Proie

I always liked natural horror/eco terror genre and who doesn't? With entertaining flicks such as The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), Them! (1954,)Jaws (1975), Prophecy (1979) and more recently Gwoemul (2006), Rogue (2007)etc.

This film also contains a family feud, between generations with a lot of dark undercurrents that is not that common but fuels this thriller and makes it a little less predictable. There are twists and turns that will surprise future viewers and feels more like a play from Eugene O'Neill, Tennesse Williams etc.

When it comes to the genre of pigkiller films, the FX is not bad but could been a little more audience friendly. Even Razorback (1984) gave us better and that movies FX has aged. Compared to Chawu (2009)however, it does not solely rely on CGP(computer generated pork).

The message is common tired old cliché but nevertheless important, profit at any cost even if the environment has to pay a high price. The acting is pretty solid with lots of nice performances from Grégoire Colin, François Levantal, Fred Ulysse, Joseph Malerba etc.

Sometimes it feels like you are watching the disintegration of a family. Add natural horror/eco terror you get a pretty nice mix. But this being a darker, European, genre film don't expect a upbeat, positive tone, this film contains no lighter moments.

While not the greatest effort, it is solid, has some scary moments and is more entertaining then Pig Hunt (2008)and should give any future viewer a good popcorn cinema fest.

Nathan and Claire are over the moon as they're about to announce to her family that she is pregnant. But the joyous occasion doesn't go according to plan. Not only is the family's Pharmaceutical business in trouble, Claire's father is also mysteriously attacked by terrorised deer. Nathan reluctantly joins the heavily armed in-laws to find out what causes the odd behaviour. But as they venture deep into the woods, they soon discover that what started out as a hunting party, has turned into Prey.

When you think of New Wave French Horror, you think of gory insanity. If you go into this film with that expectation, you will be bitterly disappointed. If you go into it expecting a good old fashioned suspense film, then you will be pleasantly surprised! Starting with, the characters are quite self indulgent and unlikeable, so you don't get any sympathy for their cause. This is the biggest downfall of the film. With better characters, a connection with them would have caused the horror scenes to be even more of an impact. Now for the positives. Visually, this is a stunning film. Reminded me of South Korean Cinematography in some instances, with the bright colouring and almost surreal atmosphere. This is a film of "seeing less is best" so there are no CGI creatures in this film, which is great because most of the time, CGI can take the realism out of it. You don't actually get to see the dangers in focus, its all a blur, but by the way its filmed, you know that the threat is very intimidating. Film making of this technique is not common in the world dominated by CGI. So its great to see that some directors still like to let the viewer use their imagination. With great suspense and a surprising ending, this film comes recommended. Its not the greatest French Horror film, but if you are bored one night, this certainly makes entertaining viewing.

Decent enough gore and violence. Its too bad the characters were so unlikable. I might have cared if they got eaten or not.

A man wanders into his yard to find some deer badly mutilated. Is this somehow related to the nearby chemical plant or a coincidence?

I have to say I enjoyed this movie. While not the greatest, it still had plenty of action, rich characters, a unique story, and amazing special effects. Whoever designed those animals did such an impressive job. I also appreciate the use of not showing things rather than showing them on occasion -- the imagination can fill in blanks nicer than CGI can more often than not.

The romantic interest in this film is Claire, plated by Bérénice Bejo. You may recall Bejo as Christiana from "A Knight's Tale" or more recently as Peppy Miller in "The Artist". Her role is, sadly, rather small... but it was nice to see some noteworthy talent in a movie that otherwise had no names to speak of that I (as an American unfamiliar with French cinema) could recognize.

If you wanted to venture into the world of French horror, this is not a bad place to start (and it makes a nice double feature with "The Pack").

I know this film has received quite a bit of press and discussion on the Wildside forums but for some reason I was at a loss for what this film was about when I first rented it. As it progressed, I got the picture rather quick as Prey doesn't take long at all to jump into the thick of things. It's no surprise (or spoiler) that Prey's killer pigs aren't normal but I probably should warn creature feature fans that these particular piggies aren't of the deformed variety. They do, however, appear to be real deal FX creations (which they reveal sparingly) instead of CG though and that really helped me remain within the film.

The actors all performed admirably but their characters were, in my opinion, rather bland and lacked personality. Not only did they come off flat but their motivations will be disappointingly apparent to astute viewers, leading to a predictability that siphons away some of the impact of the finale. I found myself losing interest in the fates of the characters, even the remotely likable ones, of which there weren't many. There's certainly more than enough tension to hold your attention though and it never lets up, not even for a minute.

Prey is a decent thriller with some gruesome sequences of woodland carnage but it's nothing I could see myself watching again or even purchasing for my personal collection. When it comes to killer pig flicks, it is infinitely superior exercise in suspense than a film like Pig Hunt, which was completely gonzo, but the ecological disaster concept is stale and the entire film lacks replay value for me. Still…not a bad film so give it a shot, you may enjoy it.