How to watch Prey: Stream the latest film in the Predator franchise in the UK, US and elsewhere
The fifth instalment in the Predator franchise, Prey sees a Comanche warrior and her tribe take on the space-faring trophy hunter
If you’re a fan of John McTiernan’s 1987 classic Predator then, like us, you were probably excited to watch Prey long before the trailer dropped back in June. If not, this article will fill you in on why you should be, as well as giving you all the information you’ll need to watch it.
Excitement for Prey has been growing since its announcement, and the film has generated some serious early buzz, with the general consensus among critics being positive, and many calling it a return to form after The Predator (2018) received mostly negative feedback. Critics and fans alike have had their interest piqued by the directorial team behind the new instalment, as well as reassurances from producers that Prey simplifies the formula and returns to the franchise’s roots, focusing on the elemental struggle between a team of human warriors and an alien creature wielding advanced weaponry.
Prey’s streaming release date is 5 August, with UK viewers able to check out the sci-fi action flick via a Disney Plus subscription. The film debuts on the same day in the US, though those of you stateside will need a Hulu subscription to watch. If you find yourself outside the country during this period – with it being summer holiday season and all – you may need to employ the services of a reliable VPN to get around location-based content blocking, which we’ll guide you through in more detail at the bottom of the page.
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What is Prey about?
Before we get to Prey, those of you who are unfamiliar with the series may need a quick update on the thrust of the franchise in general.
The first film in the series, Predator, was released in 1987, and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger (pictured above) as Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer, the leader of an elite paramilitary group on a mission in a Central American jungle. While on this mission, Schaefer and his team engage in guerilla warfare with an alien trophy hunter known as The Predator, part of a technologically advanced species who search the galaxy for challenging foes with which to do ritualistic battle. Other films in the series have seen members of the Predator species attack Los Angeles (Predator 2), kidnap humans to take to a specially preserved hunting planet (Predators) and an attempt to mount a full-scale invasion (The Predator). Our How to Watch sections below will also clue you in on how to watch these previous instalments.
The fifth entry in the franchise, Prey, is helmed by 10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg, and takes place in 1719 on the Great Plains of North America, in the Comanche Nation. While hunting game to feed her tribe, Comanche warrior Naru encounters a member of the Predator species, and must use all her strength, skill and ingenuity to stop the alien hunter before she and the rest of her tribe become the creature’s trophy.
The film stars Fort Peck Sioux tribe member Amber Midthunder (Legion, Banshee) as its lead, alongside Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp (Tin Star) and Julian Black Antelope. Though written and shot in English, Prey is notable for being the first ever film to release with full Comanche language dub and subtitling available, with the original cast returning to voice their roles.
How to watch Prey in the UK: Sign up to Disney Plus
Watching Prey is a straightforward affair for UK viewers, with the film available to stream on Disney Plus from 5 August. Disney Plus is available to UK customers for £7.99/mth, or £79.90/yr for those willing to make a 12-month commitment.
If you need a refresher on the franchise, or just want to make it a night of it movie-marathon style, we have good news: every film in the Predator, Alien and Alien vs. Predator series are available to stream on Disney Plus, so you can enjoy the much-loved classics (Predator, Alien, Aliens), the movies fans have warmed to over time (Predator 2, Prometheus, Alien 3) and the ones that are just, well, terrible – looking at you Alien vs. Predator: Requiem and Alien: Covenant.
How to watch Prey in the US: Sign up to Hulu
Things are also pretty simple for stateside viewers, with Prey being available to stream on Hulu from 5 August. Hulu subscribers can also currently watch the 1987 original, Predator 2, and Predators.
Prospective Hulu customers can also avail of a range of bundles and plans when signing up. These include an ad-supported version costing $6.99/mth, or $69.99/yr, an ad-free plan that costs $12.99/mth, as well as bundles that give you access to Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN+ for $13.99/mth, $19.99/mth for those looking to stream without pesky ads, and $75.99/yr for a plan that also includes a host of live TV channels.
How to watch Prey anywhere in the world: Use a good VPN service
With streaming services engaging in pesky geo-blocking practices, sometimes even paying subscribers can find themselves locked out of their favourite content, should they venture out on a holiday or business trip to a different country. If you’re a Hulu or Disney Plus customer who will be outside the US or UK when the film releases, you can get around this annoyance and stream Prey by using a VPN, or virtual private network.
If you’re unfamiliar, the function of a VPN is to create a private and secure connection between your chosen device and the web at large. This stops everyone from your ISP to the government and online highwaymen such as scammers and hackers from snooping on your browsing activity. VPN services achieve this by employing encryption and rerouting your web traffic through an intermediary server in a different location. It’s this rerouting process that can let you change your device’s apparent location, and gain you access to streaming options that otherwise wouldn’t be available. For example, if you’re sitting on a sun lounger somewhere abroad, you can use your VPN to connect to a UK server, spoofing your location and thereby getting access to UK streaming content such as Prey on Disney Plus UK. For a more in-depth guide to VPNs, read our full-length explainer on how they work.
Since there are myriad options available, and not all of them worth your time or money, we’ve summarised two of our favourite VPN options just below.
ExpressVPN was named the best VPN service for streaming in our full guide to the best VPN services, and also picked up five stars in our full-length Express VPN review. We liked Express VPN for its top-drawer location spoofing, which reliably gave our testers access to foreign streaming options such as Disney Plus US, Netflix US and Hulu, as well as its speediness, with multiple 4K videos streaming from US servers not posing a problem. Those looking for security and privacy can rely on ExpressVPN, as the company itself is based in the British Virgin Islands, beyond the remit of governments in the UK, EU and US. ExpressVPN is also notable for running an independently audited no-logs policy, meaning you can be as certain as currently possible that they’re not holding on to or exploiting your data.
As good as ExpressVPN is, NordVPN is no slouch either, having been named our outright favourite VPN in our roundup, as well as receiving a coveted Best Buy award in our full-length Nord VPN review. Based in Panama, NordVPN also finds itself beyond the jurisdiction of internet watchdogs in the UK, EU and US, with a similarly audited no-logs policy allowing you to be sure your privacy is maintained. With more than 5,500 servers in 59 countries at its disposal, NordVPN is able to provide excellent spoofing options, alongside excellent speeds for streaming and downloads. A rarity among VPN services, NordVPN also operates a 24/7 customer support service, should you run into any problems or disruptions that require querying.