Prey [2021] – Netflix Review (3/5)

PREY on Netflix is a new German thriller with a survival plot. It has a lot going for it and starts strong. However, it does also feel long despite having a runtime of just 87 minutes. Still, it’s a good watch for Friday night entertainment. Read our full Prey movie review here!

PREY is a new Netflix thriller from Germany. This one with a survival plot which is intersected with elements from before this terrible day in the woods. A group of male friends are out on a hike as a bachelor party of sorts for one of them.

It reminded me a bit of the rather excellent The Ritual but without the plot twists of that one. This new German Netflix addition is a lot more straightforward. However, there is a lull in the second half of the movie which makes it feel long. Quite the feat with an 87-minute runtime.

Continue reading our Prey movie review below and check it out on Netflix now.

Who do you want to survive with?!

There is clearly a lot of history between these characters and, of course, this will come into play as they’re seemingly hunted for sport. Two of them are brothers and where one is the sweet and caring type (the one getting married), the other seems like quite an asshole.

The remaining three characters cover all sorts of types between the two brothers. In general, the question quickly becomes: “Who do I want to survive with?” But also the bigger picture question of: “Can I live with myself if don’t help my friends?”.

It should come as no surprise that some people think about saving themselves (purely on instinct) while others cannot leave someone behind. So, who will survive in the end? You’ll have to watch Prey to find out.

For the record, there should be a few familiar faces for those of you who sometimes watch German-language or Germany-based productions. The cast includes Hanno Koffler (Babylon Berlin), David Kross (The Reader), Robert Finster (Freud), Klaus Steinbacher (Oktoberfest: Beer & Blood), and Yung Ngo (Dogs of Berlin, Mute).

Netflix movie Prey ending

Let me touch on the ending of the Netflix movie Prey for a minute. I don’t want to give any spoilers so this isn’t an ending explained piece. Instead, I want to mention the fact that I expect some people will dislike the somewhat open ending of Prey on Netflix.

There are plenty of answers given. However, here at Heaven of Horror, we learned that some answers often aren’t enough. That was the case with Open House (another Netflix movie) and I suspect the same might be the case here.

However, when someone decides to hunt people in the woods, there might not always be a clear-cut and rational explanation. Or rather, there is an explanation, but it might not make sense to us as viewers. It doesn’t make much sense to those being hunted and trying to survive either.

Then again, when does it make sense to a victim that someone wants to kill them?! From the beginning, when the shooting starts, our five friends are certain that it must be a mistake and shout out to the shooter. Obviously thinking that they’re hunters who are also very bad marksmen. Well, that is not the case here, as they learn – and they learn fast but not nearly fast enough.

Watch Prey on Netflix now!

Thomas Sieben is the writer and director of Prey and we’ve already reviewed another movie directed by him. That was the German remake of The Disappearance of Alice Creed which had the title Kidnapping Stella. Since we loved the original UK film and hated (yes, we did!) the changes to the remake plot, we were not fans.

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Our review of Kidnapping Stella which is also on Netflix >

However, Thomas Sieben didn’t write that movie and he did write Prey. Also, a remake will also be very different from an original story. In other words, we’re a lot happier this time around.

The challenge with this movie was just a good 10 minutes where nothing much happened. If this has been tightened up, the overall result would have been much stronger. Still, Prey isn’t a bad idea for Friday night entertainment so give it a shot.

Prey is out on Netflix from September 10, 2021.

Details

Director & Writer: Thomas Sieben
Stars: David Kross, Hanno Koffler, Robert Finster, Maria Ehrich