Every generation gets the Predator it deserves.
Back in 1987, it was all muscle, mud, and attitude. A bullet-riddled jungle showdown that made action movies sweat again. Over time, the hunt changed. The creature evolved, the tone shifted, and suddenly this series wasn’t about bravado anymore. It was about what happens when humans realize they’re not at the top of the food chain.
From Predator 2’s neon chaos to Prey’s quiet wilderness and now Badlands’ scorched deserts, each entry reflects its era — what we fear, what we worship, and how far we’ll go when survival is the only currency that counts.
And here we are, nearly forty years later. Predator: Badlands is tearing up theaters while Killer of Killers redefines what a streaming spin-off can be. Time to line up the hunts, tune the thermal vision, and see which stories hit their mark… and which never made it out of the jungle alive.
The Predator Legacy
Every great monster franchise mirrors the decade that created it, and Predator might be the best proof of that.
John McTiernan’s 1987 original — part war film, part horror, and FULL testosterone overload!
It wasn’t just about an alien in the jungle. It was about the paranoia of soldiers who suddenly weren’t the strongest thing in the room.
From there, the series refused to stay still. Predator 2 dragged the hunt into the neon chaos of Los Angeles; Predators took it off-world; and the Alien vs. Predator crossovers built a cult of their own, linking two titans of sci-fi mythology. By the time Prey landed on Hulu in 2022, the franchise had evolved into something leaner, sharper, and strangely human.
Four decades later, Predator: Badlands and Killer of Killers prove the concept still works — survival is universal, and the hunt never gets old.
Ranking Criteria
For this ranking, we looked at four key measures:
- Critical reception – how reviewers and aggregate scores (Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic) judged each release.
- Fan response – cult status, quotability, and long-term rewatch appeal.
- Cultural footprint – influence on action and sci-fi filmmaking.
- Modern relevance – streaming access, re-evaluation, and impact on today’s audiences.
Add those together and you get a mix of objectivity and gut instinct — the way any good hunt should be measured.
Predator Movies Ranked (Worst to Best)
And now, the countdown begins. From the experiments that misfired to the classics that defined entire eras, here’s how every Predator film stacks up in 2025.
9. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Directors: Colin & Greg Strause
Runtime: 1 h 34 m | Box Office: $130 M Worldwide
Synopsis:
After the events of Alien vs. Predator (2004), a hybrid Xenomorph-Predator crashes into small-town Colorado. What follows is less a battle for dominance and more a total wipe-out — civilians caught in the crossfire of two monsters that don’t care who’s in the way.
Strengths & Weaknesses:
The creature works? Still impressive. You can sense the FX team’s love for the lore. But everything else disappears into darkness — literally. The lighting turns every set piece into guesswork, and most of the human drama feels like filler between flashes of green blood.
Why It’s Ranked Here:
Even die-hard fans admit this one’s a mess. It had the potential to make “AVP” mean something, but ended up as a lesson in how to waste a perfect premise.
Legacy / Impact:
If there’s one thing Requiem did right, it reminded studios that horror-action needs clarity. Since 2007, every Predator film — for all its flaws — has remembered to let the audience actually see what’s hunting them.
Where to watch?
Hulu; also available via Disney+ bundle in some cases as of 2025.
8. The Predator (2018)
Director: Shane Black
Runtime: 1 h 47 m | Box Office: $160 M Worldwide
Synopsis:
When a Predator ship crash-lands on Earth, a group of ex-soldiers and one persistent scientist stumble into a government cover-up — and into the path of a genetically “upgraded” hunter that makes every previous Yautja look tame.
Strengths & Weaknesses:
You can feel Shane Black trying to swing for something big here. The banter snaps, the callbacks to the 1987 original land, and a few set pieces still have teeth. But the movie doesn’t know what it wants to be — halfway between splatter comedy and conspiracy thriller. It’s too loud to be tense and too self-aware to be scary.
Why It’s Ranked Here:
A reboot with ambition and ideas to spare, but no real sense of focus. Fun in bursts, forgettable once the noise fades.
Legacy / Impact:
It nearly ended the hunt for good. After this misfire, the franchise went dormant until Prey reminded everyone that the quiet moments — not the explosions — are what make Predator work.
Where to watch?
Hulu (also listed on fuboTV) as of 2025.
7. Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
Runtime: 1 h 41 m | Box Office: $177 M Worldwide
Synopsis:
Deep beneath the Antarctic ice, a team of explorers uncovers a buried pyramid — and unknowingly walks into an ancient ritual battleground. Humans are the bait. The Xenomorphs are the prey. The Predators? They’re here for the sport.
