I remembered watching Prey (2022) and didn’t expect it to leave such a deep impact on me.
There’s this line from Naru, the main character, that honestly stopped me in my tracks:
“You think that I’m not a hunter like you. That I am not a threat, and that is what makes me dangerous. You can’t see that I’m killing you.”
Whew. That line hit me differently. I had to pause the movie and just breathe. Because right there, in the middle of an action film, I saw a version of myself.
You see, Naru isn’t just fighting a Predator. She’s also fighting to be seen, to be heard, to be taken seriously. She’s surrounded by people who think she doesn’t belong, that she’s weak, that she’s just “the girl.”
It does for me.
In my life, I’ve been in spaces where I felt like I had to prove myself twice as hard just to be considered half as capable. People don’t always say it out loud, but you can feel it—the way they overlook your opinion, how they assume you can’t handle things, how they smile politely but don’t really believe in you.
That used to crush me. I’d question my worth, my abilities, and whether I was even in the right place. But over time, like Naru, I learned to move in silence. I focused on what I could control—learning, growing, getting better, being consistent. And slowly, without needing to shout, I proved to myself that I am enough.
What inspired me about Naru wasn’t just that she defeated a powerful enemy—it’s how she did it. With observation. With heart. With quiet resilience. She didn’t try to become like everyone else. She leaned into who she already was, and that became her strength.
And that’s the message she left me with:
Sometimes, your greatest power is the very thing they overlook.
I am pleased to answer this week's contest from ms
,
" Tell me about a female character in a movie, or a book, that you identify with, or that inspired you. What message did it leave you with?"
My answer is, Yes! Naru did.
She reminded me that I don’t need to be loud to be powerful, and I don’t need anyone’s permission to take up space. I just need to keep going, keep showing up, and trust that my strength doesn’t need validation to be real.
To any woman reading this who has ever felt invisible or underestimated—I see you. You are not alone. You are not weak. You are not a background character in your own life.