Prey (2022) is an American science fiction horror action film tagged by IMDB as having severe violence, gore and moderate frightening scenes. Our subject, who suffers from a fear of aliens, was hooked up to our heart monitor while watching the latest film in the Predator franchise.  Find out if this thrilling prequel had our subject praying to escape her fears.

SYNOPSIS:

The origin story of the Predator in the world of the Comanche Nation 300 years ago. Naru, a skilled female warrior, fights to protect her tribe against one of the first highly-evolved Predators to land on Earth.

Where to Watch: Hulu (subscription)

Test Subject: Leah

Age: 40

Gender: Female

Fears: Alienophobia : Fear of Aliens.

Resting HR: 60-65bpm

Walking HR: 80-85bpm

ANALYSIS:

A quiet and mysterious opening intrigued our subject but kept her heart rate fairly low. Mildly intense hunting scenes were broken up by slow dialogue and character building. These long breaks in action prevented her heart rate from racing. We did begin to see signs of life in our subject twenty minutes into the film when dangerous creatures took to the screen.  At 54:00, we noticed an unusual dip in her heart rate during a ferocious battle, only to realize she had been holding her breath. Once she exhaled, her rates rose again. In fact, some of our highest recorded peaks came from exhilarating moments rather than terrifying scenes. For example, at 1:05 we recorded a climb to 73bpm caused by excitement rather than fear. An impressive variety of weapons and kills had our subject entertained without having to hide behind her blanket. She did look away at times due to gruesome effects but the majority of them were either in her head or off screen.

CONCLUSION:

Prey (2022) is a unique coming of age tale featuring an 'R' rated Disney-like princess who knows how to kick ass. Share on X There were occasional moments of extreme gore but the film preyed on our subject’s empathy and curiosity rather than scaring her to death. What the film lacks in scares, it makes up for with excellent visuals, exciting kills and a likable character to root for.

Prey (2022): Burns an average of 138 Calories

Bear Claw: 700 Calories

How many Fear Calories did you burn watching Prey?  Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook