Starring Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, and Julian Black Antelope

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg

Hulu/Disney+, out 5 August

Young warrior Naru discovers that not all predators are natural…

This fifth instalment of the Predator franchise is very different to anything that we’ve had before – and not just in terms of its time period (it’s very specifically set in 1719). It’s a film that doesn’t shy away in any way from depicting the harshness of the world it describes, and the presence of an almost-entirely Native / First Nation cast puts the representation front and centre: we believe that we are in the world of the Comanche and Trachtenberg takes time to ensure that that belief is solid before the arrival of the alien.

Prey returns the franchise to its roots, and on the whole does so successfully. The alien isn’t the only predator present: it was a period when Europeans were making their presence felt in North America, and they provide some “cannon fodder” for the Predator to deal with. But it’s Amber Midthunder as Naru and Dakota Beavers as her brother Taabe whose characters’ efforts against the Predator are central (along with Naru’s dog!), and the nature of that combat isn’t what you might expect, making it all the more engrossing. Previous films have centred around the technologies on either side pitted against each other; here, the Comanche don’t have – and really, don’t need – fancy gadgetry.

The foreshadowing isn’t subtle – there’s a couple of times when Naru faces an obstacle and you know that it’s going to play a key role later on – but the script provides opportunities for some stunning visuals, some involving the Predator’s vaunted invisibility.

Verdict: A very different, and very effective take on the Predator mythos that respects the culture it’s depicting. 8/10

Paul Simpson