Predator Reviews: Our Verdict on Every Film

Predator (1987) lands at the top of my verdicts, Prey (2022) sits second, and Aliens vs Predator: Requiem sits last, across five main films and four spinoffs. In my opinion the saga is at its best when the creature stays simple and the hunt stays personal. Predator (1987), directed by John McTiernan, is still the benchmark, and Prey (2022), directed by Dan Trachtenberg, is the clearest proof that the idea still works. Each film follows in release order with a short verdict, and the full pecking order sits on predator movies ranked. If you want the films in a sensible viewing sequence first, start with predator movies in order.

Predator (1987) is an action horror film wearing a war movie costume. Arnold Schwarzenegger leads Dutch Schaefer's team of mercenaries into a Central American jungle on what is sold as a hostage rescue, and the skinned bodies hanging in the trees tell them early that the briefing left something out. It runs 107 minutes, cost $15 million and made about $98 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. Kevin Peter Hall plays the creature, Alan Silvestri's score does a lot of the stalking, and the ensemble (Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura and Sonny Landham among them) feels like a real unit. It could be argued that no later film has matched how clearly the creature's rules are set up. Verdict: the one to start with. More on predator 1987.

Predator 2 (1990), directed by Stephen Hopkins, swaps the jungle for a Los Angeles heat wave in the summer of 1997. Danny Glover plays the headstrong Lieutenant Mike Harrigan, and Gary Busey plays Peter Keyes, the federal agent who shuts him out. The film cost $35 million and grossed about $57 million worldwide, the lowest of the five main films. In my opinion the city setting was a smart change, and the film has aged better than its box office suggests. Verdict: a worthwhile second watch for anyone who finished the first film wanting more. See predator 2.

Predators (2010), directed by Nimród Antal, drops Royce (Adrien Brody) and seven strangers into a jungle that turns out not to be on Earth. The cast is the draw, with Danny Trejo, Walton Goggins, Laurence Fishburne, Mahershala Ali and Topher Grace around Brody. It cost $40 million and made about $127 million worldwide. Perhaps the premise promises a little more than the film delivers, but it is a sturdy hunt. Verdict: solid, and a good Friday night pick. See predators 2010.

The Predator (2018), directed by Shane Black (who also played Hawkins in the 1987 film), follows sniper Quinn McKenna after he mails pieces of a crashed Predator's armor home. Boyd Holbrook took the lead after Benicio del Toro left over scheduling, per Variety, and the Associated Press reported that a scene was cut hours before the Toronto premiere. It cost $88 million and made about $161 million worldwide. I enjoy individual scenes more than the whole, and the tone swings between jokes and gore more than I would like. Verdict: the most uneven of the main films, best for fans who want every entry. See the predator 2018.

Predator: Badlands (2025), directed by Dan Trachtenberg, puts the creature in the lead. Dek is a young Yautja, the runt of his clan, who crash lands on the deadly planet Genna and teams up with Thia (Elle Fanning), a damaged synthetic built by Weyland-Yutani. It is rated PG-13, cost $105 million, and made about $185 million worldwide. I like the change of perspective a great deal, even if the softer rating takes some of the bite off. Verdict: a confident reinvention. See predator badlands.

Prey (2022), also directed by Trachtenberg, is set in 1719 on the Great Plains, where Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young Comanche healer, wants to prove herself as a hunter. Filming took place in Alberta, a full Comanche language dub exists, and Dane DiLiegro, at 6 ft 9, plays the Predator. It went straight to Hulu on a $65 million budget, so there is no box office to measure. Verdict: the best of the modern films and my second favorite overall. See prey predator.

Predator: Killer of Killers (2025) is an 85 minute animated anthology from Trachtenberg, and it opens with the Viking warrior Ursa in the year 841 before moving through two more eras. Benjamin Wallfisch wrote the score, and it also premiered on Hulu. The format keeps every story lean. Verdict: a tight, inventive spinoff that rewards a quick watch. See predator killer of killers.

AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004), directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, sends Sanaa Lathan's Alexa Woods and a team of experts to a pyramid buried under Bouvet Island. Screen Daily noted its Prague studio sets and mostly physical effects, and Lance Henriksen is the only returning cast member from the Alien films. It cost $60 million and made about $177 million worldwide, the higher of the two spinoffs with theatrical grosses. Verdict: a fun creature feature with a strong setting. See alien vs predator 2004, and the wider crossover lives at alien vs predator.

Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007), directed by Colin and Greg Strause, brings a hybrid creature to the small town of Gunnison, Colorado. It was the brothers' feature debut, cost $40 million and made about $130 million worldwide. This is the entry I rate lowest, in my opinion, because the human characters never gave me anyone to follow. Verdict: for completists only. See avp requiem.

If you only have time for three films, watch Predator (1987), Prey (2022) and Predator: Badlands (2025), in that order. If you want to know whether a new film is coming, the answer is on new predator movie, and you can find streaming options at where to watch predator.