Prey

Summary

Set in 1719 on the Great Plains, Prey follows Naru, a young Comanche woman who has trained herself as a hunter and warrior despite a culture that often doubts her abilities. When strange signs begin appearing around her people’s territory—unfamiliar tracks, unexplained violence, and a presence that seems to move beyond the limits of the natural world—Naru becomes convinced that her camp is facing a threat unlike any it has known. As she investigates, Naru’s pursuit leads her into conflict with two deadly forces. One is a heavily armed alien hunter whose advanced technology, physical power, and ritualistic approach to the hunt make it an almost incomprehensible adversary. The other is the danger posed by European trappers, whose brutality and exploitation create a more recognizably human form of violence. Between these threats, Naru must rely on observation, ingenuity, and her detailed knowledge of the land rather than brute strength alone. Naru’s relationship with her respected brother, Taabe, forms an important emotional center of the film. Their bond reflects both mutual loyalty and the expectations placed on Naru as she tries to establish herself within her community. Her dog, Sarii, is also a memorable companion, while the Comanche camp provides the story with a strong sense of family, tradition, and collective stakes. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, Prey functions as both a tense survival thriller and a character-driven origin story within the Predator universe. Its central themes include self-determination, the meaning of courage, and the difference between appearing powerful and truly understanding one’s opponent. The film also contrasts the Comanche relationship with nature—based on observation, adaptation, and respect—with the destructive pursuit of conquest by colonial outsiders. Led by Amber Midthunder’s focused performance, Prey is a lean, atmospheric action film that grounds its science-fiction premise in a vivid historical setting and gives its heroine a compelling struggle to be recognized on her own terms.