Prey (1977 film)

Prey (titled Alien Prey in some markets) is a 1977 British science fiction horror film produced by Terry Marcel and directed by Norman J. Warren. The plot concerns a carnivorous alien (Barry Stokes) landing on Earth and befriending a lesbian couple (Sally Faulkner and Glory Annen) as part of his mission to evaluate humans as a source of food. It was filmed in ten days on a budget of about £50,000 (roughly £400,000 in 2023) using locations near Shepperton Studios in Surrey. It had a limited distribution on release.

Critical response to the film has been mixed: verdicts range from "odd", "bizarre" or "eccentric" to "ambitious" and "experimental", while the film's "claustrophobic" atmosphere has drawn both praise and criticism. Prey has also received comment for its presentation of conflicting male and female sexuality, with some critics noting similarities to the plot of the D. H. Lawrence novella The Fox (1922). It has been compared to a vampire or zombie film and has been cited as an example of the exploitation (or sexploitation) genre. Plans for a sequel, Human Prey, were abandoned.