By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

Prey (USA, 2022): By comparison, one can certainly argue that Prey is one of the better Predator movies. The Alien vs. Predator saga is indescribably bad and Shawn Black’s take on the character (The Predator) was overcomplicated yet flat: a main character is killed so unexpectedly fast, for many in the audience it didn’t even register.

This is not to say Prey is a great movie, as the bar is low. 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.

As with every Predator movie, it opens in a conflict zone: a Comanche tribe fending off colonizers and trappers. Naru (Midthunder), a capable, whip-smart healer wants a shot at becoming a hunter, but the ruling patriarchy keeps her on the sidelines. She’s the one who witnesses first a spaceship landing in the forest and later an otherworldly creature making mincemeat of earthly creatures, her tribe’s best hunters, and a bunch of red-shirts… I mean, French trappers.

Armed only with her ingenuity and a small ax, Naru becomes a formidable opponent while the predator comes to regret underestimating her.

There’s nothing controversial or challenging about Prey. It stands for the right things and it’s as straightforward and predictable as it gets. To cater to the fanbase, the kills are numerous and the gore is plentiful. But I can’t say it’s memorable. 2.5/5 stars.

Prey is now available in Disney+.