The Best Predator Movie Since The Original Perfectly Flipped What Made Arnold Schwarzeneggers Film So Good

The best Predator movie since the original film was Prey, which perfectly flipped the set-up of the former on its head. The Predator movies are home to amazing scenes, but overall the reception of the franchise has varied. The original movie remains one of the best-ranked Predator movies, with 2022’s Prey quickly joining it after the reinvention of the series and the titular Predator creature.

This reinvention was one of the primary reasons behind Prey‘s success. In many ways, the new entry flipped the entire premise of the franchise on its head, as typified by the Predator movie’s genre crossovers and the name of the movie being the opposite word of the 1987 original. Above all else, there was one key way Prey reversed the premise of Predator, somehow simultaneously taking the franchise in a new direction as a result while still maintaining what made the latter so special.

Prey’s Premise Is The Exact Opposite Of The Original Predator’s Story

The Onset Of Prey’s Story Flips That Of The Original

In the first Predator, the movie was so compelling due to the battle it sets up between Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch, his team, and the titular Yautja. The film wastes no time in introducing Dutch and his team as huge, burly men who coexist as an elite team. This team fears nothing, and there is nothing they cannot handle. This is showcased even more so by the focus on the heavy weapons and ammunition the team is carrying. After all this, the reveal that the only thing they cannot handle is the Predator itself makes the film’s story set-up incredibly intriguing.

This sets up the Predator’s overwhelming threat, and Prey manages to do the exact same thing only by completely reversing this setup. With the premise of Predator in mind, Prey opens with the audience having the subconscious knowledge that there is nothing Naru or anyone else from the 18th century can do against a Yautja that proved such a threat to the heavily armed, technologically advanced men of Dutch’s team. The contrast between Naru’s setting and that of Dutch raises the threat level of the Predator even more, making Prey that much more exciting when the former manages to outwit the creature.

It Took 35 Years For Predator To Replicate The First Movie’s Magic

Prey Quickly Became The Best Predator Movie Since The Original

Thanks to this setup, Prey easily recaptured the magic of 1987’s Predator. After decades of attempts to continue the franchise, Prey proved the most successful due to the way it could take the series back to basics while introducing a compelling new character, a fresh time setting, and thus, a unique story that combined the best elements of Predator with something original. Prey‘s reception from audiences and critics alike proved this, as it became the best-reviewed installment in the franchise.

The other entries in the franchise between Predator and Prey did not try hard enough to differentiate themselves from the original. When they did, such as 2018’s The Predator introducing the concept that autism is integral to understanding Yautja languages and the alien’s plan, they were too outlandish to be received well. This is where Prey stands apart; it managed to recapture the simplicity of the first movie’s story while providing fresh updates that worked, thus combining to make the best Predator movie in over 30 years.

Prey Was The Movie Predator Needed After Multiple Failures

Thanks To Prey, The Franchises Future Looks Brighter Than Ever

Not only was Prey responsible for recapturing the critical and commercial love for the Predator franchise, but it was also likely the series’ last chance at redemption. If Prey had failed to recapture that magic, it is highly unlikely that another movie in the franchise would be crafted, as has since become the case with another 80s franchise like The Terminator. Thankfully though, Prey became exactly the movie the Predator franchise needed in order to have a future.

Aside from the obvious positive reception to the movie, it was Prey‘s unique story set-up that gave the Predator franchise a new lease of life. Prey introduced the idea that the Predator creature could be dropped into different eras of human history, giving each different protagonist the task of discovering how to defeat the ultimate hunter. This led to many theories about which time period the Predator could show up in next, which would not have been possible without Prey‘s premise.

Although it is unclear if this roadmap for the franchise will be utilized, Prey nonetheless reignited interest in a series that had struggled after several failures. This is evident by a sequel to Prey being placed in development, as well as another standalone entry into the franchise titled Predator: Badlands. The latter is being developed by Prey filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg, proving above all else that the 2022 movie was exactly what the Predator franchise needed.

Serving as a prequel to the entire Predator series, Prey is set in the world of the Comanche Nation 300 years ago. The action-thriller follows Naru, the skilled warrior who fiercely protects her tribe against a highly evolved alien predator. The film will also reveal the origin of the Predator warrior race’s descent to Earth for the first time. Naru will have to utilize the tools of her time to combat a threat with skills and weapons that exist far beyond her time.

Director

Dan Trachtenberg

Release Date

August 5, 2022

Writers

Patrick Aison , Dan Trachtenberg

Cast

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

Runtime

1h 40m