What are the main themes of Prey?

The summary picks out 3 themes: Survival, Transformation and Secrets.

Prey (2019) was directed by Franck Khalfoun and runs 1 hour 25 minutes.

Prey (2019) Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Q: When and where does Prey take place?

Prey is set in Remote tropical island (Contemporary). The narrative unfolds in the present day, with therapy sessions and a modern rehabilitation program interwoven with a perilous island survival ordeal.

Q: Who are the main characters in Prey?

The story follows Toby Burns (Logan Miller) (played by Logan Miller), Madeleine (Kristine Froseth) (played by Kristine Froseth), Madeline's Mother (Jolene Anderson) (played by Jolene Anderson) and Kay (Supervisor); the character guide covers 5 characters in all.

No spoilers

What Is Prey About?

The premise of Prey in 291 words, with nothing given away. The full story and the ending follow below.

On a remote tropical island, the remnants of a once‑hopeful missionary settlement linger beneath tangled foliage and rusted remnants of a church that struggled to reconcile Western faith with the island’s ancient rituals. The landscape breathes a quiet tension, its lush beauty shadowed by whispers of a past that never quite settled, hinting at a deeper unease beneath the palms and crashing surf.

Into this isolated world arrives Toby Burns, a defiant high‑school senior still raw from the loss of his father. His therapist has prescribed a behavioral rehabilitation program that strips away the comforts of modern life, sending him and a handful of other participants to the island for a three‑day solo endurance test. The premise is simple yet unsettling: survive with only the land and one’s own resolve, while the island’s unpredictable environment constantly tests the limits of body and mind.

The participants are scattered to the corners of the shore, each left to fend for themselves until their supervisor, Kay, returns to collect them. Early on, Toby encounters a resourceful newcomer—a sixteen‑year‑old girl named Madeleine—who knows how to navigate the island’s hidden dangers and quickly becomes an unlikely guide. Their fledgling partnership blends teenage rebellion with a tentative trust, as they share stories of lives outside the jungle while learning the raw, practical skills needed to endure.

The film unfolds with a claustrophobic, atmospheric tension, balancing the stark beauty of the sea‑tossed wilderness against an ever‑present sense of something unseen watching from the shadows. As the participants grapple with isolation, hunger, and the island’s cryptic history, the story asks how far one will go when the line between survival and surrender blurs, and whether the true threat lies in the environment—or in the secrets the island keeps hidden.

Full plot

What Happens in Prey?

The complete story of Prey, from the first scene to the last, in 830 words (about 4 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 2 cast member pages.

Spoilers ahead

On a remote tropical island, a devoted Christian couple works as missionaries, guiding the local community as a new church rises under their watch. The partnership between faith and tradition is tested by the islanders’ enduring Pagan-like rituals, and the tension peaks when their young daughter, Madeleine, becomes drawn into those local ceremonies. The clash of beliefs ultimately erupts in tragedy as the church is set ablaze, leaving a stain of guilt and unanswered questions in its wake.

Several years later, the story shifts to the present life of Toby Burns, a high-school senior who is already grappling with trauma after his father is killed by carjackers. His therapist prescribes a behavioral rehabilitation program designed to redirect his energy and emotions. He and a group of other participants are ferried to the same island for a multi-day ordeal, each of them dropped off in a different corner of the landscape. Their supervisor, Kay, promises to return in three days to collect them, setting the stage for a solitary, survival-driven challenge that will test every participant’s limits.

From the outset, Toby encounters one obstacle after another. Monkeys raid his food, making it hard to keep his spirits up, and a discarded tribal mask in the sea keeps him from moving freely. He struggles to kindle a fire and contends with dehydration and seasick-like symptoms, until a sudden collapse forces him to confront how alone he is on the wild shore. Awakening the next day, he discovers a lifeline in a stranger who appears from the trees: a sixteen-year-old girl named Madeleine, an adept survivor who quickly teaches him the raw, practical skills he needs to endure.

