Netflix’s ‘Prey’ Ending Explained
Prey is a German film that was released on Netflix on Sept. 10. It was written and directed by Thomas Sieben. It stars David Kross, Hanno Koffler, Maria Ehrich, Robert Finster, Yung Ngo, and Klaus Steinbacher. It’s currently ranked number 2 on Netflix’s top 10 movies. However, Prey left many feeling cold and confused about the movie’s ending. Here’s a closer look at what happened.
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from Prey.]
‘Prey’ is a cat-and-mouse thriller
Prey follows a group of men named Roman (Kross), Albert (Koffler), Peter (Finster), Vincent (Ngo), and Stefan (Steinbacher) on a hiking trip. They’re enjoying the gorgeous scenery and getting away from the pressures of civilization. However, they soon discover that they aren’t alone.
The group hears gunshots fire off in the distance. They naturally assume that it’s a hunter until the gunshots are being fired at them. There’s no cell phone reception, leaving them to fend for themselves in the middle of nature against an unknown assailant. Will they work together or will the stress tear them apart?
What happened at the end of ‘Prey’?
The group comes across a woman named Eva, who proves to be the individual shooting at them. Stefan is the first victim. A shop worker takes a bullet to the head, who doesn’t initially believe the mens’ claim of a murderer in the woods. Vincent is soon the next victim.
Roman, Albert, and Peter are the only men left standing. They have another encounter with Eva, where they ask her why she’s hunting them. They’re surprised when she allows them to simply walk away. However, this isn’t the end.
The three men get into an argument that gets physical, which results in them separating. Roman happens upon a video of a group of men harassing Eva and accidentally shooting and killing her daughter, who was named Anne. He now has some idea for why she’s killing all those in her path. Meanwhile, Eva kills Peter.
Albert also takes a bullet, but Roman helps him escape. Roman looks through Albert’s phone, discovering that he’s been having an affair with his fiancée. Roman is upset, but hides Albert and tells him to keep pressure on his wound. Next, Roman seeks out Eva to fight her. As a result, he gets the upper hand and tosses the gun off the cliff. Eva kills herself by walking off the cliff. Credits roll. Prey doesn’t explain why Eva killed herself, but it could be because she realized her wrongdoings. Roman is the first to bring up Anne, rather than trying to exchange his life for money.
This group of friends was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. They didn’t commit any wrongdoings against Eva, but seeing a group of men celebrating in the woods was enough justification for her. However, Roman and Albert are still stuck in the middle of the woods with no sign of rescue and both of them are injured. The film doesn’t confirm their fate, leaving it up for the viewer to decide.
Negative reaction
Prey is high-ranking on Netflix, but it hasn’t had very positive reviews. Prey‘s ending isn’t the only reason that audiences have rejected Netflix’s new thriller. Critic and audience reviews criticize the film’s lack of tension. They claim how the movie seeks to pass by doing the bare minimum with the plot.
It’s unlikely that there will be a Prey 2. The ending is anti-climactic, but it doesn’t seem to have an interest in continuing with Roman and Albert’s story. Meanwhile, Eva’s dead. The negative reactions certainly aren’t helpful. Sieben only has a few feature-length projects to his name, but perhaps he’ll move on to make another film. Prey‘s basic premise was enough to allow it to hit Netflix’s top 10.
