Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey gives us a new contrast to the Predator series by taking the audience through a primal contest between hunter and hunted. While exploring the Northern Great Plains in 1719, the film illustrates the act of hunting as a profound commentary on power, survival, and resistance. For the Comanche Warriors, the act of hunting is a means of provision and seen as a rite of passage; intrinsically tied to cultural identity and respect for the natural world. This stands in opposition to the other hunters showcased in the film. The Predator hunts for sport and is shown as a trophy hunter. This is showcased through the Predators raw power and dominance of the environment. The fur tappers however, hunt for greed. They are seen as glutinous and represent an extractive colonial power that consumes without reverence. Through these opposing forces, Naru’s journey becomes one of resistance, showing that survival is a balance of intelligence, adaptability, and an understanding of one’s environment, as opposed to brute strength alone.
Throughout the film a fascinating triad of masculinity is shown through the hunters. The Comanches Warriors, especially Naur’s brother Taabe, provide a sense of communal masculinity. A mindset that your body and its strength is given to your community as a provider. There is a sense of community and willingness to die for those that you are protecting. The fur trappers represent colonial masculinity; brutal, greedy, and believe nature and people are resources to exploit. The Predator itself is the ultimate embodiment of hyper-masculine, trophy-hunting prowess; it is a literal “hardbody” whose power is derived from superior technology and physical invulnerability.
In this, Prey can subvert the “hardbody” action hero model. In past Predator installments where Arnold Schwarzenegger ultimately wins through a regression to primitive traps, Naru never relies on brute force. She is ultimately victorious for her patience and intellect. She studies her conflicts closely and eventually adapts and overcomes her challenges. The parallels between the Predator and the Fur Trappers further highlight this subversion. Both are invasive forces with advanced technology, both disrespect the natural order, and both hunt not for sustenance but for selfish purposes; trophies or profit.
At its core, this film challenges traditional action hero archetypes through the portrayal of Naru’s character. She is not an already proven warrior seeking a greater challenge; she is a determined young woman trying to prove her capabilities in a society that dismisses her. Her journey is one of earned skill, not pre-existing supremacy. Furthermore, the film’s representation of Naru significantly challenges Hollywood’s historical representation of Indigenous people. She is not a romanticized Indigenous archetype or a passive victim. She is a complex, resourceful, and relatable character whose story is told from her perspective.
The question of whether this empowerment risks falling into stereotypes is important when digesting the film.. In my opinion, Prey seems to empower its Indigenous protagonist. Naru’s victory is not a fluke but the direct result of her skills and perspective, which are rooted in her Comanche identity. The film makes her success a product of her own intelligence, training, and resilience, ultimately affirming that her way of seeing the world in the lens of synthesis and respect, is the true key to survival.
Notable Shots:
Naru tracking the deer in the forest (3:38 – 3:45, Trachtenberg):
When Naru crouches to track the deer, the camera shifts to a low angle from behind her, which focuses on her axe, lining up her sight with ours over her shoulder. The slow tracking movement mirrors her steadying her shot, and then a sharp cut to the startled deer breaks the rhythm. This intentional framing makes us share her perspective as a capable hunter
The Predator’s standoff with the French trappers (1:05:10 – 1:05:20, Trachtenberg):
The camera frames the Predator and the French trapper in a wide shot. The stillness of the camera makes it feel like a classic standoff, but the Predator’s relaxed posture versus the trapper’s desperate aim flips the power dynamic. By keeping the shot drawn out without quick cuts, the editing emphasizes the inevitability that the musket is useless, and the audience understands that the trapper is outmatched.
The final trap scene with Naru (1:27:10 – 1:27:25, Trachtenberg):
After Naru pulls the Predator into the bog, the camera lingers in close-up on her eyes before cutting to a medium shot of the Predator with lasers on his head. The editing tightens into quick alternating cuts between her calm stillness and the Predator’s sense of helplessness, as he feels vulnerable for the first time. This shift in rhythm no longer places us in awe of the Predator but instead positions Naru as the dominant force, completing her transformation into a hunter rather than a hunted.
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