RUN, RUN, RUN // A FILM REVIEW OF "THE PREY"
The new Cambodian-set action thriller THE PREY, co-written & directed by Jimmy Henderson (who also directed the 2017 breakout hit Jailbreak) is filled with great cinematography and action scenes that are often quite thrilling. It's not the most original tale, but what it lacks in originality it certainly makes up with in wonderfully choreographed fight sequences and a solid lead in Gu Shangwei.
Spinning off of the classic story "The Most Dangerous Game," Shangwei stars as Xin, an undercover cop who has infiltrated a syndicate. But when an unexpected raid happens within the compound, Xin is captured and taken to a Cambodian Jungle Prison run by a psychopathic warden (Vithaya Pansringarm). He's able to activate a tracking device hidden in his watch, which alerts two of his colleagues. As they set out to track where he's disappeared to, Xin is thrust into Prison life, attempting to blend in. But the Warden has a game he likes to play. A group of men have paid high dollar to hunt several of the prisoners (which is where "The Most Dangerous Game" comes into play) and Xin is one of the prisoners chosen. The unlucky ones are dropped into a jungle and told if they run they might survive the day.
Henderson knows his way around an action set piece, and the fights within THE PREY are visually exciting to watch. There isn't much time for character development (it's only a couple minutes into the film that the raid happens), but that's not what kind of film this is. It's pure adrenaline and action and it is quite fun. Gu Shangwei is a great lead, showing off his impressive martial arts skills as well as some creative gunplay. As the Warden, Vithaya Pansringarm delightfully chews up the scenery and even has a homage scene to Reservoir Dogs where he dances to a cheerful song while torturing Xin. He's a delightfully unstable presence in the film and balances the hard hitting action well.
It is disappointing to see that the sole main female character (Dy Sonita, playing one of the detectives) immediately gets captured and plays into the archetype of the "scared helpless female," even though she's a cop investigating this). Strangely, she doesn't even have a gun to try to defend herself. The script itself has several plot holes, including no explaination of who exactly the father and son duo wandering in the woods are and chooses not to explore any of the hunters backstories (one character begins to have hallucinations, but is never explored fully). Still, THE PREY is a fun ride, as long as you don't think too hard about what doesn't make sense. It shows a lot of promise for Jimmy Henderson and I'm excited to see what he comes up with next.
GRADE: B
WRITTEN BY Jimmy Henderson, Michael Hodgson, Kai Miller DIRECTED BY Jimmy Henderson STARRING Gu Shangwei, Dy Sonita, Byron Bishop, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Nophand Boonyai, Vithaya Pansringarm, Jia Lee. Now Available on select Digital Cinemas Nationwide and on VOD starting August 25th.