Matthew Percefull
The Predator franchise has had an interesting trajectory. It belongs in the group of franchises that started in the 1970s/1980s, with no signs of leaving pop culture anytime soon. However, unlike your Star Wars or Alien films that used sequels and spinoffs to establish deeper lore, the Predator sequel attempts largely didn’t work for the better part of three decades. Despite the lack of quality, audiences have never gotten sick of this alien hunter. 2022’s Prey revived the franchise critically and has set it up in a clever and exciting direction. This year, we saw the release of Predator: Killer of Killers. The animated anthology film features three different short stories set throughout different periods in history. This marks a nice addition to the franchise. I decided to rank every Predator film (including the AVP series) to see how the newest entry stacks up.
8. Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem (2007)
AVP: Requiem is just a slog to get through. It ditches the science fiction flair of its titular franchises for a generic slasher setup that happens to include aliens and predators. The film is incredibly mean-spirited, seemingly missing the point of either franchise. The feminist subtext of the xenomorph creature and Predator’s toxic masculinity satire is nowhere to be found in this juvenile cash grab of a sequel. Instead, the filmmakers take joy in killing their cardboard cutout characters as gruesomely as possible.
These gratuitous kill scenes could’ve been nasty fun if you could see them. Between the 2000s music video style edits and the lack of lighting, it’s hard to tell what’s happening for most of the film. Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem is a mess of a film that lacks any real ideas, visual palette, or originality. The script plays like something you’d come up with a college roommate after too many beers. This film was a waste of time and a far cry from the franchises that it’s supposed to represent.
7. The Predator (2018)
Listen, I love Shane Black’s films. The Nice Guys and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang are cult classics. I’m even a big defender of his polarizing take on Iron Man 3. Not to mention how integral he was to the success of the original Predator film back in the 80s. On paper, Shane Black having free rein over a modern Predator film seemed like a slam dunk. Unfortunately, it ended up being a huge mistake. From constant bad jokes to a gross mishandling of an autistic character, The Predator is a peculiar film that never finds any semblance of a cohesive story. It retcons some of the most interesting lore that was established in previous installments and replaces it with weird gene-splicing subplots and potty humor.
The Predators’ biggest fault is their swerve into full comedy. The original Predator has its silly moments and corny one-liners, and Shane Blacks brand of humor is a huge reason for that. It needs to be balanced with substance or horror, and this film contains neither. The humor here is so quip-like that it feels like a Marvel parody. If you aren’t a fan of the jokes, this film has nothing else to offer you. There are some decent kills here and there, but besides that, 2018’s The Predator is a huge waste of money and time.
6. Predators (2010)
Predators is the second attempt at reviving Predator as a solo franchise. This time with modern themes and tone. The 2010 Predators had so much potential. It hurts me to put the film this low. This film had all the ingredients to be a huge hit and revitalize the series, but it fell short. The cast is exciting, featuring a mix of established stars (Adrian Brody, Lawrence Fishbourne), quirky character actors (Topher Grace, Walton Goggins), and action/horror mainstays (Danny Trejo). Unfortunately, these actors have little to work with. The contained nature of the film’s premise is great, but the characters have no personality. They’re all brooding, and besides Goggins, who tries his best as comedic relief, every character, including our lead, feels interchangeable.
The plot of this film is so clever. A group of fierce killers is unknowingly sent to a planet, forced to protect themselves from the elite group of hunters known as the Predators (or Yautja). The premise is such a good sandbox, but the filmmakers refuse to play in it. The plot skips from beat to beat at an uneven pace. It takes way too long before the Predators show up. By the time the carnage started, I was too bored to care. Predators have a lot of potential and great ideas. It just can’t sufficiently execute any of them.
5. Predator 2 (1990)
Danny Glover elevates Predator 2 past the usual slop of late 1980s to early 1990s sequels. His performance is so sweet and committed that I was invested in this tonal mess of a film. He plays Lieutenant Mike Harrigan, a likable protagonist who is lacking in other films on this list. Predator 2 also benefits from some interesting lore-building towards the end of the story. I can’t fully recommend it, but there is something very endearing about Predator 2. It’s the type of film you’d catch your dad watching on a cable channel like TNT. The type of film you laugh off at first before fully zoning into it until the end credits.
Predator 2 feels like an ’80s action greatest hits collection. So much of this film is referencing other films. There isn’t just Predator in this film’s DNA. Other 80s classics like Robocop and Terminator were obvious inspirations for this urban set sequel. I have a lot of love for this goofy sequel, but I can’t ignore the many flaws. Predator 2 is a fun, cheesy mesh of infamous tropes that doesn’t quite come together. It’s too bloated and the script is incomprehensible, which holds this one back from a higher spot on the list.
