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Every ‘Predator’ Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best


Updated

  • “Predator: Badlands” is in theaters now.
  • It’s the latest movie in the “Predator” franchise.
  • We ranked all the titles in the franchise, from the Schwarzenegger original to some wacky offshoots.

Since Arnold Schwarzenegger was hunted in the jungle by a Yautja alien warrior in 1987’s “Predator,” the franchise has been immortalized in the sci-fi genre.

After a few false starts in rebooting the franchise — plus the ill-fated “Alien vs. Predator” crossovers — the property has hit a groove thanks to filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg (“10 Cloverfield Lane”), who’s brought a fresh inspiration to the franchise with the 2022 movie “Prey.”

His latest, “Predator: Badlands,” makes a bold move: For the first time ever, we’re rooting for a Yautja. So where does it rank among the other “Predator” movies? See our list of the best and worst “Predator” movies below.

7. “The Predator” (2018) is a movie we should never speak of.


“The Predator.”

Fox

This sequel has a very unique group of actors making up the cast, including Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Keegan-Michael Key, Thomas Jane, Trevante Rhodes, Sterling K. Brown, and Jacob Tremblay.

Plus, it’s directed by Shane Black, who not only starred in the original movie (he played Hawkins) but also was responsible for some of the rewrites done to the 1987 movie.

Despite all that, the movie is awful.

We don’t care about the main characters, and even worse, the Yautja are laughable, especially the super buff one.

It’s best we never speak of this movie again.

6. “Predators” (2010) is wacky but deserves more respect.


Predator stabbing man

“Predators.”

Fox

Once more, an interesting mix of actors make up the ensemble: Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Walton Goggins, Alice Braga, Danny Trejo, Mahershala Ali, and Laurence Fishburne.

They all star as people who have been placed on a planet that’s a gaming ground for Yautja, and must fight their way back to Earth.

This is the movie in the franchise that doesn’t get enough respect. The story, which was created by Robert Rodriguez back in the 1990s, is clever, and there are some great performances. Seek it out.

5. “Predator: Badlands” (2025) allows you to root for the bad guy.


Predator with a weapon in Predator Badlands

“Predator: Badlands.”

20th Centurty Studios

In “Predator: Badlands,” Trachtenberg pulled off the impossible: he made the audience get on the side of a Yautja.

The movie follows Dek, the runt of his tribe, who sets out to prove himself by capturing his first trophy. In the process, he befriends a synthetic (yes, those robots from the “Alien” franchise) played by Elle Fanning, and ends up on an unexpected adventure.

Trachtenberg once again delivers an impressive story, though hopefully he won’t lean too heavily into merging the “Predator” and “Alien” franchises in the future (more on that further down).

4. “Prey” (2022) proved the franchise has a bright future.


Amber Midthunder holding a torch

Amber Midthunder in “Prey.”

David Bukach/20th Century Studios

The first movie in the franchise since 2018’s “The Predator,” Trachtenberg’s “Prey” got the property back on track.

Set in the 18th century, the story follows a Comanche tribe who faces off against a Yautja.

Trachtenberg creates an impressive story that makes a star out of its lead, Amber Midthunder, and delivers on the action with some extremely bloody fight sequences.

3. “Predator: Killer of Killers” (2025) is a gem that opens up so many opportunities.


Predator attacking in Predator Killer of Killers movie

“Predator: Killer of Killers.”

Hulu

This animated anthology feature sadly skipped theaters and was only released on Hulu. It showcases the Yautja battling a Nordic warrior, a samurai, and a hotshot World War II pilot.

Though each story is thrilling, the real fun is the reveal that if you kill a Yautja, you are captured and taken to an arena where the Killer of Killers battle it out. This aspect opens the door for an animated franchise.

As the end of the movie teases, now Dutch (Schwarzenegger) and Harrigan (Glover) can get back into the franchise.

2. “Predator 2” (1990) is beloved thanks to Danny Glover’s performance and its amazing ending.


Danny Glover being choked by Predator

“Predator 2.”

Fox

The people who say “Prey” is the best “Predator” movie since the original need to go back and watch the first sequel in the franchise.

Written by Jim and John Thomas, the creators of the character, and starring a great cast, the movie is a gem in genre filmmaking.

Set in Los Angeles in 1997 during a heat wave, a Yautja shows up and completely overpowers the drug cartel scene. This leads Lieutenant Harrigan (Danny Glover) and his team to figure out who the new player in town is.

The movie’s ending aboard the Yautja’s ship rivals the jaw-dropping conclusion of the original.

1. “Predator” (1987) will always be the cream of the crop.


Predator cast standing next to each other

“Predator.”

Fox

What can you say about the original that hasn’t been said already?

Directed by the great action director John McTiernan (“Die Hard”), written by franchise creators Jim and John Thomas, and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger at the peak of his fame, the movie is a masterpiece in the action genre.

The secret sauce of this movie, and what the franchise has attempted to replicate time and again, is the ensemble. Casting of the likes of Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, and Sonny Landham elevates the stakes, as their characters form a brotherhood while facing an unknown evil.

And we can’t leave out Alan Silvestri’s evocative score, which helped elevate the movie to icon status.

Bonus: The best “Alien vs. Predator” movie is…


alien vs predator20thCenturyFox


20th Century Fox

Who knows if we’ll ever see another “Alien vs. Predator” movie now that Fox is owned by Disney, but honestly, two might have been enough.

This head-on collision of two iconic evils didn’t result in treasures in filmmaking, but it was fun.

If we had to choose between 2004’s “Alien vs. Predator” or 2007’s “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem,” we’d have to go with the 2004 movie.

Neither one is great, but at least they tried to make the first movie work.





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