Reel Views: Prey-ing on your free time
New to the film scene, French director Antoine Blossier brings the terror and gore in 2010's French language thriller Prey.
Prey is simply the story of a family of hunters who struggle to maintain their predator status against a group of wild boars who have been biologically altered by exposure to chemicals. Details are scarce throughout the film, however it's clear that the men are a family, some of whom own the company responsible for dumping the chemicals affecting the boars. Also known is the fact that the younger of the men, Nathan, and his wife are expecting a child, causing some unexplained tensions between the couple. Not much else is revealed about the characters; they are simply men hunting boars.
The cast of Prey is largely unknown to North American cinema. Gregoire Colin takes the lead as Nathan, playing a somewhat flat character. Every once in a while Colin's talent shines through and he compels you to empathize with him, yet most of his time spent on screen Colin gives next to nothing to the viewer. Berenice Bejo plays opposite Colin as Nathan's wife Claire, who appears briefly in the beginning and makes a major reappearance in the film's back half. Bejo is convincing as a pregnant wife whose husband is under attack by beasts, but at times she comes off as whiny. The main cast is rounded out by Francois Levantal as Nicholas, Claire's father.
The most memorable aspect of Prey is undoubtedly the amount of brutal gore within the film. Buckets of blood, horrific wounds and pain abound in the mere 76-minute run-time. Quite overwhelming, the shocking carnage does invoke fear in the viewer. Credit must be given to the CG team behind the boars in Prey, as they have clearly learned well from those who came before them; much like the shark in Jaws, the beasts in Prey are seldom viewed, spending most of their time hiding in the shadowy underbrush of the woods.
Prey is difficult to follow at the best of times: the plot moves far too quickly and too few details are provided to create any sort of context. The optional English subtitles don't quite sync up with the dialogue and the translation seems slightly askew. The story holds no meaning, nor does it provide a way in which to relate to the characters, but that is a fitting characteristic of low-budget horror films. Prey is more about scaring the audience than anything else and it accomplishes that in certain ways. The DVD contains virtually no special features apart from the option of English subtitles.
If you're looking for a gore-fest with no meaningful plot, then Prey is right up your alley. If you prefer something quieter and deeper, think twice before spending your time on this one.
Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars
Prey is simply the story of a family of hunters who struggle to maintain their predator status against a group of wild boars who have been biologically altered by exposure to chemicals. Details are scarce throughout the film, however it's clear that the men are a family, some of whom own the company responsible for dumping the chemicals affecting the boars. Also known is the fact that the younger of the men, Nathan, and his wife are expecting a child, causing some unexplained tensions between the couple. Not much else is revealed about the characters; they are simply men hunting boars.
The cast of Prey is largely unknown to North American cinema. Gregoire Colin takes the lead as Nathan, playing a somewhat flat character. Every once in a while Colin's talent shines through and he compels you to empathize with him, yet most of his time spent on screen Colin gives next to nothing to the viewer. Berenice Bejo plays opposite Colin as Nathan's wife Claire, who appears briefly in the beginning and makes a major reappearance in the film's back half. Bejo is convincing as a pregnant wife whose husband is under attack by beasts, but at times she comes off as whiny. The main cast is rounded out by Francois Levantal as Nicholas, Claire's father.
The most memorable aspect of Prey is undoubtedly the amount of brutal gore within the film. Buckets of blood, horrific wounds and pain abound in the mere 76-minute run-time. Quite overwhelming, the shocking carnage does invoke fear in the viewer. Credit must be given to the CG team behind the boars in Prey, as they have clearly learned well from those who came before them; much like the shark in Jaws, the beasts in Prey are seldom viewed, spending most of their time hiding in the shadowy underbrush of the woods.
Prey is difficult to follow at the best of times: the plot moves far too quickly and too few details are provided to create any sort of context. The optional English subtitles don't quite sync up with the dialogue and the translation seems slightly askew. The story holds no meaning, nor does it provide a way in which to relate to the characters, but that is a fitting characteristic of low-budget horror films. Prey is more about scaring the audience than anything else and it accomplishes that in certain ways. The DVD contains virtually no special features apart from the option of English subtitles.
If you're looking for a gore-fest with no meaningful plot, then Prey is right up your alley. If you prefer something quieter and deeper, think twice before spending your time on this one.
Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars
