Undercover Chinese cop Xin (newcomer Gu Shangwei), is on a secret international mission when a surprise raid puts him in a remote Cambodian jungle prison that plays by its own rules. Ruthless warden (Vithaya Pansringarm of ONLY GOD FORGIVES ) sells prisoners as human prey for rich hunters looking for thrills in the jungle.
After years of hunting down ruthless criminals, Xin suddenly finds himself running for his life. If Xin manages to survive this sadistic game, he’ll walk out of the jungle the same way he came in: as a free man. If Xin fails, he’s just another hunting trophy.
The Prey starts off with a bang, literally. Frankly, the action does not let up from there. I was instantly cheering for our leading man. An audible, “Oh Hell, Yes!” could be heard from me less than 10 minutes in. We’ve all read The Most Dangerous Game, and there are innumerable film versions. The Prey takes a fresh look at the story. Filmed from inside a corrupt Cambodian prison to the surrounding jungle, you’ll find yourself really “feeling” Xin’s (Gu Shangwei) pain, both emotionally and physically. There’s particularly sick humor to the performance of the Warden (Vithaya Pansringarm) that is akin to Ready Or Not. Performances all around are undeniably stellar. One issue that seemed unnecessary was a subplot that dealt with mental illness. It didn’t make much sense to the overall storytelling and in the end, felt silly. On the upside, the action and violence are unrelenting. The fight choreography was wildly entertaining. You will not have time to get bored watching The Prey. What else could action fans want? Not much.
THE PREY
OPENING IN VIRTUAL THEATERS FRIDAY, AUGUST 21 WITH A NORTH AMERICAN (US & CANADA) VOD RELEASE TO FOLLOW ON AUGUST 25 ON ALL MAJOR PLATFORMS.
VIRTUAL THEATERS (August 21)-Including: Los Angeles (Laemmle), New York (Alamo On Demand) and major cities.
VOD (August 25): Including: iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Xbox, Vudu, Direct TV, Dish Network and all major cable providers.
*****Official Selection: Busan International Film Festival, Sitges Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Fantasia Film Festival.*****
DIRECTOR: Jimmy Henderson (JAILBREAK)
WRITTEN BY: Jimmy Henderson, Michael Hodgson, Kai Miller
CAST: Byron Bishop, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Nophand Boonyai, Vithaya Pansringarm (ONLY GOD FORGIVES), Gu Shangwei
Loosely based on Richard Connell’s story of survival and adventure The Most Dangerous Game, THE PREY comes from writer/director Jimmy Henderson and the team behind genre festival hit JAILBREAK.
Set against the neon lights of Seoul, The Divine Fury utilizes incredibly effective special fx mixed with a dynamic plot of good vs evil. Roman Catholic use of exorcism is rare and must be approved by the Vatican. As a former Catholic school kid and genre fans since the age of 2, I know this to be fact… At least as factual as one can attribute to organized religion in general. All that aside, The Divine Fury adds an extra supernatural element by giving an MMA fighter a demon expelling stigmata superpower. It takes faith into a genre-bending underworld and it is fascinating. From the very first shot with its heightened sound editing, you know you’re in for a ride. There is never a dull moment during its 2-hour runtime. The fight choreography is outstanding and meticulously specific to this unique plot (Think MMA meets demon streetfighter goodness). As a “lapsed Catholic” viewer, it does a brilliant job of melding together religion and otherworldly lore for one hell of an entertaining storyline. I cannot express how truly fun this film is. As the closing film of Fantasia International Film Festival 2019, The Divine Fury puts this year’s selections over the top.
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