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Plot Summary

Prey (1977) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
1977 · 85 mins · English
Directed by
Norman J. Warren
Starring
Barry Stokes, Eddie Stacey, Sally Faulkner, Glory Annen, Kelly Marcel, Sandy Chinney

After a strange green light flashes across the English sky, the day after the eerie illumination, a bizarre young man—an alien predator—appears at the isolated country home of two lesbian housemates. Driven by an inexplicable, savage hunger, his presence turns their quiet lives into a terrifying struggle for survival.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Prey
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Prey (1977)

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Prey: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Prey (1977) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

In the quiet woods of rural England, a carnivorous shape‑shifting alien named Kator lands as the vanguard of an invasion, with a chilling mission: determine whether humans could serve as a future food source for his species. He quickly adopts the appearance of Anders [Barry Stokes], and, pretending to be injured, he is taken in by a secluded lesbian couple living in a manor house. The two women, Jessica [Glory Annen] and Jo [Sally Faulkner], are the sole inhabitants of the estate, a place Jessica owns having inherited it from her Canadian parents. Jo, bold and suspicious of men, dominates the dynamic, while Jessica, though restless and hungry for something new, welcomes the stranger’s arrival. They exist in a world of quiet routine—vegetarian meals, simple pleasures, a few chickens, and a pet parrot named Wally—undisturbed by the outside world.

Kator’s arrival destabilizes their lives from the start. He uses the disguise of Anders to gain entry, and tensions flare as the two women-turned-housemates clash over trust, control, and privacy. The married life of the estate is interrupted by dark undercurrents: in a brutal echo of his true nature, Kator returns to the spot where he had killed Anderson and Sandy—a couple found in their parked car—then brutally kills and partly devours two policemen who come to inspect the abandoned car. At the manor, Jessica discovers a knife and bloodstained clothes in a spare room, and, recognizing Simon’s clothes, she realizes that Simon, Jessica’s boyfriend, was murdered by Jo. The revelation shatters the fragile balance between the two women and shifts the power dynamic inside the house.

A disturbed Jo seizes the moment, furious when the chickens go missing. She suspects a fox, but her fear is more than evidence-based; she suspects something beyond the ordinary. The trio goes on a hunt that ends with Kator killing a fox and presenting the carcass as a trophy to Jessica and Jo. They celebrate with a champagne party, a moment that deepens the strange bond between the alien and the two women. Jo dresses Kator in drag as part of a twisted game of hide-and-seek that exposes more of the hunter’s emerging predatory instincts. When the fox is found stripped of its fur, Jo begins to fear that the danger may come from Anders—the stranger she once trusted. Jessica, beginning to see Jo’s jealousy and possessiveness in a new light, reveals that she knows the truth about Simon.

The morning after, Jo arms herself with a knife, stalking Kator as he hunts on a nearby river. Jessica calls from the house, interrupting the plan, and Kator wades into the river to simulate danger, allowing Jessica and Jo to rescue him and return to the house. In a grisly moment, Kator consumes Wally, the parrot, a stark reminder of his real appetite. Jessica then asserts her independence, telling Jo that she will no longer be controlled and that she plans to leave with Anders, threatening Jo’s grip on her life. Enraged, Jo knocks Jessica unconscious and runs into the woods to dig a grave for her rival.

When Jessica awakens, she seduces Kator, hoping to reclaim control. The lure awakens the alien’s true predatory nature, and in a savage reversal, Kator reverts to his natural form and rips Jessica’s throat open, killing her. Jo tries to flee, but she stumbles into the open grave in a fateful stumble, and Kator closes in, catching up to her as the scene fades to black.

Some time later, Kator leaves the house, contacting his mother ship with an alien transceiver. As he watches two girls strolling along the river, he reports in a cold, clinical voice that Earth shows promise and that more of his kind should be dispatched to continue the harvest. The invasion’s first probe ends not with triumph, but with a grim, unsettled warning of what Earth may face when contact becomes consumption. Kelly Marcel appears as the Enfant (uncredited), a reminder of the film’s eerie layering of human vulnerability with extraterrestrial appetite.

Last updated: October 05, 2025 at 12:17

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Plot questions answered

Prey Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Prey (1977): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why did Kator come to Earth?

Kator arrived as the vanguard of an alien invasion to determine whether humans could serve as a future food source for his species. He was tasked with studying humans up close to evaluate their viability as prey before reporting back to his mother ship.

Foreshadowing: His initial visit to Anderson and Sandy in their parked car was his first test of human vulnerability.

  • Kator
  • Earth invasion
  • alien mission
  • food source
  • prey
Q2

Why does Jessica seduce Kator?

After waking up and discovering Jo has dragged her outside to dig a grave, Jessica attempts to regain control over the situation by seducing Kator. She hopes that by becoming intimate with the alien, she can manipulate him into protecting her against Jo.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Jessica declared she would leave with Anders, which threatened Jo's control over the household.

  • Jessica
  • seduction
  • Kator
  • control
  • manipulation
Q3

What happens to Jo at the end?

After Kator kills Jessica, Jo attempts to flee into the woods but trips and falls into the open grave she had dug for Jessica. Kator catches up to her, and her scream fades as the scene ends, implying she is killed.

Foreshadowing: Jo's earlier attempt to kill Kator with a knife by the river had already established her as a direct threat.

  • Jo
  • death
  • grave
  • ending
  • Kator
Q4

Why does Kator kill Jessica?