Strengths & Weaknesses:
Visually, AVP still delivers the goods. The creature suits are excellent, the pyramid set design feels genuinely eerie, and the concept itself — two iconic monsters locked in combat — is a fan’s dream. The problem is restraint. The PG-13 rating pulls the claws out, and the script keeps its characters paper-thin. Gorgeous to look at, but a little too clean to feel dangerous.
Why It’s Ranked Here:
A crossover with massive potential that never quite leans into its own madness. It’s entertaining enough, but you can sense the version that could’ve been hiding underneath.
Legacy / Impact:
It wasn’t perfect, but it kept the universe alive. By tying Alien and Predator together, AVP became the spark for decades of lore debates, comics, and fan theories. It gave the fandom something to argue about — and that’s half the fun.
Where to watch?
Hulu
6. Predator 2 (1990)
Director: Stephen Hopkins
Runtime: 1 h 48 m | Box Office: $57 M Worldwide
Synopsis:
Los Angeles, 1997. The city’s boiling over — crime waves, heatwaves, and chaos on every street. Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) thinks he’s chasing drug cartels, until he realizes something else is doing the hunting — and it’s not human.
Strengths & Weaknesses:
Loud, sweaty, and totally unhinged, Predator 2 takes the creature out of the jungle and drops it into pure urban madness. The kills are creative, the atmosphere relentless, and the score pounds like a fever dream. Still, it’s a movie that can’t quite decide if it wants to be satire or survival horror, and sometimes it ends up being both — for better or worse.
Why It’s Ranked Here:
At release, it was written off as too chaotic for its own good. Decades later, it’s become something of a cult gem — a time capsule of early ’90s excess that’s weirdly hypnotic to watch now.
Legacy / Impact:
The one moment fans will never forget: the Xenomorph skull hanging in the Predator’s trophy case. That single shot reshaped sci-fi canon and lit the fuse for an entire crossover universe.
Where to watch?
Hulu (also listed on fuboTV) as of 2025.
5. Predators (2010)
Director: Nimród Antal
Runtime: 1 h 47 m | Box Office: $127 M Worldwide
Synopsis:
A group of elite killers wakes up mid-freefall, landing in a jungle that isn’t on Earth. They soon realize they’ve been selected — not to fight each other, but to be hunted by something far smarter and deadlier than they’ve ever faced.
Strengths & Weaknesses:
The setup is pure simplicity, and that’s what makes it work. Adrien Brody surprises as a grounded, brooding lead; the ensemble cast clicks fast, and the world feels both alien and tactile. The tension builds slowly, but a few familiar beats keep it from feeling fully fresh. Still, the stripped-down storytelling and practical grit make it one of the series’ most rewatchable entries.
Why It’s Ranked Here:
A quiet comeback that remembered what matters most — hunters, hunted, and atmosphere thick enough to choke on. Not flashy, just confident.
Legacy / Impact:
Predators aged like a cult classic. What started as a modest sequel grew into one of the most respected “middle” films in any sci-fi franchise, reminding everyone that less story and more suspense can still go a long way.
Where to watch?
Hulu (U.S.) — animated anthology as of 2025.
4. Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)
Showrunner: Brandon Auman
Format: Animated Anthology (Hulu)
Synopsis:
Told across different worlds and centuries, Killer of Killers dives into the heart of Yautja mythology — from feudal Japan and colonial Africa to a Martian outpost in the far future. Each story follows a different hunt, exploring what drives these creatures beyond the thrill of bloodshed.
Strengths & Weaknesses:
Visually, it’s a knockout. Every episode looks like a painting in motion — stylized violence rendered with surprising poetry. Not every chapter hits equally, though. A few storylines feel rushed, but the best ones linger, adding real depth to a species long defined by silence and mystery.
Why It’s Ranked Here:
It dares to do something no other Predator entry has — turn the hunter into a subject worth studying. It’s bold, risky, and mostly pays off.
Legacy / Impact:
Critics have hailed Killer of Killers as a creative milestone. By shifting to animation, it broke open the franchise’s mythology and proved that storytelling, not just spectacle, can keep the hunt alive. With a second season already in production, the Yautja aren’t leaving our screens anytime soon.
Where to watch?
Hulu (U.S.) — animated anthology as of 2025.
3. Predator: Badlands (2025)
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Runtime: 1 h 55 m | Box Office: $80 M Worldwide (Opening)**
Synopsis:
Set decades after Prey, Badlands unfolds in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where civilization has collapsed and survival is a tradeable commodity. A lone scavenger, played by Kaitlyn Dever, uncovers a long-dormant Predator ship — and unwittingly wakes something engineered to hunt what’s left of humanity.
