"You can't see that I'm killing you, and it won't either."

Happy spoopy season! We back baby!  Just because I'm workin on a podcast doesn't mean this year's festival is postponed, no sir! That's three concurrent sentences with exclamation marks, I'm goigto tone it down now.  You see, I had some very strong coffee about 10 hours ago and it is currently 3:04AM, I'm almost starting to get sleepy.  In any event, what a way to start 2022's Images of Fright Festival, this is year 13! I'm calling it now, I do not think I will see a better movie this year than what I just watched, but of course,I hope I am wrong.

Prey is an amazing movie for a myriad of reasons but right off the bat, let's start with the obvious, a female hero!  I do believe chronilogically, the character of Naru, is the first final girl.  Unless there is a horror movie about the Salem witch trials out there that I havent seen.  Honestly, we had to read The Crucible in high school and I found it to be very tedious and I don't think I everfinished it, I know there's a movie about it too but 20 years later. I really don't care about that story.  I couldn't even tell you if there were actual witches in the story or if it's just  a long boring trial with people in ridiculous hats.    

Barring any cave-man or early civilization horror movies I'm not familar with, this protagonist is in fact, the first true final girl. She deals with not wanting to accept the typical feminine role that should be expected of her and goes out to prove not only the men but all the nay sayers wrong.  She is a hero in every sense of the word; a brave hunter, a defender, and role model.  Without spoiling the movie, I will say she is a cunning fighter with the will to survive.  She isn't just fighting animals or men, she is targetting none other than a Predator! I really love her character. Also, her face reminds me a bit of Audrey Plaza.

Another great and unique thingabout this movie is that it uses an all Native cast!  The protagonists are all Native people and the story centers on the Comanche Nation of 1719. I should say that there are some European characters that show up at some point and are played by European/ Caucasian men but the main story revolves around Naru  and Comanche customs and way of life back then.  I can't speak for how authentic the depiction of the Comanches are but I imagine that for a film to center around Native people with  a mostly all Native cast in 2022, authenticity was important.  I know Amber Midthunder who plays Naru has spoken out about the importance of Native representation.  Yjere's a couple scenes in the film that I know were authentic based on thins I remember from my Native American Studies class, such as how Naru brushes her teeth.  I really love that this is a movie almost entirely about Natives with a mostly Native cast that refrains from "othering" them.  I feel my Native ancestors would be happy and prud of this film.

  As I briefly mentioned, this film is in the Predator franchise and inmy opinion, is up there with the origiinal in terms of quality.  The concept grabs the viewer right away, how is a technologically primative (by comparison)  group of people going to be able to defend temselves against a freakin' Predator with it's futuristic tech?  This Predator is also not messing around, you see it kill and maim before facing our hero.  This iteration of the creature seems a little more primitive  as well which shows you how fast that species can evolve  by the time we get to the original 1986 film.  Boy, is he/she an ugly alien too, more so than in previous films.  The clicking and gurgling sounds it makes when preying on it's victims are also fun to make, I couldn't help myself.  I will say that the final battle definitely delivered but the ending seemed strange.  

Overall this is a great addition to the franchise, a prequel in case I need to mention it because you don't know how time works or you forgot.  I never knew what was about to happen next and this kept me intrigued.  It doesnot rely on jump scares which I appreciate and it builds tension very well.  There is also a dog and that is always a good thing except if Will Smith is involved or if there is a curse on a pet cementery or something.  This movieis unique and I am glad I watched it on its opening weekend, hopefully Hollywood takesnotice of all the good feedback it is getting, go watch it!