As their bond grows, he shares stories of a world beyond the island’s coast, while she reveals how much she has missed by never leaving. The moment they begin to establish a routine, Madeleine asserts her independence one night, revealing that she doesn’t want to be found and warning him not to follow her into the jungle, lest her mother harm him. Kay finally makes landfall to retrieve Toby, but the moment she steps ashore a mysterious force attacks her in the undergrowth. The following morning, Toby discovers Kay’s boat wrecked on the shore, and a woman scavenging the vessel for supplies—only to realize the woman is Madeleine’s mother, a figure who radiates danger and sorrow.

Toby follows the trail into the jungle and confronts the truth about the two women. Madeleine and her mother return just as Toby traces the remnants of the missionaries’ settlement, the scene of past losses and present fears. Madeleine urges him to head toward the island’s eastern coast for a future meetup, while she recounts glimpses of her life before the tragedy that fractured the family. Her mother, or whatever spectral force has haunted them all, has been pursuing them—hiding a more terrifying secret: Madeleine herself has carried a dark, monster-like power inside her since childhood.

The film then unspools a chilling, unfinished backstory. When Madeleine was young, her parents confronted the locals amid a sacred rite that involved animal sacrifices. During the confrontation, an unattended Madeleine wandered into a ritual sacrifice and was possessed by a malevolent spirit. Transformed into a feral, demon-like creature, she slaughtered those around her, sparing only her mother. Since that day, her mother has kept Madeleine secluded on the island to protect the outside world from her danger. In a desperate moment, she administers berry juice to calm Madeleine, then dies from her injuries, passing the burden to Toby in the immediate aftermath.

Back at camp, Toby finds Madeleine returning to her feral state and dragging a dead Cameron through the forest. He witnesses her return to herself but notes she cannot recall the carnage she caused. With her mother now dead, Madeleine seems poised to leave the island for good, rejoicing at the prospect of normal life. However, her attempt to draw closer to Toby is met with resistance; he subdues her, forcing berry juice down her throat and binding her to prevent further violence. He then reclaims a functioning lighthouse, realizing it could serve as a beacon for help. His plan hinges on a nearby patrol boat catching wind of the distress signal.

As the coast watchers approach, the confrontation with Madeleine intensifies. The feral version of she returns, pushing Toby to his limits as he fights to keep her at bay long enough to ignite a fire and keep the lighthouse’s signal alive. He succeeds in luring the vessel closer, but Madeleine remains a relentless threat, closing in with a mix of calculation and primal power. In the end, the rescue boat’s captain requests confirmation that anyone else still remains on the island, only to be met by the sight of a figure swathed in a blanket—seemingly Toby—but the film’s final twist reveals that the person aboard is Madeleine, leaving the island as unsettled as ever and hinting at an unresolved cycle of danger that continues to haunt the shore.

Timeline

Prey Timeline: Every Key Event in Order

13 key events in the order they happen, from “Opening credits on the island” to “Final reveal on the patrol boat”. 13 events name a place, across 11 locations.

1

Opening credits on the island

The film opens with a montage of Polaroid-style photos showing a Christian couple working as missionaries on a remote tropical island. They help the natives build a church while the locals cling to pagan rituals, creating tension that culminates in the church burning down.

When:Opening credits Where:Remote tropical island
2

Therapy and rehab decision

Several years have passed since the island events. High school senior Toby Burns undergoes therapy after his father is killed by carjackers, and a therapist recommends he participate in a behavioral rehabilitation program that will take him back to the island.

When:Present day Where:Therapy clinic
3

Boat transport to the island

Toby and the other participants are ferried by boat to the same island and dropped off at separate locations. Supervisor Kay promises to return in three days to collect everyone, starting their solo survival ordeal.

When:During transport Where:On the boat and island shore
4

First day survival challenges

Toby's first day is rough: monkeys steal his food, he cannot start a fire, and he cuts his foot on a discarded tribal mask. He endures dehydration and vomiting before finally getting a fire going and collapsing from exhaustion.

When:Day 1 Where:Beach camp
5

Madeline saves Toby

The next morning Toby wakes to find water left for him and his foot treated. His savior, Madeline, is a sixteen-year-old island survivor who teaches him basic survival and shares stories of the outside world.