Strengths & Weaknesses:
Trachtenberg once again brings precision and patience to the franchise. The visuals are blistering — all dust, blood, and heat — and the action feels tangible, not CGI-slick. The story occasionally slows in the middle stretch, but the tension never breaks. Every kill hits like punctuation, and the showdown delivers the kind of adrenaline rush the series was built on.
Why It’s Ranked Here:
Because it’s the first Predator movie in decades that feels epic again. Brutal, cinematic, and surprisingly emotional — proof that the franchise still knows how to evolve.
Legacy / Impact:
Early reviews have called it “the Mad Max: Fury Road of Predator films,” and for once, the comparison fits. Badlands reignited box office interest, won back critics, and reminded everyone why this universe still matters. It’s not just survival anymore — it’s legacy.
Where to watch?
Theatrically released Nov 7, 2025 — streaming not yet available; expected to appear on Hulu/Disney+.
2. Prey (2022)
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Runtime: 1 h 40 m | Platform: Hulu / Disney+
Synopsis:
In 1719, a young Comanche warrior named Naru (Amber Midthunder) senses something strange stalking her tribe — a creature from the stars that hunts for sport, not survival. What begins as a fight for pride turns into a primal, wordless duel between hunter and prey.
Strengths & Weaknesses:
Prey trims the fat the franchise had built over decades and takes it back to instinct. The film thrives on silence, atmosphere, and the raw energy of its landscapes. Midthunder anchors it with conviction, and Trachtenberg’s direction finds beauty in brutality. If there’s a flaw, it’s only that it ends too soon — just as it reaches perfection, it fades to black.
Why It’s Ranked Here:
Because it remembers what Predator was always about — tension, survival, and the quiet terror of being watched. No gadgets, no excess, just the hunt.
Legacy / Impact:
A breakout hit that redefined what a franchise revival could look like. Prey didn’t just win over fans and critics — it restored faith in the brand itself. It’s proof that smaller scale doesn’t mean smaller impact.
Where to watch?
Hulu as of 2025.
1. Predator (1987)
Director: John McTiernan
Runtime: 1 h 47 m | Box Office: $98 M Worldwide
Synopsis:
A Special Forces rescue team led by Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is deep in the Central American jungle when their mission takes a turn. Something unseen starts picking them off one by one — a perfect hunter with advanced tech, a love for trophies, and no mercy for the unprepared.
Strengths & Weaknesses:
Everything about Predator works like clockwork. The pacing, the practical effects, the slow reveal of the creature — it’s all perfectly judged. The dialogue is pure ’80s excess, full of one-liners and biceps, but that swagger is part of the film’s DNA. The mix of survival horror and explosive action still feels razor-sharp.
Why It’s Ranked Here:
Because it’s the blueprint. Every sequel, prequel, and reboot since has been chasing the pulse of this one movie — and none have matched its rhythm.
Legacy / Impact:
Predator redefined action cinema in a single stroke. It fused monster horror with military bravado and gave us a villain so iconic it still stalks pop culture nearly forty years later. It’s not just the best Predator movie — it’s one of the best action films ever made, period.
Where to watch?
Hulu as of 2025.
The Future of Predator
With Badlands putting muscle back into the box office and Killer of Killers winning over critics on Hulu, the Predator saga feels steadier than it has in decades. For the first time in years, fans and studios seem aligned: keep the stories sharp, the scale focused, and the hunt unpredictable.
Dan Trachtenberg is reportedly circling a Prey 2, while 20th Century Studios has begun early work on an untitled spin-off that will explore the Yautja clans and their earliest hunts. There’s even talk of more animation, a format that’s already proven how flexible the mythology can be.
After years of stop-starts and half-hearted reboots, the brand has finally found its balance — brains, brutality, and just enough mystery to make you lean forward again.
Conclusion
Nearly forty years on, Predator still feels dangerous — not just as a monster, but as a metaphor. Each new chapter takes the same idea and refracts it through a new era: soldiers, cops, killers, survivors, scavengers. The faces change, but the question never does — what happens when the hunter becomes the hunted?
From Schwarzenegger’s mud-caked showdown to Kaitlyn Dever’s sand-scorched duel, this franchise has evolved without ever losing its pulse. It’s primal, it’s unpredictable, and it never stops testing its own limits.
And maybe that’s why it endures. Because deep down, we all want to know if we’d survive the jungle — or if we’d just end up as another trophy.
Which Predator movie tops your list? Drop your ranking in the comments — and let the hunt continue.
