A Dangerous Prey

Making any feature film is extraordinarily difficult; there are a myriad of challenges one faces. This movie features a number of characters and diverse locations, and focuses on the plight of a young black couple striving to secure the American dream. There are secrets, and dark corners of society. Story is primarily told through the eyes of Keisha (played by TaJa Brittaney). Ultimately, the couple must find strength in themselves to triumph. Technical marks were fair, I would've preferred stronger shot compositions and fuller sound design. But the transformation of a young mother-to-be into a vigilante is worth watching.

This film hits on a lot of topics that most in the filmmakers wouldn't dare touch. So let's start with the good about this movie. First off, acting is quite good. Leads are both excellent. Tara Brittney's character had me yelling at the screen! Marlon Ladd, as Aiden was sympathetic in his role, despite his character's questionable actions. Not typical for most Indies that I have seen. It's a relief to see confident actors doing their roles well. When the film started using the N-word, stereotyping, and dropping F bombs all over the place, I knew that these filmmakers were looking to raise a few hackles with the story they were telling. P. C. This is not. There was a lot packed into the film, which is snappy in its runtime as well. The story itself went off into several different directions, and sometimes those directions didn't meet up, but there's enough.

This was an interesting film led by great acting performances from the entire cast. The main actress did a spectacular job bringing the character, Kesha, to life and making her believable. There were moments where her character took unexpected turns, but her performance combined with strongly written dialogue helped things make sense. I found myself caring about Kesha and Aiden's journey, which kept me engaged the entire film. I was also curious how all the characters and circumstances would end up tying together. I was left with a few questions, but appreciated the ride. Overall this was a well shot, well done independent film.

Dangerous Prey, directed by Terry Spears, is a thriller/drama that tackles some tough subjects - discrimination, racial tension and urban gentrification. I give kudos to the filmmakers for facing these issues head-on.

The lead, Kesha, gives a strong, honest performance - she carries the film. The antagonists, the two good-ol' boys, were over-the-top and too stereotypical. I would've like to see more subtly and depth to them. For a low budget indie, the quality was what you'd expect, maybe a bit lower, but for the most part the lead's performances overcome that.

The run-time was short, so I feel like the script could've been developed more. A few more re-writes would've given this story more focus with a greater impact for things the filmmakers were trying to communicate.

I liked this movie. I loved the wife and her aggressiveness to make things better. I like the chemistry between her and the husband. Realistic view of how a wife snaps on a husband in one breadth when she doesn't like the situation. I can relate, ha ha. Married couples can relate. The two white guys were good comic relief. I like how the wife toughens up towards the end and (I don't want to put out any spoilers). You will have to watch the movie yourself. I just need the ending explained to me. How did she get to that point. Give it a watch for yourself and see. Looks like there may be a sequel.