Movie Review: “Prey” Explores The Mysterious Jungle Landscape On An Isolated Tropical Island

Toby (Logan Miller) must survive an island retreat while a sinister force hunts him, leaving bodies in its wake.

Logan Miller plays Toby, a disturbed, disaffected youth, still haunted by his father’s (Anthony Jensen) violent and untimely murder. The road to Toby’s recovery takes the form of a survival retreat on one of several hundred deserted Malaysian islands. We meet a group of troubled teens traveling on a sailboat while the sponsor, Kay (Jerrica Lai) coaches and counsels them before she drops each off, one by one, on their own private island. There they will reflect on their existence for three days and nights, after which Kay will arrive at dawn to collect them.

While interesting, the premise of leaving a teenager alone on the shore of a densely forested tropical island with minimal resources strains credulity to the fullest. In some ways, the therapy more closely resembles wanton child endangerment or abandonment. Not surprisingly, Toby falls victim to the, perhaps ironically, only mildly inhospitable environment mere moments after arriving. He demonstrates suitable cluelessness by losing his supplies to a relatively innocuous high tide and pesky monkey. Though the forces of nature that challenge the young lad appear decidedly modest – your own slice of paradise, as Kay describes the islands – Toby becomes overwhelmed just the same.

Fortunately, Kristine Froseth as Madeleine turns up on the supposedly deserted island rendering aid, though with little in the way of explanation. Given Toby’s difficulty foundering for food and water, she acts as his guide to the island’s resources. Froseth provides the strongest casting element of the production, demonstrating quiet confidence in her performance, however far-fetched the requirements of the role.

Jolene Anderson plays the equally mysterious mother of Madeleine, whose motives remain oblique throughout most of the movie. Madeleine warns Toby that her mother will kill him if she finds him. As the tale of survival proceeds, the situation soon starts to unravel. Flashbacks fill in the gaps, indicating that things may not be what they seem. In the meantime, the body count begins to rise.

Directed and co-written by Franck Khalfoun, “Prey” attempts to blend horror and mystery with somewhat uneven results. A product of Blumhouse Productions, the film offers several scares and surprises. Unfortunately, they remain too few and far between, likely leaving audiences wishing for more.

In Theaters, On-Demand and on Digital September 27th