchise’s familiar shoulder cannon for a variety of lethal tools, including multi-stake projectiles, bladed weapons and a retractable shield. These choices make the creature both familiar to franchise fans and freshly menacing in execution.
Beyond its thrilling action, Prey is notable for the cultural specificity of its viewpoint. By filtering the Predator mythos through a Comanche lens, the film gains new texture and relevance. Ritual, family dynamics and the responsibilities of community inform Naru’s choices and elevate the conflict beyond spectacle. The result is a lean, efficient thriller that preserves what made the original compelling while adding a distinctive voice.
Stylistically economical and emotionally clear, Prey succeeds as a focused hunter-versus-hunter story grounded in character and craft. Midthunder’s portrayal makes Naru a compelling protagonist whose future adventures would be welcome, whether that means preparing her people for further threats or deepening the character’s arc in other ways. For viewers interested in a taut, culturally grounded entry to the franchise, Trachtenberg’s film delivers.
Score: 20/24
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