Predator prequel Prey — that is enjoyable to say out loud — got here to Hulu on Friday (and Disney Plus Star outdoors the US), bringing the enduring sci-fi collection again to 1719. It sees one of many alien hunters going up in opposition to Comanche Nation tribespeople like Naru (Amber Midthunder), and it is completely glorious.

“That is simply the perfect Predator film we have had for the reason that unique, with a well-developed protagonist (and her glorious canine), a wealthy cultural foundation and intelligent use of an iconic film monster,” I wrote in my CNET overview.

It builds to a memorable finale, hints at what occurred afterward in its lovely animated credit sequences and contains an superior reference to 1990’s Predator 2. Let’s dive in — however be warned: These items will make you a SPOILER Tyrannosaurus, identical to me.

We are able to kill it

Having seen her fellow Comanche Nation warriors and the deeply disagreeable French poachers slaughtered by the Predator, Naru lures the beast right into a lure at midnight forest. She kills it utilizing a mixture of her data of the surroundings, the weapons she’s gathered (together with a well-recognized flintlock pistol with the engraving “Raphael Adolini 1715” — extra on that later) and the Predator’s personal tech.

Coated within the alien’s luminous inexperienced blood, she brings its decapitated head again to camp and is honored as a hunter by her tribe. It mirrors the sequence through which her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers) did so with the lion earlier within the film, after she didn’t. In killing the Predator that took Taabe’s life, Naru has proved herself to be the tribe’s largest badass.

And so they all lived fortunately ever after. Besides…

Predator revenge?

We get a supercool animated recap of the film’s occasions over the primary part of the credit, with one further wrinkle. The ultimate picture pans to indicate a Predator ship popping out of storm clouds over Naru’s camp, implying that the aliens attacked once more. Which does not appear sporting of the Predators — you misplaced guys, go house.

It is unclear how these occasions performed out — maybe we’ll discover out in a sequel someday — or after they occurred. It is potential that they left Naru in peace and the picture is a metaphor for later hunts involving people, for the reason that unique Predator and its sequels reveal that the aliens are kinda obsessive about battling us.

That is likely to be wishful considering although, for the reason that flintlock pistol Naru obtained from murdered French poacher Raphael (Bennett Taylor) provides us a clue. It is on her belt when she returns to camp, however followers will comprehend it reveals up later within the collection.

Raphael Adolini 1715

In Predator 2, which takes place in 1997, LAPD Lt. Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) and the primary Predator — often known as the Metropolis Hunter — battle on one of many aliens’ ships. After the human triumphs, a bunch of different Predators decloak and appear able to homicide him.

As an alternative, considered one of them flings him a present — Raphael’s 282-year-old flintlock pistol.

“Take it,” the Predator growls to an astounded Harrigan.

On the very least, this proves that the Predators took again this gun sooner or later within the intervening years. They may have killed Naru (for the reason that credit picture suggests they attacked her once more), allied together with her (people are accepted by Predators within the Alien vs. Predator comics and the 2004 film) or simply retrieved it after she died.

Prey apparently overwrites the occasions of the 1996 comedian Predator: 1718, through which one of many aliens groups up with a pirate captain to battle his mutinous crew. The film’s Raphael, the one one of many French poachers who does not act like a complete dirtbag, is presumably the one whose identify is engraved on the weapon.

The Alien vs. Predator comics had been initially revealed by Darkish Horse, however the license transferred to Marvel within the wake of dad or mum firm Disney nabbing the Alien and Predator rights after its 2019 Fox acquisition. They don’t seem to be at the moment obtainable to learn digitally, however Marvel may rerelease them prefer it did with Darkish Horse’s Star Wars comics.