4. AVP: Alien Vs Predator (2004)
Alien vs Predator is a prime early 2000s idea. It came out in an era of crossovers between IPs like Freddy vs Jason. This experiment has mostly been regarded as a cultural mistake that we’ve all collectively forgotten about. Looking back on it, though, the first AVP film is exactly what it needed to be. It’s fun, nasty, and campy while keeping a consistent tone. This movie never takes itself seriously, and it’s all the better for it. Alien Vs Predator is a fun adventure with some nods to B-horror of the past. I’ve always said it’s an awesome Predator film and an ok Alien film, but I still think fans of both can have some fun with AVP.
Sanaa Lathan is great in Alien Vs Predator. Her character, Alexa Woods, is among the best protagonists of this franchise. She’s similar to Ellen Ripley, an intelligent and strong woman who is doubted by her mostly male counterparts. It’s fun to see these two monsters collide, but there’s a lot of time in between these monster brawls. Lathan’s protagonist being so likable is a great way to keep the audience invested in the slower moments. Surprisingly engaging character work and some really good practical monster effects elevate a concept that shouldn’t work into a fun relic of the past.
3. Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)
Animation as a medium is finally being taken seriously. After years of being pigeonholeed as exclusively for children, major studios and indies alike have started to realize the potential the medium holds for mature storytelling. Studios have begun to explore animation more consistently as a tool to flesh out their properties. Many major franchises have seen animated spinoffs recently, including Spider-Man, The Lord of the Rings, Transformers, and, of course, Predator. Predator: Killer of Killers is Dan Trachtenberg’s second foray into this franchise after his immensely successful Prey. Killer of Killers continues the historical concept from Prey while also introducing some interesting worldbuilding.
Predator: Killer of Killers is set among three distinct periods: Viking-era Scandinavia, feudal Japan, and World War II. The quality varies by each section, but they all offer something for everyone. Each segment has its style of action, which is a nice touch. These stories all converge in a satisfying way that I won’t spoil here. Killer of Killers is an entertaining and unique addition to the Predator franchise. The success of this film makes me even more excited for Dan Trachtenberg’s Badlands later this year.
2. Prey (2022)
Prey is a magnificent film. It’s a perfect example of IP storytelling that services the fans without being overly reverential or nostalgic. Instead, Prey‘s goal was to push this dormant franchise into a new bold direction, and that’s exactly what the film did. Director Dan Trachtenburg, along with his talented cast and crew, was able to breathe new life into this series. A series that was considered a lost cause after the many failed reboots, Prey takes the Predator series away from the noise that was bogging it down. No convoluted sci-fi conspiracy at the center, no pointless third act twists, and most importantly, no Marvel quips. Prey peels these films back to their most basic ingredients: A human vs a Predator.
Prey depicts the Comanche tribe. It features the real Comanche language and a cast full of First Nations people. This close attention to cultural detail allows the film to feel rich and of the time period it’s based in. Amber Midthunder stars as Naru, a young girl who sets out to become a hunter despite pushback from her tribe. Midthunder is a huge standout, and she adds much empathy to the role. Her actions can be frustrating, but because she’s played with so much humanity, it’s still hard not to take her side. Prey was a pleasant surprise and is an amazing historical epic on its right. The Predator fights just give it even more cool points.
1. Predator (1987)
I went back and forth over this spot for a while. Prey was very close to being here, I just can’t pass up on the film that started it all. It’s the perfect mix of everything that works about these films, executed to perfection. It’s got silly moments like Predator 2, without getting completely lost in the camp. Similar to Predators, the cast is a varied ensemble of action guys and comedians, but this time they all have eccentric character beats and fun chemistry. Our lead, Dutch ( Arnold Swarzenegger), is just as likable and competent as Naru from Prey or Alexa from AVP. And unlike The Predator, the one-liners here are funny.
There’s not much left unsaid about this seminal 80’s classic. It’s easily one of the most referenced films of all time. From the world’s manliest handshake to “get to the choppa,” Predator is a film everyone has come across in some capacity. This cultural relevance is almost unrivaled. There’s something about these films and the creatures they’re about that relates to something deeper about the human condition. Is it the instinctual sense of survival that brings us back, or is it the mirror it holds to our view of power and masculinity? Or maybe it’s just because we like seeing cool monsters on screen. Either way, I will be eagerly anticipating the next one!
