This weekend, the latest installment of the Predator franchise hits the big screen with Predator: Badlands expanding the universe and putting a fresh spin on the IP by making the alien creature the protagonist rather than he antagonist. Predator: Badlands has garnered great reviews so far, sitting with an 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, which makes it one of the best-reviewed entries of the franchise. Where each installment actually lands is a matter of strong opinion, and we’d like to throw our hat in the ring by ranking the franchise, including placement for Predator: Badlands.
9. Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
The hope with 2007’s Alien vs. Predator: Requiem was that it would be an improvement over 2004’s Alien vs. Predator because, perhaps, some lessons were learned. Unlike its predecessor, it was rated R, which some believed was a detriment to the previous installment, so even if the story would be lacking, at least there would be some fun R-rated gore and action to make up for it. Sadly, the R rating didn’t make up for the film’s numerous shortcomings, which once again came down to story and some shoddy technical aspects as well. Directed by The Brothers Strause in their directorial debut, and written by Shane Salerno, Alien vs. Predator: Requiem is set immediately after the events of its predecessor and begins with a Predator ship crash landing in Gunnison, Colorado.
Following the crash, an Alien/Predator hybrid called the Predalien escapes and finds its way into the small town, where a veteran “cleaner” Predator is sent to dispatch it as everyone in town tries to survive the Alien and Predator action. It all sounds cool on paper. The Predalien is an interesting concept—one of the film’s redeeming qualities —and seeing xenomorphs on Earth at the time was inspired. The issue is that the story itself isn’t all that original, with its small-town horror narrative having been done before in other films, and the human characters aren’t exactly likable, even though most people probably didn’t come to see an Alien vs. Predator for the human storylines. In addition to the story, the film is sloppily edited, and the lighting is immensely poor, confusing, being downright dark for using the night as tension. While there were hopes this would be better than its predecessor, they were quickly dashed.
8. Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Despite placing eighth here, Alien vs. Predator is miles ahead of Requiem, but perhaps that isn’t saying much because, despite the hype of finally bringing this concept to the big screen, it ends up being a disappointment in some regards because it didn’t quite deliver on what fans were expecting. Written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, the concept of bringing the Alien and Predator series together began in a 1989 comic book by Randy Stradley, and its box office potential was probably bolstered by the success of Freddy vs. Jason the year before. Anderson’s screenplay follows a group of scientists who end up in the middle of a battle between Aliens and Predators as they try to escape a pyramid.
The decision to make this film PG-13 was made to ensure the target audience would be available to boost box office, but this is the kind of film that was starving for an R rating, and it’s a shame that it didn’t get it because it neuters much of the action. As is the case with these movies, the human story cuts into what the audience really wants to see, and for a film called Alien vs. Predator, one would hope we would get more of that, but it’s undercut by the humans caught in the middle, who are paper-thin to say the least. There are some big monster fights on display, and it should be noted that there are some impressive set-pieces and strong designs for the Predators and Xenomorphs, but while it’s fun in spots, there isn’t a sense of dread, and it suffers from some distinct early-2000s style, including flash cuts and slow-motion action. Not a total dumpster fire, but it could’ve been so much better.
7. The Predator (2018)
All signs pointed to The Predator being a top-notch entry in the franchise. Shane Black, who co-starred in 1987’s Predator and made uncredited contributions to that script, was on board to direct, bringing with him a pedigree that also included the original Lethal Weapon. Black also co-wrote The Predator, sharing duties with Fred Dekker, who also worked with Black on The Monster Squad. The film also bolstered an impressive ensemble cast, including Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, and Thomas Jane, among others, and it offered a nice flip on the traditional Predator script by having military rejects going up against the Predator rather than an elite group consisting of the best of the best. All the ingredients are there for a solid installment, but instead, we get one that has moments that work but ultimately doesn’t live up to all of its promise.
In the film, a group of PTSD-afflicted soldiers and a scientist join forces to stop a pair of Predators while also trying to discover their potential plans for mankind. The film is ambitious in its scope, and the cast does a solid job, but where the film falters is in some of the jarring tonal shifts from sci-fi action to unnecessary humor, which could work if done better, but it just doesn’t work here. In concept, the arrival of the upgraded Predator seems cool, but having the normal Predator being central to the story and then dispatched by its amped up counterpart, who is near invincible, doesn’t do much for the film’s tension. Oddly enough, the movie could’ve pulled an early Predator: Badlands by making the regular Predator a reluctant ally of the human heroes by helping them take down the uber-Predator, but perhaps the thought of that just didn’t seem to mesh with what the franchise had been offering at the time. There are moments of solid action, and it definitely has the best of intentions, but it falls victim to a bit of overhype and maybe trying to do too much.
