‘Prey’ Shows That the Simplest Version of the Predator Is Best

Prey is a movie that works on multiple fronts. It gave the Predator franchise a much-needed shot in the arm, and it also shows that Dan Trachtenberg knows how to make a compelling movie, no matter the genre or the franchise. Best of all, it gives the world a new Predator that stands out from its predecessors. From its first appearance, this “feral” Predator feels unique. It has different weapons, a different approach to hunting, and it feels far less like a hunter from the stars and more like a wild beast from myth.

That approach comes courtesy of Trachtenberg, who wanted to make sure the audience was seeing something new with the Predator. “It’s not about hiding, it’s about figuring out what to show, that can either be aggressive, or better build the tension, or be a little piece of storytelling that all builds upon itself. That’s what fed into all of these things,” he told Collider. Trachtenberg’s approach to the Predator, both visually and story-wise, is a stark reminder of how terrifying the Yautja can be, even in its simplest — and best — form.

What Is ‘Prey’ About?

Prey takes place in 1719, as a Comanche tribe prepares to hunt a cougar that’s taken one of their own. One of the tribe members, Naru (Amber Midthunder), witnesses a massive storm in the sky, which she believes is her calling to be a hunter like her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers). Little does she know that the Feral Predator has landed on Earth, and that it will take all of her hunting skills — as well as a fair amount of cunning — to defeat the beast. After a harrowing game of cat and mouse, Naru kills the Feral Predator and takes its head back to her village. But if the end credits are anything to go by, she’ll have to fight more Predators.

‘Prey’s Predator Is Terrifying, Even Without Complex Technology

The biggest difference between Prey‘s Predator and other Predators who’ve appeared in the film franchise is the weaponry it uses. Most Predators often sport weapons that include razor-sharp throwing disks, retractable spears, and the infamous plasma caster — a shoulder-mounted gun that shoots searing hot lasers. The Predator in Prey is shown to wield more primitive looking weapons (including a crossbow in lieu of its plasma caster that shoots three razor sharp homing darts), but still keeps the iconic targeting system from other Predator movies. It also doesn’t wear that much armor, instead donning a bleached bone mask that makes for a rather disturbing visage. Given the time period, it’s not a stretch to imagine that the Yajuta are still developing their signature armor and weapons. Trachtenberg put it best: “Trophy hunters wearing a skull on your face is more Predator-y than just a biomask.”

The Feral Predator is often more willing to engage its targets in hand-to-hand combat. Most Predators throughout the original films stalk their prey and wait for the right opportunity to kill; part of what made the original Predator an iconic film was the fact that a group of hardened soldiers were being picked off one by one. In contrast, the Feral Predator loves to prove its worth by killing with its bare hands. A great example of this is when it encounters a grizzly bear, which coincidentally is where Naru first sees the beast. The Feral Predator punches the bear then guts it and lifts the corpse over its head, letting out a triumphant roar.

Dan Trachtenberg Keeps the Feral Predator Hidden for Half of ‘Prey’

Another element that sets Prey apart from other Predator films is how Trachtenberg chooses to reveal the Feral Predator, or rather, how he doesn’t. It isn’t until the 50-minute mark that the Feral Predator is fully visible, and when it does turn visible it looks utterly horrifying. Its bone helmet looks inhuman, and unlike other Predators, its mandibles feel less like a spider’s and more like some inhuman wolf’s. Up to that point, the Predator had only de-cloaked in the shadows of the cave where it made its home, with closeups that showcased its hands and little else. In keeping the beast hidden for so long, Trachtenberg and co-writer Patrick Aison build a sense of dread; the audience knows that there’s a Predator out there, but they have no idea what it actually looks like.

This is in direct opposition to the last two Predator films, Predators and The Predator. Predators revealed its trio of “Super Predators” roughly around the end of the first act, while The Predator doesn’t even bother to keep its main Predator hidden. This kills the suspense that makes the franchise what it is, and might have been a reason why both films, especially The Predator, didn’t click with audiences. If your alien monster can turn invisible, then what’s the point of not utilizing that? Thankfully, Prey got back to basics with its approach.

When the Predator Finally Appears, We Get One of ‘Prey’s Best Scenes

The Feral Predator’s first full appearance leads to one of the best sequences in Prey. Naru and Taabe run afoul of a group of fur trappers who want to use them as bait for the Predator. However, the Predator uncloaks and murders all the fur trappers. It’s a gloriously gruesome sequence, as Trachtenberg finds new and inventive ways to dispatch the Predator’s victims. One fur trapper shoots the Predator in his helmeted face, and the ricochet blows his brains out. Another gets his head cut off by the Predator’s shield. In a darkly hilarious moment, one trapper tries to challenge the Predator to a knife fight and gets a bear trap buried in his head.

The reason the Feral Predator is such a menacing presence comes down to two factors: the performance of Dane DiLiegro, who moves with an almost unnatural grace, and the special effects work by Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr. Gillis and Woodruff Jr. both worked on the original Predator, so when Trachtenberg came to them with his vision for Prey, they were able to deliver a new take on the iconic Predator design. “Dan respectfully said to us, ‘I don’t want this to look like all of those other Predators.’ To which we were thrilled,” Gillis told Animation World Network. “We thought, ‘We should do some things to make this guy creepier.’ This is where these longer thinner dreadlocks come from. We were all talking about how would this appear to Native people. Could this be the basis for the Wendigo or some other Native spirit? We were going more horror with these science fiction attributes added on.” The end result is one of the best takes on the Predator, and with Trachtenberg slated to return to the world of the Predator with Badlands, it’s safe to say that audiences will see yet another new Yautja that will stalk the edges of their nightmares.

Prey is available to watch on Hulu in the U.S.

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