By Sarah Schachner

Hollywood Records, out now

 

A very different Predator movie – and a very different score…

Prey takes a very different route from any of the other Predator franchise entries – and as a result is easily the best one since at least Predator 2, if not indeed the original – and so it’s as wonderful that the music also takes a different route in so many ways, and equally successfully.

Assassin’s Creed Origins and Valhalla composer Sarah Schachner, taking on the musical duty here, opens with the distinctive ripple of the Predator theme intro, but in a quieter form of plucked strings, before giving us a worldbuilding emotional score that brings out the era of the historical setting, the peace and dangers of the wilderness, and of course the threat of the alien antagonist, centring on the emotional core of Naru.

Balancing so many disparate tones and styles is tricky, but Schachner succeeds very clearly, with some lovely flute  and choral passages covering the land and Naru’s quest to find her place in her world, counterpointed with  breathless percussion when pursued by a bear. Being set in the 18th Century, we’re given a feel of the era, with plucked strings and hurdy gurdy elements that bring other aliens – the French! – into the Comanche nation in the shape of fur trappers with guns and ale.

Fans of the franchise, however, will be curious to hear how the regular themes fit in to the score, and as it turns out, they blend in most often in a camouflaged way. This score doesn’t simply mix Alan Silvestri’s original theme with contemporary action thumping as the other Predator sequels have done. Rather it blends elements in by means of the plucked strings, and in particular with the double bass, most of these played by Schachner herself, and the result is that it feels appropriate to the setting, as we’re hearing instruments in common use, or at least close to it, in the 18th Century.

This is most recognisably heard, both in terms of instrumentation and recognisability of the original themes, in “Onslaught” and “Horseback Ambush.” In terms of the flute and vocal sections giving us aural insight into Naru’s character, these are performed by Robert Mirabel, who deserves a mention here, and these tracks exploring Naru’s theme, such as “Naru’s Way” and “Brave Girl” are longer on the album than in the movie, giving us a chance to better appreciate them, as they were composed ahead of filming, rather than to a workprint.

Verdict: This is a beautiful soundtrack, matching both the beauty of Naru, the landscape, the cinematography… and the tension and terrors of the alien threats; both the white fur-trappers and the Predator itself. Magnificent in its fitting to the movie and its difference from the previous scores in the franchise. 10/10

David A McIntee