6. Predator 2 (1990)
As a sequel to 1987’s Predator, its immediate sequel falls short, but as pure guilty pleasure fun, Predator 2 mostly succeeds as a solid diversion and a product of its time. Directed by Stephen Hopkins from a screenplay written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, Predator 2 takes the action from the jungle to the hard streets of Los Angeles, setting the events ten years after its predecessor. Instead of Arnold Schwarzenegger, we get a disgruntled cop portrayed by Danny Glover who finds himself battling an alien creature that has a heat wave in Los Angeles, and a war between Colombian and Jamaican drug cartels as its new battleground. The shift in locations, while bold, actually works for the film, as the crime-ridden streets of Los Angeles seem like the perfect setting for a Predator to begin hunting prey again. The movie is considerably violent, which is a win for the fans, but the movie does go a bit over the top at times, and it suffers from an uneven tone in spots.
There are a lot of threads attempted here, and the film’s conclusion, which sees Glover’s Lieutenant Mike Harrigan being rewarded by an elder Predator for his defeat of the Predator that invaded Los Angeles, is a strong note to end on, but the film is certainly silly and was called out at the time of its release for some not so subtle racial stereotypes. Predator 2 also lacks some of the visual panache of the original, but credit to Glover for keeping most of the movie grounded with a solid performance that’s arguably better than the material. Also, special shout-out to Kevin Peter Hall, who brought the Predator to life in the 1987 original and this sequel.
He set the tone for how this character should be portrayed, and this was sadly his last time taking on the role as he lost his life far too young at the age of 35 (a month short of his 36th birthday) from AIDS-related pneumonia in 1991, having contracted HIV. from a blood transfusion during surgery after sustaining injuries in a car accident. As was stated earlier, as a direct sequel to Predator, this film doesn’t totally measure up, but it’s easy to see why this entry in particular has steadily become a cult classic since its release, because above all else, it’s a fun ride, even if it doesn’t live up to its predecessor.
5. Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)
I didn’t think I would have much interest in this animated entry of the Predator franchise, but I should’ve learned after Prey, in Dan Trachtenberg we trust, because the film is a wonderful mash-up of animation, direction, writing, and riveting action sequences. Directed by Trachtenberg and co-directed by Joshua Wassung from a screenplay by Micho Robert Rutare, Predator: Killer of Killers functions as an anthology film that depicts three different stories that feature human warriors who battle a Predator throughout different time periods. Spanning Viking-age Scandinavia, feudal Japan, and World War II, these stories ultimately converge as the killers from these eras find themselves having to prove their worth going head-to-head against the “killer of killers.”
Trachtenberg’s ambition should be respected here as it offers up a bold departure from what fans have come to expect. The film’s animation and visual style are captivating, mostly because it opens up the scope to depict the Predator action in a way that fans have never seen before. The film’s detriment comes from a lack of emotional resonance because the character arcs aren’t as strong due to a lack of significant development, but as experiments go, this is one that largely succeeds and provides even more proof that Trachtenberg is the man who should be steering the Predator ship moving forward.
4. Predators (2010)
Of all the Predator films on this list, Predators feels like the most underrated one here because it deserves much more praise for keeping the franchise alive during a time when it seemed like there wasn’t much life left in it. Directed by Nimrod Antal from a screenplay by Alex Litvak and Michael Finch, Predators follows a group of expert killers who have been abducted and left on a planet inhabited by our titular alien creatures. Predators goes back to what has made the original work so well over the years by stripping it down to hunters becoming the hunted, but it even puts a fun twist on that concept by making the hunters some of the most proficient killers known to man. Sometimes these films work best when there isn’t a ton of world-building, and the central thrill is seeing the Predators simply hunt.
This is what works best about this installment, as there was a solid effort to take this back to the DNA of the first film, and it generally succeeds as a sort of modern reimagining of the 1987 movie that started it all by providing mayhem and crowd-pleasing action. The cast is excellent and stacked with talent, including Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Walton Goggins, Alice Braga, and Laurence Fishburne, and the film even scores points for giving us different Predators with distinct skills. This is how you pay homage to the original while keeping it fresh for a new generation of fans.
