Movie · 2022 · Thriller, Action, Science Fiction · 1h 40m · R · English
Curator score: 5.8/10 (857.2K ratings)
They hunt to live. It lives to hunt.
Overview
When danger threatens her camp, the fierce and highly skilled Comanche warrior Naru sets out to protect her people. But the prey she stalks turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.8/10
IMDb: 7.1/10
Letterboxd: 3.59/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Metacritic: 71
TMDB: 7.7/10
Director
Dan Trachtenberg
Production
20th Century Studios, Davis Entertainment, Lawrence Gordon Productions
Cast
Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Michelle Thrush, Stormee Kipp, Julian Black Antelope, Dane DiLiegro, Stefany Mathias, Bennett Taylor, Mike Paterson, Nelson Leis, Tymon Carter, Skye Pelletier, Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat, Corvin Mack, Samuel Marty, Ginger Cattleman, Seanna Eagletail, Samiyah Crowfoot, Cody Big Tobacco, Troy Mundle
Where to watch
Hulu
Curator Review
Verdict
A lean, suspenseful survival-action thriller that refreshes a familiar franchise with strong creature design, crisp set pieces, and a compelling lead performance. It works best as a stripped-down hunt movie with real momentum and a vivid sense of place.
Best for
fans of survival thrillers
viewers who like creature-feature action
people who want a strong heroine-driven genre film
audiences who enjoy tense, efficient action over lore-heavy worldbuilding
Skip if
you want a dense sci-fi mythology exercise
you dislike violent creature attacks and gore
you prefer big ensemble action over a focused cat-and-mouse story
you need a theatrical-scale spectacle to enjoy an action movie
Overview
Prey is the rare franchise prequel that feels like it knows exactly what it wants to be. It pares the concept down to a clean survival duel, then lets the tension build through terrain, tracking, and smartly staged action rather than endless exposition. Amber Midthunder gives the movie its backbone, making Naru’s determination feel earned rather than symbolic.
Worth noting
What stands out most is the film’s discipline. It’s brisk, visually legible, and often genuinely thrilling, with a few inventive action beats that give the hunt a fresh physical logic. The predator remains formidable, but the movie never loses sight of the human stakes, which keeps the suspense grounded.
Bottom line
It’s not trying to reinvent the genre, and some viewers may wish for a bigger, more cinematic canvas. But as a streamlined creature feature with real momentum and an unusually strong sense of character, it lands hard. This is the kind of action movie that knows the value of a simple premise executed well.
Top Letterboxd reviews
CosmonautMarkie (4★) · 9435 likes
Congratulations to the Predator franchise for finally having its second good movie
Jay (3.5★) · 7148 likes
“does your constant dread over a fictional dogs safety effect your overall enjoyment of the movie?”
“it does, and im tired of pretending its not”
SilentDawn (4★) · 4183 likes
75
It's such a shame that Prey went straight to streaming, because it's a real fucking movie that deserves the theatrical experience. Watching it with the Comanche dub is such a thrill. This is far from the unsettling sensations of the original work and John McTiernan's classic flourish, but director Dan Trachtenberg is eager to show off with a grab-bag of modern visual ideas and sturdy action choreography, and it aligns perfectly with the survivalist sensibility of the first film.… more
Patrick Willems (3.5★) · 3387 likes
Turns out “what if you tied a rope to a hatchet” is the great action movie innovation of 2022
2016 · Thriller, Science Fiction, Drama · 1h 44m · PG-13 · Curator 5.8/10 (1M ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Another compact, high-tension genre film that thrives on dread, survival instincts, and a resourceful lead.