Prey (2007) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Jessica blames Amy for the divorce because she believes Amy was responsible for breaking up the family. However, Amy clarifies during a night around the camp that she and Tom met after their families had already begun to drift apart, which helps Jessica slowly forgive her stepmother.

Foreshadowing: Early in the film, the tension between Jessica and Amy is established through their cold interactions at the resort.

• jessica
• amy
• divorce
• family conflict
• blame

The family went on a game drive with ranger Brian. During a bathroom break, David ran back toward the vehicle, but Brian was killed by the lions. Brian had the car keys in his possession, leaving the family trapped inside the car with no way to move it.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that Brian is the only one with vehicle access, making his death immediately consequential.

• stranded
• keys
• brian
• lions
• car
• trapped

David spotted the glint of Brian's keys in the underbrush. Amy went to retrieve them but was chased by a lioness. In her panic to escape, she wrecked the vehicle deeper into the brush, making their situation even more dangerous and the car less functional.

Foreshadowing: The earlier scene showing the lions circling with increasing audacity foreshadows the deadly stakes of any attempt to leave the vehicle.

• amy
• keys
• car
• lioness
• chase
• wrecked

Two native hunters with guns intervened when a lioness charged at Amy and Jessica after Jessica left the car to attract the searchers' attention. They shot and killed the lioness, saving the women's lives before disappearing into the brush.

Foreshadowing: The earlier scene of the helicopter search failing to locate the family sets up the need for ground-level intervention.

• native hunters
• rescue
• lioness
• shot
• killed

Amy broke open the gas tank of the damaged vehicle and rigged a cloth as a fuse. She lured the male lion into the car, then lit the fuse. The car exploded, killing the lion and creating enough confusion for the family to escape to safety.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes showing the car's windshield being smashed and the family reinforcing the car with seat parts establish the vehicle as both shelter and vulnerability.

• explosion
• gas tank
• fuse
• amy
• lion
• trap
• car

Crawford was killed during the climactic confrontation when a male lion engaged directly with the group. While Tom dove for safety and Crawford shot a lioness, Crawford was killed in the ensuing chaos, leaving the family to devise their own escape plan.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes Crawford as their best hope for survival, making his death a pivotal turning point that forces the family to act alone.

• crawford
• death
• lion
• hunter
• killed

The lions were hunting to protect their territory and their pride. The family was effectively trapped in the lions' hunting ground with no means of escape, making them vulnerable targets as the pride circled with increasing audacity over multiple days.

Foreshadowing: Brian's warning about the lions' behavior during the initial game drive establishes the predatory nature of the pride.

• lions
• attack
• territory
• pride
• hunting
• survival

After Crawford's death and with the car severely damaged, Amy devised a desperate plan. She broke the gas tank, created a cloth fuse, and lured the lion into the vehicle before lighting it. The explosion killed the lion, allowing the battered but alive family to escape and make their way to Crawford's car.

Foreshadowing: The buildup of the lions testing the family's defenses throughout Day 3 creates the need for a final, desperate solution.

• survival
• explosion
• family
• escape
• lion
• amy

Tom stayed at the dam site to work on the hydro-electric project while Amy, Jessica, and David went on the game drive. He only learned of his family's disappearance that night when he returned to the lodge.

Foreshadowing: Tom's hope that the trip would help his family bond is undermined by his decision to prioritize work.

• tom
• dam
• work
• absent
• attack

On the second night, at Jessica's request, Amy recounted how she met Tom, explaining that their relationship began after Amy and Tom's families had already drifted apart. This honesty helped Jessica realize the divorce wasn't solely Amy's fault, leading to reconciliation between them.

Foreshadowing: The ongoing tension between Jessica and Amy throughout the earlier scenes builds toward this moment of understanding.

• jessica
• amy
• reconciliation
• divorce
• story
• forgive