Prey

Prey

Year: 2022

Runtime: 99 min

Language: English

Director: Dan Trachtenberg

ActionSci-FiDramaThrillerHorror

In the Comanche Nation, 300 years prior to European contact, a young and skilled warrior named Naru senses a growing danger threatening her people. She sets out on a challenging hunt to protect her tribe, facing a terrifying and technologically superior alien predator. The encounter leads to a fierce and deadly battle of wits and survival, pushing both hunter and hunted to their limits in a desperate fight for dominance.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Prey (2022) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Prey (2022), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

In 1719, amid the expansive Great Plains, a young Comanche woman named Naru, skilled in the healing arts, yearns to prove herself as a renowned hunter, much like her brother Taabe. While tracking deer, Naru observes peculiar lights dotting the sky, which she believes to be the mighty Thunderbird, signifying her readiness for the hunt. However, these lights originate from a Predator’s dropship.

The story takes a darker turn when a tribe member falls prey to a lion. Naru joins the search party to rescue the injured man while Taabe takes on the role of a hunter, remaining behind to confront the beast. As they discover large, strange tracks and a skinned rattlesnake, Naru heads back with Paake and meets up with Taabe. Although they set a trap for the lion, tragedy strikes when Paake is killed. Brave yet wary, Naru confronts the lion, but a sudden distraction from the ominous sounds and lights causes her to lose consciousness.

She awakens safely at home, assisted by Taabe, who later brings the lion’s carcass to the village, earning him recognition as War Chief. Yet, sensing a greater menace lurking in the woods, Naru sets out with her loyal dog, Sarii. In her quest, she stumbles into a bog pit but narrowly escapes an attack from a fierce grizzly bear. As fate would have it, the bear is slain by the Predator, providing Naru with a fleeting chance to evade danger before encountering a group of Comanche sent to find her.

The Predator—whom Naru refers to as Mupitsi, a creature from Comanche folklore—then ruthlessly ambushes the group, leading to a bloody confrontation while Naru finds herself ensnared in a foothold trap. Meanwhile, a group of French voyageurs captures her and Sarii. Their translator, Raphael Adolini, interrogates Naru regarding the Predator, having previously faced it himself. When Naru remains silent, the lead voyageurs resort to barbaric tactics, taking Taabe captive and using both siblings as bait to lure the Predator, which the Frenchmen desperately wish to capture.

In an intense clash, the Predator decimates most of the Frenchmen, allowing Naru and Taabe to escape. Naru manages to rescue Sarii from captivity and encounters a dying Raphael, who, in a desperate last effort, teaches her to wield his flintlock pistol in exchange for treatment for his severe injury. Utilizing herbal remedies to lower his body temperature and curb the bleeding, Naru soon realizes, as the Predator approaches, that its thermal vision cannot detect him due to his reduced heat signature.

In an unfortunate final encounter, Raphael’s attempt to play dead leads to his shocking demise. But then, Taabe rides in to save Naru. Together, they bravely confront the Predator, only for the creature to ultimately kill Taabe. Heartbroken, Naru eludes danger and captures the surviving lead Frenchman. Using him as bait and consuming herbs to mask her own body heat, she cleverly awaits the Predator’s approach. In a fierce showdown, she manages to use Raphael’s pistol to ambush it, knocking off its mask—an essential tool for its deadly spear gun.

Naru then cunningly leads the Predator into the bog, manipulating its own weapon against it. After a fierce struggle, with the Predator mired in the mud, its misplaced spear gun ultimately delivers fatal harm to itself. Naru claims victory by severing its head and ceremoniously painting her face with its glowing green blood, symbolizing her triumph. Upon her return to the village, she is hailed as the new War Chief, and she declares that it’s time for her tribe to move on, embracing the future.

As the narrative comes to a close, a series of ledger art paintings illustrate the events, culminating in a haunting vision of three Predator vessels descending towards the tribe, hinting at the ongoing battle between hunter and hunted.

Last Updated: November 03, 2024 at 12:38

Ending Explained – What Happens at the End of Prey?

Still wondering what the ending of Prey (2022) really means? Here’s a spoiler-heavy breakdown of the final scene, major twists, and the deeper themes that shape the film’s conclusion.

The ending of “Prey” reveals that Naru, the brave young Comanche woman, manages to outsmart the Predator through quick thinking and utilizing the environment to her advantage. After a fierce battle, she discovers the Predator’s weakness lies in its targeting system, which uses three red dots to aim. Naru cleverly snatches its helmet and uses it to redirect the Predator’s own fire back at itself. In a final act of cunning, she lures the Predator into a trap, leading it into a swampy area where she plans to drown it. Although it appears the plan fails momentarily, she has already set the helmet’s targeting system to face the Predator, causing its own shot to kill itself when it fires at her.

As the Predator is defeated, Naru escapes and returns to her tribe, bringing back the Predator’s head as proof of her victory. She also finds a gun left behind by the Predator, which later appears in other films within the franchise, hinting at a larger universe where these ancient hunters have a history of returning or leaving behind relics. The film concludes with Naru advising her tribe to move to a safer place, recognizing the ongoing threat from both colonizers and predators. This ending emphasizes her growth from an underestimated hunter to a resourceful survivor, proving that even in a world dominated by beings from the stars, human ingenuity and courage can prevail.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 09:00

Unlock the Full Story of Prey

Don't stop at just watching — explore Prey in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Prey is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Prey Timeline

Track the full timeline of Prey with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Prey Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Prey

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Prey. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in Prey

Prey Ending Explained

What really happened at the end of Prey? This detailed ending explained page breaks down final scenes, hidden clues, and alternate interpretations with expert analysis and viewer theories.

Prey Ending Explained

More About Prey

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Prey: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Prey

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