When I reviewed The Predator a few years ago, I pointed out that this whole franchise got its’ start riding Aliens’ coattails and hasn’t ever been as interesting or distinct as it purports to be. And perhaps I wasn’t giving it enough credit. That first Predator is a fascinating exploration of late 80s machismo and is characterized by some pretty sharp action direction from John McTiernan; but nothing that has followed in this franchise of constant crossovers and reboots has ever justified its’ perseverance beyond that initial Schwarzeneggar vehicle …until now.
Prey, the fifth instalment of the Predator solo franchise directed by Dan Trachtenberg, has done the unexpected: its’ given this series a reason to exist. Not just because of its’ own quality, but by what it suggests can be done within the world of this alien trophy hunter stalking people to kill. This film completely upends the context of previous Predator movies by setting the story in early eighteenth century North America and in a Comanche tribe who encounter a Predator at the same time they are trying to protect themselves from colonizers. It pits the Predator against one of the most dedicated warrior cultures in our own history and the results are astoundingly rich and exciting.
The protagonist is Naru, played by Amber Midthunder in a star-making turn, an intelligent healer in her village, but quite adept at tracking -longing to be a hunter like her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers). Constantly underestimated and desperate to prove herself, she and her loyal dog Sarii join up with a hunting party tailing a cougar when she picks up on a series of mysterious signs of some greater, stranger predator in the area.
Predation is a straight-up motif in this film, one of the few entries in the series that, as appropriate for its’ title, is more interested in the prey than the predator. It permeates across the ecosystem, the Predators’ arrival is to quite literally enter the primal food chain. A mouse is seen devoured by a snake before the snake is killed by the Predator. A little later, a rabbit is pursued by a wolf that also becomes one of the interlopers’ early kills. We know these natural animal relationships, the movie invites us to consider the Predator in relation to them. Ultimately it is an intruder on the natural order, perverts a world of survival by imposing its’ sport. And the Predator is likened, in quite blunt terms to another force of disturbance upon this land: the white man -represented here through French voyageurs. In its’ anti-colonial bent, I don’t know that the movie ever posits the French as worse than the Predator, but it does equate them an awful lot -particularly in their lack of sanctity around hunting. There’s not a high margin of distinction between the Predator killing a wolf just so it can melt off its’ flesh for a trophy skull and the French killing and skinning a herd of bison just for their hides. It’s an insult against nature either way. But the Predator at least will refrain from its’ assault if its’ prey is incapacitated or not perceived as a threat. The French make no such exceptions.
Human parallels however are not Trachtenberg’s primary concern, much as it adds layers to the films’ world and themes. His subject of interest remains Naru and her relationship to her culture’s norms, to the Predator, and to her own aspirations. In some respect she is a conventional, almost Disney protagonist: a girl who wants more for herself than what the strictures of her society place on her as a young woman. She even has her own animal companion. But there’s a fierceness to her that sets her apart, that pushes her forward in determination of proving her worth. She is incredibly intuitive and self-sufficient, which serves her well against her lack of experience. A lot of the believability to this couldn’t be found on the page, rather it emanates from Midthunder’s sharply captivating performance. She finds a cool medium in her approach, which is modern in sensibility -but not distractingly so. And she conveys greatly the weight of Naru’s convictions -you get a sense exactly what it means to her to be so undervalued, to not be perceived as a threat. It feels deliberate that Trachtenberg and Midthunder would hone in on this, knowing the skepticism and scrutiny that would surround a protagonist of this gender and background. So they keenly draw on the toll of inadequacy upon her, lending her journey stronger credence. And the result is one of the most thrilling action heroines in recent years.
Her adversary, formidable and calculating, is likewise defined in strong detail. The look of the Predator will never quite be as impressive or daunting as it was in that original movie -especially now that so many elements of its’ appearance are digitally rendered. But I respect Trachtenberg’s restraint to often show the Predator in all its’ hideous glory. It’s a much more intimidating figure when invisible, when just the outline of its’ form is going around violently causing havoc. When the mask comes off and the mandibles are out, it’s honestly less scary, maybe due to a lack of detail in design, again when compared to that original creation. As usual with Predator movies, we get several perspective shots of its’ vision, based around body heat, but I like how Trachtenberg finds ways for Naru to counteract this -specifically with potent herbs. In fact the movie in general does a great job implementing Indigenous character and methods in opposition to the Predator. We’re used to seeing guns and heavy weaponry raised to counteract this beast, but Prey instead pits spears, arrows, knives and coordinated attacks against it. They’re not a whole lot more successful, but they’re framed as worthy threats, effective, and without ever taking away from the Predators’ menace or resorting to a notion of noble primitivism in the face of advanced technology. The Predator doesn’t use a lot of high-tech weapons anyways, which checks with its’ apparent code of the sport. It wouldn’t be fair to use a bazooka when the most anyone in this era can be armed with is a musket -and yes, there is a great musket gag.
Prey is shot beautifully, mostly on Nakoda land around Calgary, and it is a travesty it wasn’t allowed to be shown on the big screen. Some lustre is clearly lost there in both the picturesque nature and vivid fight scenes reduced to a smaller format. And seeing as this may well be Hulu’s most successful movie so far, I wonder if Disney might be second-guessing that choice. In any case it is a good viewing experience, a great moment of representation (the film was shot simultaneously in Comanche, which is so cool!) and its’ a remarkable feat for a franchise that has been consistently unremarkable for decades. In terms of its’ compelling original vision, it even outpaces the 1987 film -although cheese will always work in that ones’ favour. And it’s got people talking about other unique vantage points of history to stick a Predator into, such as Medieval Europe or Edo Japan. Prey gave Predator, for the first time in its’ life, a future worth anticipating.
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