The Prey

In 1948, a wildfire sweeps through North Point in Keen Wild National Forest, devastating the isolated gypsy community living in a cave. The blaze leaves a scar on the landscape and on local memory, setting up a haunting backstory for later events. The tragedy hints at the hidden dangers lurking in the mountains.

Frank and Mary Sylvester camping in North Point are murdered with an axe by an unseen figure. Their deaths establish a violent mystery that haunts the region and foreshadow more killings. The killer’s presence hints at a larger threat lurking in the area.

Weeks after the Sylvesters' deaths, Nancy and Joel, Bobbie and Skip, and Greg and Gail trek into North Point for a hiking trip. They obtain nature permits and chat with forest ranger Mark O'Brien, who warns that few people venture into North Point. The stage is set for a tense encounter with a hidden threat.

During their first night, Gail is smothered with her sleeping bag by the unseen killer, a tall man with a burned face. Greg is then attacked, his throat torn open, revealing the killer's brutal method. The group is suddenly ripped from safety into danger.

The next morning, Nancy and the others discover Greg and Gail have vanished along with their gear. Nancy notes a blood smear on a nearby tree but dismisses it as an animal mark. The mystery deepens as the group continues their trek.

A few weeks into their stay, Mark O'Brien meets head ranger Lester Tile, who informs him that police are investigating the Sylvester disappearance. The conversation links the current danger to the 1948 fire and to the burned gypsy boy. The investigation tightens the sense that North Point hides a long-reaching threat.

Lester shares a story about a young gypsy boy wandering the woods after the fire, horribly disfigured. The tale foreshadows the killer's identity and origins. Mark's sense of danger grows as the group continues its trek.

Skip and Joel decide to hike to Suicide Peak to rappel down, while Nancy and Bobbie stay at the base by the river. The group plans their ascent as Mark heads into North Point to search for the Sylvesters. The dangerous landscape becomes a stage for the killers' actions.

As Joel rappels, the killer breaks Skip's neck and cuts Joel's rope, sending him plummeting to his death. The killer reveals himself as the fully grown gypsy boy with razor-sharp claws. The group realizes the danger is personal and close at hand.

Nancy and Bobbie flee down the peak in terror, but Bobbie triggers a deadly booby trap that lifts her into the air and slams her against a tree, killing her. The danger tightens around Nancy as she fights to survive. The sheriff-less isolation of North Point amplifies the terror.

Cornered by the killer, Nancy is saved when Mark arrives with a tranquilizer and bludgeons the attacker. The killer awakens and, in a final moment, crushes Mark's throat before turning toward Nancy with a disturbing smile. The intense rescue ends without a clear victory for Nancy.

Months later, in spring, the mountains echo with the crying of an infant coming from a cave, implying that Nancy and the killer have begun a life together. The film ends on an unresolved, ominous note, leaving the killer's fate and Nancy's future uncertain.