Prey (2022)

Prey’s computer-made bear looks like it escaped from a phone game, and the scene is still one of the tensest in the whole Predator series. Dan Trachtenberg strips the idea down to something simple: a young hunter who wants to prove herself meets something that hunts for sport. Amber Midthunder is terrific as Naru, a Comanche healer in training who reads tracks, plants and weather like a detective, and the movie respects how smart she is. Her people are written as people, with their own skills, doubts and teasing. Dakota Beavers is good as her brother Taabe, who believes in her more than he lets on. The weak spot is the crew of French trappers, who are grimy cartoon villains, plus a couple of other animals that look obviously digital. It cost a reported $65M and holds a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. An 8.1 because it’s lean, smart and built around a hero who earns every win. $759 says you try reading animal tracks at the park this weekend and get way too confident about a squirrel.

What works: Amber Midthunder carries the film as a hero who wins with her brain, and the Comanche characters are written with respect and real depth.

What doesn’t: Some of the digital animals look unfinished, and the French trappers are flat villains who drag down the middle of the movie.

Who it’s for: Action and horror fans who want a lean, clever survival story, and anyone who wrote off the Predator series years ago.