Prey (2016)

Directed by: Dick Maas | 108 minutes | comedy, horror, thriller | Actors: Sophie van Winden, Julian Looman, Mark Frost, Victor Löw, Rienus Krul, Jessica Zeylmaker, Jaap ten Holt, Mattijn Hartemink, Caitlin Rose Williams, Bart Klever, Daan Aufenacker, Mamoun Elyounoussi, Pieter Derks, Wesley Mutsaars, Wigger Verschoor, Robin Hagens, Theo Pont, Reyer Krikke, Rutger de Bekker, Ab Zagt, Robbert Blokland, Patrick Marcelino, Orlando Manuel do Brito, Tim Oortman, Robert Stolp, Mees Slokkers

Clumsy, humorous, original, politically incorrect and hopping from genre to genre. This pretty much sums up the complete oeuvre of director/screenwriter Dick Maas (‘The lift’, ‘Flodder’, ‘Sint’, ‘Quiz’). ‘Prey’ (genre polder horror comedy) from 2016 also meets all these characteristics. And ‘Prey’ is once again a case of just (not) successful.

In ‘Prey’, vet Lizzy has to deal with an unusual find. The gnawed body parts of an entire farm family are found in a farmyard. Soon Lizzy, assisted and in the way of boyfriend Dave, on the trail of the culprit: a lion with a preference for fresh human flesh. After the farmer’s meal, the lion takes off to Amsterdam’s Vondelpark. After a self-proclaimed big game hunter falls victim to his own hunting methods, Lizzy only knows one solution: her ex Jack.

Nice story right? As long as you don’t take the story about the lion too seriously, there’s plenty to enjoy. As usual, the strength of Maas’ screenplay lies in the combination of a frenzied plot and typical Dutch craziness. The hunter is a good example of this. He is the corps-loving relative of the police chief, and shows up in a khaki hunter suit with an old-fashioned hunter helmet on his head. He also has a hunting son, a clear case of inbreeding. This duo’s actions and looks are straight out of the silent movie era.

Unfortunately, ‘Prey’ lacks some sharpness. The jokes are too obvious, the characters are a bit too well thought out and the effects indicate a minimal budget. The low point is the man-eating lion. The beast looks like an overgrown muppet, and moves like a cartoon lion from an ancient animation. The thing doesn’t look like much, which is laughable but deadly to the horror.

Unfortunately, the acting does not always end and the actors are not always understandable. Amsterdam is again a nice decor and the film also has a nice pace. In short, ‘Prey’ is a Maas production from the book: top entertainment of a somewhat dubious level.