THE PREY is yet another example of the riveting action thriller that the French have been putting out lately. The originator of the genre was Fred Cavaye's ANYTHING FOR HER, which really picked up in terms of intensity in the second half, while the recent likes of SLEEPLESS NIGHT, POINT BLANK, and MEA CULPA have shown that the French are head and shoulders above British or American attempts at the genre.
Like those movies, THE PREY has a lean, pared-down plot which is basically a chase thriller. I won't spoil the storyline too much, suffice to say that the protagonist is a petty criminal who must escape from jail to go after an even greater foe. The narrative is chock-full of stunt sequences, intense and suspenseful chase moments, and even some brutal fight scenes which really propel things along.
Albert Dupontel is really great as the put-upon lead but Alice Taglioni and Sergi Lopez are also particularly good among a solid supporting cast. The best things about the film are the direction and the cinematography which combine to deliver a realistic and gritty thriller and one that the viewer can thoroughly get caught up in. An eye-popping prison fight is the highlight here. The ending is a little lacklustre, but it's no matter when the rest of the film has been so fantastically engrossing.
Like those movies, THE PREY has a lean, pared-down plot which is basically a chase thriller. I won't spoil the storyline too much, suffice to say that the protagonist is a petty criminal who must escape from jail to go after an even greater foe. The narrative is chock-full of stunt sequences, intense and suspenseful chase moments, and even some brutal fight scenes which really propel things along.
Albert Dupontel is really great as the put-upon lead but Alice Taglioni and Sergi Lopez are also particularly good among a solid supporting cast. The best things about the film are the direction and the cinematography which combine to deliver a realistic and gritty thriller and one that the viewer can thoroughly get caught up in. An eye-popping prison fight is the highlight here. The ending is a little lacklustre, but it's no matter when the rest of the film has been so fantastically engrossing.