‘Prey’ (2022) 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – A Breath Of Fresh Air In A Long-Running Franchise

The epic Predator legacy continues with this action-thriller set in 1719 on the Great Plains with a band of Comanches. When Naru, a fierce and highly skilled young warrior, sets out to protect her people, the prey she stalks turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator — leading to a vicious and terrifying showdown.

For in-depth thoughts on Prey, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original streaming release here. 

Video Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Prey offers a fetching uptick in quality over the already formidable accompanying Blu-Ray. With the gorgeous expanses of nature on full display, you are grateful to have HDR to find the nuance within each setting and present it to its purest effect. The HDR enriches every color in a way that a lesser format cannot replicate. Skin tones appear more natural with crisp detail apparent on faces, including a collection of scrapes that grows throughout, and distinct makeup presenting with clarity. 

With this increased resolution, fine detail in the landscapes, garments and production design are more apparent than ever. The elements in the film taking place at night or in shadows are more distinct and finely delineated thanks to deep black levels. Those who have only seen the movie on streaming may be surprised to uncover some of the intricacies previously swallowed up in darkness. The highlights in the film are also more crisply defined with white levels pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found even under sunlight. This 4K UHD presentation is a major winner with gains in every conceivable category. The Blu-Ray is no slouch, but Disney and 20th Century Studios have delivered a knockout with the 4K UHD Blu-Ray release.  

Audio Quality

This disc comes equipped with a Dolby Atmos presentation that comes alive from the opening moments and rarely lets up. Compared to some audio tracks from the studio that get criticized for a lacking low response, this track digs deep and more than gets the job done. The sparse dialogue is presented perfectly clearly without ever being overshadowed by any of the competing sonic elements. The score is a very important part of the film’s tone, and it permeates the room with a vengeance. 

Environmental details are carefully dispersed in the rear and overhead channels to capture each new challenge. The overhead channels take on a fair amount of information which adds a distinct sense of space to this action-packed tale. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the copious amounts of kinetic scenes to interpersonal moments of dialogue. This is the type of audience experience you want from this franchise. There are optional English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles provided. On an interesting note, this disc provides a Comanche audio track in Dolby Digital 5.1 that is worth checking out, even if we would have preferred a proper lossless track. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Director Dan Trachtenberg, actor Amber Midthunder, cinematographer Jeff Cutter, and editor Angela M. Catanzaro provide a really informative commentary track in which they discuss the production of the film in depth including the shooting locations, the changes from the original script, the qualities of the performances, working with the newly trained pup, the themes of the story, the enhancements of the visual effects and much more that makes you appreciate the film even more. 
• Making Of Prey: A 12-minute piece that delves into the creation of this feature from the development of the script to the efforts to get the Comanche representation to feel authentic, the dynamics between characters, the training that went into getting ready for the shoot, developing the visual effects, expanding the Predator lore and more.  

• Prey FYC Panel with Cast & Crew: A 29-minute panel hosted by Barry Jenkins with Director Dan Trachtenberg, actor Amber Midthunder, producer Jhane Myers, cinematographer Jeff Cutter, editor Angela M. Catanzaro, and creature designer Alec Gillis. In this discussion, you get insights into his this project came about, why it was so important to the Comanche people, the process of inhabiting the lead character, the visual approach to the film, the look of this version of the Predator and more. 

• Deleted Scenes with Commentary: Three unused scenes totaling five minutes are included here (some in pre-vis form) featuring a forced commentary track from director Dan Trachtenberg, who discusses the reason they ditched the alternate opening, scenes of additional tribe dynamics and more. 

Final Thoughts

Prey is a terrific breath of fresh air to a franchise that has had a somewhat rocky existence since the first entry. The conceit is so simple, but the execution is downright masterful as the film takes its story seriously and elevates every element with considerate filmmaking. The Comanche perspective is not thrown in haphazardly, as the DNA of this script is inextricably linked in a compelling manner. Amber Midthunder is a force of nature in the lead role, and she deserves to have more people pursue her for their projects. This movie simply rocks! 20th Century Studios and Disney Home Entertainment have released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation and a nice assortment of special features. If you are a lover of sci-fi/action films, this is not to be missed. Recommended 

Prey will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray and DVD on October 3, 2023.  

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: 20th Century Studios and Disney Home Entertainment have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.