With a light week at the box office this weekend, we wanted to give our critics here on the Banana Meter a chance to highlight some of the films that haven’t hit the Meter. We have a wide range of films selected by our team here to highlight the Overlooked Film Spotlight.
What is the Banana Meter scale, you ask?
When a film hits above 85% or higher from our critics, it means it hit Bonafide Bananas status.
When a film hits between 55-84% or higher from our critics, it means it hit Ripe status.
When the film hits under 55%, it means it hit Sour Status.
2022 Overlooked Film Spotlight
Here is what our Ripe Banana Critics are saying about Prey and Bodies Bodies Bodies:
Jerome Muscarella
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Banana Meter Rating: 100%
Bodies Bodies Bodies takes the whodunnit genre as well as the horror genre and does something new with it. Between fantastic camerawork, excellent performances and just being wildly entertaining there’s so much the film offers.
Jon Pascuzzi
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Banana Meter Rating: 80%
A satirical whodunnit for Gen Z, full of fun and commitment to the nature of the story
Juan Mojica
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Banana Meter Rating: 80%
Bodies Bodies Bodies is a darkly humorous Gen Z whodunnit that boasts one of my favorite ensemble casts this year & a killer soundtrack. It’s just as quotable as Mean Girls & has earned Cult Classic Status in my book.
Gavin Spoors
Prey
Banana Meter Rating: 80%
By going back to basics, director Dan Trachtenberg has crafted the best Predator film since the original. Amber Midthunder delivers a revelatory performance and the alien hunter itself has never been more terrifying in this gnarly thrill ride.
Hector Gonzalez
Prey
Banana Meter Rating: 94%
Prey is the best installment in the Predator franchise; Dan Trachtenberg breathes new life into the franchise by crafting a simple yet fierce and cutthroat action thriller.
Jared Charles
Prey
Banana Meter Rating: 80%
Prey satisfies the immense craving I had for the franchise to mirror the magic of Predator (1987). However, it also provides a scenescape that’s just as iconic as the dense forests of the original and the violent streets of Los Angeles–all while brilliantly expanding canon.
Brian Eggert
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Banana Meter Rating: 88%
Bodies Bodies Bodies is at once a keeps-you-guessing whodunit and a sharp cultural critique. This is inventive, fun, and wildly entertaining stuff with more on its mind than fulfilling a standard genre exercise.
Jordan Woodson
Prey
Banana Meter Rating: 88%
PREY breathes new life into the Predator franchise with a fresh and simple story that has all the thrills and gore you want from a Predator film. A smart, savvy, and likable lead character is amplified by Amber Midthunder’s performance making her easy to root for.
Brian Skutle
Prey
Banana Meter Rating: 89%
Dan Trachtenberg strips the “Predator” franchise down to the studs and delivers a narratively straightforward, but thematically exciting, action thriller, and a new star in Amber Midthunder.
Manuel São Bento
Prey
Banana Meter Rating: 80%
Dan Trachtenberg restores the franchise by focusing on a compelling protagonist and the motivational essence of the primary creature, as well as creating one of the most visually dazzling films of 2022. Amber Midthunder delivers one of the best performances of her career. For fans of the saga, horror, and/or action, it’s not easy to find something better this year.
Manning Franks
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Banana Meter Rating: 85%
Refreshingly original as it is reminiscent of established slasher tropes, Bodies Bodies Bodies succeeds in two main areas: its humor and its thrills. The writing blends the two seamlessly to where one second, you’re on the verge of your heart about to burst out of your chest and the next, the tongue-in-cheek social satire of the film makes you burst from uncomfortable laughter.
Jonathan Widdup
Prey
Banana Meter Rating: 78%
Prey is easily the best Predator movie since the OG. It’s a beautiful-looking movie. The violence and thrills were great. And I am so happy that this Movie didn’t overstay its welcome. I had fun, but I did have a couple of issues with some acting and story decisions.
Shaurya Chawla
Prey
Banana Meter Rating: 100%
I can’t find a single major flaw with Prey, a sci-fi horror masterstroke from Dan Trachtenberg that defies all odds and past Predator sequel histories, and pulls off a movie that–in some ways–even tops the classic original.
Renato Vieira
Prey
Banana Meter Rating: 85%
A masterfully crafted back-to-basics story with an atmospheric sense of dread generating spine-chilling suspense, intense action set-pieces, and gnarly & gory kills.
Maxance Vincent
Prey
Banana Meter Rating: 80%
PREY rules. Has some of the most gorgeously shot action sequences of the year, with Amber Midthunder’s best-ever performance at its core. An absolute shame that this film was released to Hulu/D+. Its last act was meant to be seen on the big screen w/a a midnight crowd.
Alex Madden
Prey
Banana Meter Rating: 90%
Dan Trachtenberg restores the franchise by focusing on a compelling protagonist and the motivational essence of the primary creature, as well as creating one of the most visually dazzling films of 2022. Amber Midthunder delivers one of the best performances of her career. For fans of the saga, horror, and/or action, it’s not easy to find something better this year.
Todd Pengelly
Prey
Banana Meter Rating: 77%
Predator in the 1700s. The film is, unsurprisingly, as strong as the concept sounds!
Ben Wiebe
Prey
Banana Meter Rating: 100%
Prey outshines every other entry in the franchise by returning to the roots of the series, and expanding on what made the series a success. Naru is a fantastic character (and Amber Midthunder is a STAR), and Trachtenberg’s direction makes this a beautiful, poignant, and extremely fun time.
Ripe Banana 