3. Predator: Badlands (2025)
Having seen Predator: Badlands ahead of the weekend, I can proudly rank this entry this high because once again, Dan Trachtenberg proves why he is now the architect of this franchise by taking the IP to new and exciting places. Directed by Trachtenberg from a screenplay by Patrick Aison, Predator: Badlands follows a young Predator named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), considered to be the runt of his warrior clan who, with the help of his brother Kwei (Mike Homik) goes on his on hero’s journey of sorts by embarking on a mission to the lethal planet of Genna to kill the Kalisk, an unkillable apex predator, to prove his worth to his father. Along the way, Dek encounters a Thia (Elle Fanning), a Weyland-Yutani Corporation synthetic left damaged by her encounter with the Kalisk. While Dek doesn’t see much use for her at first, they’re forced to work together to accomplish their goals, resulting in the buddy movie we didn’t know we needed.
Turning a central creature that fans have known to be the antagonist over the years and turning it into a protagonist for this entry proves to be a wise choice that gives the franchise a human element, on the Predator side, that ends up being very effective. It’s proper franchise reinvention that shows an IP as old as this one can go to some exciting places and still maintain, at its core, what fans have come to love about it. The chemistry between Dek and Thia shines through, despite the language barrier, because Fanning’s performance (taking on dual roles but that won’t be given away here) is so empathetic and human, while Koloamatangi, through stellar motion capture work, can emote in a way that gives Dek personality beyond words. Also, don’t let the PG-13 rating fool you here; the action is primarily alien on alien and alien on android, so the gore and violence are still on display despite the rating. The action set pieces are impressive, and it goes down some interesting narrative beats that prove there is even more story to tell after this installment.
2. Prey (2022)
The Dan Trachtenberg praise continues with Prey, a film that served the purpose of showcasing that he was the man this franchise needed and that there is still life in this IP following 2018’s The Predator. Directed by Trachtenberg from a screenplay by Patrick Aison, Prey serves as a prequel and is set in 1719 in the Northern Great Plains. The film follows a young Comanche woman named Naru (Amber Midthunder) who desires to prove herself as a hunter and finds herself getting to do so by protecting her people from an alien that hunts humans for sport, in addition to French fur traders who are taking out the buffalo her people need for survival. Much like Predators, Prey strips the formula down to hunter vs. the hunted, but strips it down even further by doing away with all the high-tech machinery that is normally used to dispatch the Predator.
Due to its setting, there are no machine guns, and instead, we get Naru’s natural skills and some tomahawks for good measure. The setting is fresh, and Midthunder makes for a bad-ass female lead that recalls what we loved about the likes of Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley during some of her fiercest encounters against the Xenomorph in Alien and, more notably, in Aliens. Prey clearly pays homage to the spirit of the first movie, but also gives the franchise a fresh spin to work off of. The only detriment to this film wasn’t even its fault. Disney, releasing through 20th Century Studios, likely wasn’t completely sold on its box office potential and released the film exclusively to Hulu, but thankfully, the film’s stellar reception from fans and critics made them change course for Predator: Badlands. This was a movie starving for the big screen treatment, but it still succeeds, even on the small screen.
1. Predator (1987)
For this guy here, it doesn’t get much better than the original because of its simplicity. Predator works primarily because it doesn’t try to explain why this paramilitary team is being hunted by an alien creature or why it’s here in the first place. All we see is an extraterrestrial spacecraft heading to Earth, and then the ensuing hunters being hunted as the Predator makes this rescue team its prey. Directed by John McTiernan from a screenplay written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, the film follows a rescue team on a mission to save hostages in the Central American rainforest, only to find themselves hunted by a Predator (Kevin Peter Hall), who uses its advanced technological skills to take them down one by one.
The tension is expertly crafted by McTiernan, and it wisely keeps the alien mostly hidden until absolutely necessary. This makes the movie supremely atmospheric, proving that sometimes less is more. However, once we see the Predator in all of its glory, it’s a wonder of practical effects that is effectively brought to life by the late Hall, who sets the tone for how this character should be portrayed on the big screen. The film is also unapologetically and wonderfully ’80s in its depiction of the bravado of its characters and its wall-to-wall violence. Predator builds to an epic one-on-one battle between Schwarzenegger and the Predator that still holds up today and makes it not only the best film of the franchise, but one of the best action films of the ’80s.
Predator: Badlands opens in theaters nationwide this Friday.
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