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Written & Directed by James Webber
Starring Rebecca Van Cleave & James Alexandrou
Review by Amaliah S. Marmon-Halm
Set in the frightful streets of Hounslow on Halloween, The Prey follows Mel (Rebecca Van Cleave) and Ethan (James Alexandrou) as they return from a night out at a party. As they start to fight and have a bit of a lover’s tiff over the night’s events, Mel decides to continue her journey alone. Getting a fair amount of attention along her way, it’s this attention that leads her into the darker side of town, will she be safe? All we know is someone is not going to leave alive.
A great example of a horror done the right way, director and writer James Webber has created a comedic horror marvel that easily illustrates how good a horror can be when you have a clear plot; something that sometimes feels lacking in the making of today’s horror films. With the right amount of humour that is slightly Shaun of the Dead-esque and a cool edge that seems to tip its hat to the works of Tarantino, The Prey has the potential to be very popular among audiences.
When we finally see the “prey” itself, if you are a fan of Men in Black, think back to the scene where Will Smith’s “J” is holding the blinking alien baby – that’s what sprung to mind when the Prey was in full form. A bit more of a cute impression than a scary one, if you go for that sort of thing. Throughout the film, there are moments when you might think “aww” or just laugh, rather than feeling how fearsome it is supposed to be. Saying that, these moments still do not take away from the enjoyment factor of the film.
Everything from the way its shot, to the very slick soundtrack that plays in the final montage sequence, makes this film very enjoyable to watch. Even to the point where you wished it was just a little bit longer. If that’s not a sign that you’ve created a hit, I don’t know what is.
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