Prey on Hulu is hands down the best Predator spin-off to date. Six sequels to the first Predator movie, released 35 years ago, followed, each of which got progressively worse. The seventh film, which acts as a Predator prequel and a type of genesis tale, looks promising.
Prequels like Prey are rare in the entertainment industry, where spinoffs and sequels have gone haphazard and wild, turning every reasonably well-received film into a franchise.
Prey
What is the connection between Prey and the Predator movies?
A young Comanche woman named Naru is at the center of the film. She is determined to show her male tribemates, who despise her abilities, that she is a great warrior. But she had no idea that her search would bring her face to face with a predator unlike any other she had seen.
As a skilled warrior, Naru is twice as shrewd as her fellow hunters and even tougher than she looks. So when a stranger appears one day and starts stalking them while hiding in their forest, Naru quickly suspects something is wrong.
Naru is puzzled and scared as the Unseen Predator finally emerges as he dismembers a grizzly bear. She does not know this monster endowed with superhuman talents and advanced technology. For viewers who have already seen the famous Predator and its sequels, however, this is not the case.
Prey establishes the history of the Predator. In this spin-off, set in the 1700s, the aliens we saw so frequently in the original and its sequel make their first appearance on Earth.
With many minor and significant hints throughout, the film is a tribute to the franchise and harkens back to the original. There are many scenes in the film that will serve as a bridge to the original 1987 image, such as the trope of the predator transforming the victim and hiding from the monster.
The gun that a French shopkeeper gives Naru is one of the most prominent allusions. We can see Raphael Adolini’s name engraved on the gun in the climactic scene when Naru gives it to the tribal leader.
If you’re a hardcore Predator fan, you’ll recognize the gun’s reference right away. For viewers who may not be so knowledgeable, the weapon is the exact same one that City Hunter gave Danny Glover’s Lt. Mike Harrigan in Predator 2. This serves as a common thread between the two movies that Prey us show.
Does the movie offer a worthy sequel to the original?
The depiction of Native Americans in Prey is one of its most fascinating features. Television today is dominated by shows like Reservation Dogs and Rutherford Falls, making representation a crucial part of any sensitive portrayal in film. Hulu’s Predator spin-off is commendable because it features an almost entirely Indigenous cast, led by Amber Midthunder as Naru.
Additionally, the chemistry between Amber Midthunder and Dakota Beavers, who play brothers Taabe and Naru sharing hot and cold relationships, is flowing beautifully. Patrick Aison, the screenwriter, deserves praise for creating a cast that works so well together and reinforces each other.
It seems like a waste to watch the movie on a small screen, even though Hulu and Fox have teamed up to make it available from the comfort of our homes on a streaming platform. Prey is a film that should be seen in theaters due to its well-choreographed action scenes, stunning graphics, and fearsome predator, which would appear even deadlier on the big screen.
Despite claiming to be a prequel, the film doesn’t provide us with any information about the Predator’s story. We are simply shown an alien being who settles in Comanche territory and hunts its prey in search of the ideal prey. Viewers wonder at the end of the film what the exact genesis of the Predator is and if more like it could emerge if Hulu continues to air the film.
Prey deserves praise for being among the best Predator spin-offs to date overall. The Hulu movie is a must-watch for anyone who loves Predator, especially since it’s packed with action and thrills.