When:Morning after arrival Where:Beach camp
6

Madeline warns about the jungle

On the night before Toby is due to be picked up, Madeline grows irritated that he must leave and warns him not to follow her into the jungle, or her mother will kill him. The fear of the jungle's unknown dangers hangs over their fragile alliance.

When:Night before pickup Where:Beach camp
7

Kay's arrival and the jungle attack

Kay arrives ashore to collect Toby but is attacked by something in the jungle. The island's danger feels imminent, foreshadowing Madeline's darker secret.

When:Same day as pickup Where:Shore / jungle edge
8

Kay's boat capsizes; Kay is dead

The next morning Toby sees Kay's boat capsized on the shore and boards it to find Kay dead. A looting woman there is revealed to be Madeline's mother, hinting at a lethal history on the island.

When:Morning Where:Shoreline
9

Toby learns the killer is Madeline's mother

Toby pursues the looter into the jungle and discovers she is Madeline's mother. He also finds the remains of the missionary settlement and is met by Madeline and her mother returning to the scene.

When:Following morning Where:Jungle / settlement
10

Madeline's origin and the monster revealed

Madeline recounts the backstory: years earlier she was possessed by a malevolent spirit during a ritual, transforming into a feral demon that slaughtered everyone on the island, including her father and Kay. Her mother has kept her confined ever since to protect the outside world.

When:Recounted after settlement discovery Where:Island interior / flashback

Show the other 3 events of Prey

11

Berry juice to subdue Madeline

As a safeguard, Madeline’s mother gives Toby berry juice to put Madeline to sleep before dying from her wounds. Later Toby uses the same berry juice to subdue Madeline and bind her, attempting to regain control of the situation.

When:After mother's death Where:Settlement then camp
12

Lighthouse plan and final confrontation

Toby locates a working gas-powered lighthouse and plans to signal a coast guard vessel. Madeline, now feral, attacks him inside the lighthouse, but Toby traps her and uses the remaining gasoline to set the tower on fire. He then escapes to the beach and swims toward the patrol boat, though Madeline pursues him.

When:Final act Where:Lighthouse and coast
13

Final reveal on the patrol boat

On the patrol boat, the captain asks if anyone else is on the island. The figure under a blanket turns out to be Madeline, not Toby, leaving the fate of the island's danger hanging in the air.

When:Morning after lighthouse fire Where:Coastal patrol boat

Characters

Who Are the Main Characters in Prey?

5 characters, among them Toby Burns (Logan Miller), Madeleine (Kristine Froseth) and Madeline's Mother (Jolene Anderson): who each one is and the part they play in the story. 4 of them link to the actor’s page.

Toby Burns (Logan Miller)

Played by Logan Miller

A high-school senior reeling from his father’s murder, Toby enters a behavioral rehabilitation program and is thrust into a survival ordeal on a remote island. He becomes resourceful, practical, and increasingly wary of the island’s dangers, using his wits to stay alive and to seek rescue. His resilience is tested as he coexists with Madeleine’s volatile presence and navigates trust and deception.
- 🎭 Drama
- 🧭 Survival
- ⛑️ Trauma
Madeleine (Kristine Froseth)

Played by Kristine Froseth

A sixteen-year-old girl who has grown up on the island and is adept at living off the land. She becomes the focal point of the island’s dark history as she harbors a feral, possessed nature that can be both protective and deadly. Her evolving relationship with Toby is complicated by the revelation of her monstrous identity.
- 🌴 Survival
- 👹 Monster
- 😳 Mystery
MM
Madeline's Mother (Jolene Anderson)

Played by Jolene Anderson

A protective mother who guards her daughter and guards the truth of the island’s horrors. She reveals that Madeleine is the monstrous force behind the killings, and she acts to shield the outside world until she is fatally wounded. Her actions catalyze the final confrontation and Toby’s attempt to escape.
- 🗝️ Secrets
- 👩‍👧 Family
- 💔 Tragedy
K(
Kay (Supervisor)

The supervisor who returns to collect the participants after the initial drop-off. She is drawn ashore by the danger on the island and is killed by the peril that stalks the jungle.
- 🧭 Leadership
- 🏃‍♀️ Danger
- ⚠️ Survival
C(
Cameron (Phodiso Dintwe)

Played by Phodiso Dintwe

One of the other program participants who bonds with Toby and later falls victim to Madeleine’s feral violence. His fate underscores the peril of the island and the stakes of the rescue attempt.
- ⚔️ Survival
- 🧪 Vulnerability
- 🪓 Danger

Setting

Where and When Is Prey Set?