During intercourse, Jessica's seduction triggers Kator's true predatory instincts to emerge. He reverts to his natural form and tears her throat open, killing her instantly. The act demonstrates how his alien nature cannot be suppressed by human interaction.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Kator consumed the parrot Wally, showing his appetite was growing despite his disguised human form.

  • Jessica
  • Kator
  • death
  • predator
  • throat torn
Q5

Why did Jo kill Simon?

Jo murdered Simon, Jessica's boyfriend, out of jealousy and possessiveness. She wanted Jessica all to herself in their isolated manor house. Jessica discovers Simon's bloodstained clothes in a spare room, revealing Jo's crime.

Foreshadowing: Jo's suspicious and controlling behavior toward Jessica throughout the film hints at her possessive nature.

  • Jo
  • Simon
  • murder
  • jealousy
  • possessive
Q6

Why does Kator pretend to be Anders?

After killing the real Anderson and assuming his appearance, Kator uses the alias Anders to infiltrate human society undetected. He pretends to be injured to gain sympathy and shelter from Jessica and Jo at their isolated manor house.

Foreshadowing: Kator's first human victims were Anderson and Sandy, whose car he visited in the woods.

  • Kator
  • Anders
  • disguise
  • infiltration
  • shapeshifter
Q7

What does the ending of Prey mean?

After eliminating all three women, Kator uses an alien transceiver to contact his mother ship. He reports that Earth shows promise as a food source and urges more of his kind to be dispatched. The final image of two innocent girls walking by the river suggests the invasion is just beginning.

Foreshadowing: Kator's mission was always to evaluate humans as potential prey for his species.

  • ending
  • invasion
  • mother ship
  • Earth
  • harvest
Q8

Why does Kator kill the policemen?

Kator returns to the abandoned car where he previously killed Anderson and Sandy. When two policemen arrive to investigate the abandoned vehicle, he kills and partially devours them. This demonstrates his growing predatory appetite and removes potential witnesses to his earlier crimes.

Foreshadowing: The murder of Anderson and Sandy established his pattern of targeting isolated couples.

  • policemen
  • murder
  • cannibalism
  • Kator
  • forest
Q9

Why do Jessica and Jo take in Anders?

Jessica and Jo live in an isolated manor house with minimal contact from the outside world. When a man claiming to be injured appears at their door, their hospitality instincts lead them to take him in, despite Jo's suspicions. Jessica, feeling restless and hungry for something new, welcomes the excitement.

Foreshadowing: The women live a quiet, routine life undisturbed by the outside world, making them vulnerable to deception.

  • Jessica
  • Jo
  • Anders
  • hospitality
  • manor house
Q10

Why does Jo attack Jessica?

When Jessica declares she will leave with Anders, threatening Jo's control over her life and their relationship, Jo flies into a rage. She knocks Jessica unconscious and drags her into the woods to dig a grave, intending to kill her rival.

Foreshadowing: Jessica's earlier discovery of Simon's murder had already revealed Jo's capacity for violence.

  • Jo
  • Jessica
  • attack
  • grave
  • jealousy
Q11

What is Kator evaluating during his time at the manor?

Kator is evaluating whether humans would make suitable food for his species. He studies the three humans living in the manor, observing their behaviors, relationships, and vulnerabilities, to determine if Earth is worth invading for harvest.

Foreshadowing: His mission as the vanguard of the invasion was explicitly stated at the start of the film.

  • Kator
  • evaluation
  • humans
  • food source
  • invasion

Movie threads

More Movies Like Prey, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Prey tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Isolated siege horror movies like Prey

Characters trapped in a remote location with a relentless, monstrous threat. If you liked the tense, trapped feeling of Prey, explore more movies like it. This list features similar horror and thriller stories where characters are besieged in remote locations by predators, monsters, or inhuman forces, creating a sustained sense of dread and desperation.

  • claustrophobic
  • tense
  • desperate
  • brutal
  • survival
  • oppressive
  • Tone: dark, tense, bleak
  • Pacing: steady, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically follow a straightforward survival structure. A small group or individual finds themselves isolated, often in a single location like a house, spaceship, or research station. A threat is introduced and systematically breaks down their defenses, leading to a grim battle for survival with high stakes and visceral horror.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their core premise of isolation under siege. They share a high-intensity, dark tone and a steady pacing that builds dread. The emotional experience is heavy, focusing on primal fear, resourcefulness, and the bleak reality of facing an overpowering enemy.

Bleak slow burn thriller movies like Prey

Narratives where a grim situation methodically escalates toward a devastating conclusion. For viewers who appreciated the grim, methodical build-up and hopeless ending of Prey. These movies share a similar slow burn pacing and dark tone, leading to stories where tension escalates steadily toward a devastating and emotionally heavy conclusion.

  • grim
  • oppressive
  • dread
  • bleak
  • unsettling
  • heavy
  • Tone: dark, grim, hopeless
  • Pacing: steady, slow burn
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a gradual introduction of a corrupting or destructive element into a fragile environment. Instead of quick shocks, the horror or tragedy unfolds slowly, breaking down characters and situations piece by piece. The journey is linear and focused, leading inevitably to a finale that offers no redemption or escape, reinforcing the film's pessimistic themes.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their shared emotional trajectory and tonal consistency. They prioritize a steady, unforgiving pace, a dark and oppressive atmosphere, and a commitment to a heavy, bleak conclusion. The similarity lies in the overall viewing experience—a sense of impending doom that is methodically realized.

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Movies Like Prey

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Every angle

Prey (1977) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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