August is typically a slow month at the movie theater, and while “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and “Bullet Train” can offer some sweet, bloody release from the heat at the local multiplex this weekend, if you’re more into staying home, there’s a wealth of high-profile new movies on streaming services to check out too.
On Hulu, the new movie in the “Predator” franchise, “Prey,” premieres today. The “Predator” franchise is particularly agile and adept at genre-hopping, and this new film is a historical horror flick set 300 years ago in the Comanche Nation. In this Predator origin story, Amber Midthunder stars as Naru, a young warrior on the Great Plains who encounters the highly evolved alien predator threatening her camp and her people. “Prey” is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who previously helmed “10 Cloverfield Lane.”
What makes “Prey” even more unique is that in streaming at home, viewers will have the option to watch the film dubbed entirely in the Comanche language. The filmmakers were dedicated to making a film that was an accurate portrayal of the Comanche, and producer Jhane Myers, a member of the Comanche Nation and acclaimed filmmaker, helped to bring that authenticity to the production. The cast is made up almost entirely of Native and First Nations actors. Be sure to catch it on Hulu this weekend.
Another topical horror film arrives on Peacocktoday. “They/Them” is written and directed by John Logan and is set within a LGBTQIA+ conversion therapy camp. Kevin Bacon stars as the camp’s director, with Anna Chlumsky, Carrie Preston and Boone Platt filling out the rest of the staff. Who will be getting slashed in this social slasher? You’ll have to watch and find out on Peacock this weekend.