Prey is set in Remote tropical island (Contemporary). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.

When

Contemporary

The narrative unfolds in the present day, with therapy sessions and a modern rehabilitation program interwoven with a perilous island survival ordeal. The backstory includes a fatal incident (a murder) that grounds Toby’s trauma, and the plot shifts across years as the island’s isolation reveals hidden histories. The overall tone blends contemporary life with elemental danger and isolation.

Where

Remote tropical island

A secluded tropical island hosts the surviving group of missionaries’ settlement near a wild jungle and a rocky coastline. The island features a derelict missionary outpost, a burned church past, and a lighthouse that anchors key scenes in the story. The setting juxtaposes modern survival challenges with ancient rituals that shape the locals’ behavior.

🏝️ Island
🌴 Jungle
🏖️ Beach

Themes

What Are the Themes of Prey?

3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Survival, Transformation and Secrets.

01

Survival

The film centers on resilience in a hostile environment, testing Toby’s and Madeleine’s ability to endure hunger, danger, and isolation. Survival skills—like building a fire, finding water, and navigating the jungle—drive the plot and reveal character.
02

Transformation

Madeleine’s dual nature—human on the surface and feral, possessed monster within—explores how trauma and dark forces can erode identity. The island acts as a mirror to her inner chaos as she shifts between protector and predator.
03

Secrets

Past events, including the missionaries’ conflict with the locals and Madeleine’s possession history, render the island a vault of secrets. The mother’s protective stance and Toby’s fight for escape expose how hidden histories shape present actions and loyalties.

Ending explained

How Does Prey End?

The last act of Prey and what it means, in 352 words. The ending lands as bleak. Big spoilers: read the plot summary first if you have not seen it.

The final act, in full

The ending of “Prey” ties together the movie’s themes of ingenuity, survival, and the shared brutality of both humans and the Predator. Naru, having learned from her initial encounters and traps, uses her knowledge of the terrain and her resourcefulness to outsmart the Predator. She discovers that its laser targeting system is vulnerable because it’s guided by three dots that can be manipulated; when she manages to knock off its helmet, she exposes this weakness. With the helmet, she gains a crucial advantage, allowing her to turn the tables. In a final act of cunning, she lures the Predator into a trap filled with natural hazards and weapons she’s set up. Although it appears that her plan might fail when the Predator stands up after being caught in the bog, she cleverly uses her makeshift traps and her dog Sarii to eventually drown the creature in water. Before the Predator can fire its lethal laser, Naru places the helmet in its line of fire, activating the targeting system against it, and causing it to shoot itself. This death symbolizes her triumph over an opponent that, at least in this era, is still relying on hunting prey like animals as a form of evolution and testing itself.

After its defeat, Naru returns to her village carrying the Predator’s head, a symbol of her bravery and survival. She also hands over the Predator’s helmet and the gun she inherits from the captured one, relating it to the gun seen in “Predator 2.” Her act of gifting the weapon signals that the battle might be over for now, but the threat of the Predator species remains. The film closes with Naru advising her tribe to move to a safer location amid increased danger from the incoming colonizers and the ongoing threat of future Predators, suggesting that her victory is just a chapter in a larger ongoing conflict between humans and these hunting alien creatures. Her story ends on a note of resilience, hinting that while she has survived this encounter, the universe of Predator will continue to evolve and pose new challenges in future stories.

Tone & mood

What Kind of Film Is Prey?

Dark in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.

Tone: Dark
Pacing: Steady
Story: Moderate
Intensity: High
Ending: Bleak

A steadily paced and intensely stressful survival thriller that descends into dark psychological horror as a teenager discovers the true monster on a remote island is the seemingly innocent girl he trusted.