Prey

 Year:  2022

Director:  Dan Trachtenberg

Screenplay:  Patrick Aison, from a story by Patrick Aison and Dan Trachtenberg, based on characters by Jim Thomas and John Thomas

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

Running Time:  100 minutes

Genre:  Science-fiction, action

The Great Plains of North America, 1719:  Naru (Midthunder) is a young Comanche woman, who is a hugely skilled healer and tracker, and dreams of becoming a great hunter like her brother, Tabbe (Beavers).  However, after seeing strange signs, and coming across strangely mutilated corpses of animals, Naru becomes convinced that there is something else out there, that is even more dangerous than the vicious cougars and bears, and the brutal fur trappers.  Soon the hunter becomes the hunted as Naru has to face a completely new type of Predator.

This is the fifth film in the Predator franchise, not counting the two Alien vs. Predator films which mix Predator with the Alien franchise.  The Predators are a race of aliens who come to Earth to hunt humans for sport.  This is a well made film, mixing panoramic visual beauty (in fact it is a real pity that the film debuted on streaming rather than in the cinema because it would look spectacular on the big screen).  Amber Midthunder is great in the lead as the calm but ferocious Naru, who uses her intelligence and skills, rather than just a strength against her opponents, and also turns the fact that she is almost always underestimated to her advantage.  The Predator itself is different to the ones previously seen on screen.  As in the other films, it has a cloaking device to make itself more or less invisible, and uses heat vision to track down it's prey, unlike previous versions, however, it's mask is made of bone, rather than metal, and it doesn't use an energy gun, using instead it's strength and bladed weapons.  As with previous Predators; it has it's own code of honour, not attacking those who it doesn't deem to be a threat.  The film takes it's time building up the characters and the world of the story, a world if kill or be killed, emphasised by repeated scenes of animals hunting and killing other animals.  It also takes it's time in building up Naru's world, exploring the customs and practices of the tribe.  The film is well made by Dan Trachtenberg, who previously made 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016).  While there are references to other films in the series, they don't feel forced, and there is no need to see any of the others to watch this.  it is a completely stand alone film.   While it doesn't feel very original, aside from the setting and largely indigenous cast, the story structure feels very similar to the first film, particularly towards the end, it is probably the best film in the series.

 Amber Midthunder in Prey