Every Predator Movie Ranked, Including Badlands

You know, for a time, Predator movies used to be the most "masculine," testosterone-fueled films at the multiplexes. Big guns (both of the muscle and weapon variety), a horrific monster, and men running around in the jungle were always seen as MANLY STUFF. But that was back in the '80s and '90s, when the whole concept of "masculinity" was pretty much spelled out as being one distinct thing.

However, this is the 2020s, and movies like Prey and Predator: Badlands have now expanded the scope of the brand. This is now very much because of a director like Dan Trachtenberg, who has really widened the parameters of the franchise.

But, where do Trachtenberg’s three Predator films land when it comes to the rest of the series? Well, you’re about to find out.

9. Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) 

Directed by the Brothers Strause and acting as a direct follow-up to the original AvP, this dismal sequel is about an alien/predator hybrid on the loose (A pred-alien, if you will), and a single Predator who needs to wipe out any aliens (and people) who get in his way.

Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, which I reviewed many moons ago, is rated-R, but I don't know why since you can barely see anything. I mean, seriously, the lighting in this movie is atrocious! That said, everything else around the awful, poorly lit fight scenes is also terrible, as the human characters stink, the setting is bland, and the plot is yawn-inducing. And, what sucks is that this movie actually had potential. Because even though the main characters are still humans, this was the first real cinematic attempt to make a Yautja the protagonist (even more so than the first AvP), making it several years before Predator: Badlands did something similar. Oh, well. You can’t skin them all.

8. The Predator (2018) 

Directed by Shane Black, who was actually in the original movie, 2018's The Predator tried to do something different, but ended up falling flat on its monstrous face instead. Starring a pretty great cast of Olivia Munn, Keegan-Michael Key, Boyd Holbrook, and many others, The Predator features a plot where predators have enhanced themselves with human DNA, but they come to earth when a boy wears their armor as a Halloween costume. I'm dead serious.

The Predator is by far the most polarizing film in the entire franchise. Some, like our very own Dirk Libbey, said in his The Predator review that it was an "entertaining enough sequel," while others feel it is the absolute nadir of the series. Personally, I'm somewhere in the middle.

The plot, which revolves around everything from autism to climate change, is a mess. But it has its highlights, like some of the humor and the action. That said, much like the Fantastic Four movie with Michael B. Jordan (which I actually kind of like), the movie falls completely apart in the third act, destroying all the fun in the earlier parts of the film. Oh, well. It's bad, but not Alien vs. Predator Requiem bad, since at least I can actually see what's going on in this movie.

7. Alien vs. Predator (2004) 

Written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, this dream match that began in the comics (uh, hullo! I'm still waiting on my RoboCop vs Terminator movie crossover), the aliens and predators fight each other in the cold at a pyramid. What else do you need to know?

AvP's shortcomings come in the fact that a) it holds a lot back with its PG-13 rating, and b) its setting doesn't really benefit either character. It's also a huge let-down given the hype of these two legendary franchises coming together. Whenever anybody asks me how I feel about AvP, I always give them the same response: Freddy vs. Jason did it better. And they did. AvP is mid at best, and bottom of the barrel at worst. Still, I prefer it to Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, if that’s worth anything.

6. Predators (2010) 

Directed by Nimrod Antal and starring Adrian Brody, Alice Braga, Mahershala Ali, and many others, Predators finds a mercenary (Brody) and a bunch of other dangerous people on a distant planet where Predators (hence the title) try to kill them. Pretty standard stuff.

Actually, maybe too standard, as Predators is pretty middle of the road for me. I know there are some people who find Predators to be underrated, and it definitely has its moments–I especially love the startling way that the movie opens–but overall, it's just fine. I don't hate it, I don't love it. It's just a movie. With Predators in it. Next.

5. Predator 2 (1990) 

Directed by Stephen Hopkins and starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, and Bill Paxton, Predator 2 takes place ten years after the first movie, and a Predator, having witnessed a gang confrontation with the police, takes his abilities to the streets of LA to get in on the action. I'm not the first person to make this joke, but this Predator is in a new jungle this time -- THE CONCRETE JUNGLE. Yeah, it wasn't very clever the first time, either.

Predator 2 was my second-favorite Predator movie for a long time, but honestly, that's not saying much given the other films. Still, Predator 2 has a lot going for it, as the urban setting is effective here, and the Predator effects are really cool in this movie. I also love Danny Glover as the protagonist, as he's a sharp contrast to Arnold in the original. Predator 2 is schlocky and silly, and for that, I really dig it. It's fun.

4. Predator: Badlands (2025)

You know, I often go back and forth on this latest entry from Dan Trachtenberg, as sometimes it’s my favorite movie of the three Predator movies he’s directed, and sometimes, it’s my least favorite. Today, I think I’ll put it at number four, which is nothing to scoff at. I alluded to this film earlier when I discussed Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, but this movie truly marks the first time that a Yautja is the main protagonist, as a character named Dek (who is a short king if there ever was one) journeys to a dangerous planet to prove himself by killing an “unkillable” monster.

But, he’s not alone, as an android (Elle Fanning) from the Alien series’ fictional Weyland-Yutani Corporation is strapped to his back throughout most of the film. I really love this movie (and how well it did at the box office), but a part of me (today, anyway) wants to dock some points due to the large Alien presence in this film. It just doesn’t feel like a “pure” Predator movie. I know, I know. I guess it’s just the purist in me.

3. Predator: Killer Of Killers (2025)

I don’t know if we Predator fans will ever have it as good as we did in 2025 when we got not one, but TWO badass Predator movies. And, while many might call Badlands the superior film, I actually prefer this animated anthology movie told in four separate chapters and in different time periods.

Of the four chapters, my favorite one takes place in Japan and deals with two brothers who go on different paths in life. The segment has samurai, a ninja, and a Predator. What more could you possibly want? The film coalesces with a badass gladiatorial battle that leaves us with more questions than answers. But, it ultimately leaves me craving more, which every great Predator movie should do!

2. Prey (2022) 

The first Predator movie by Dan Trachtenberg, and starring Amber Midthunder, Michelle Thrush, and Dane DiLiegro, Prey takes the series way back to 1719, where a Comanche tribe is attacked by fur trappers. Oh, and a Predator. Fur trappers and a Predator. In the midst of all of this is a female Comanche warrior (Midthunder) who kicks their asses to prove to both herself and also to her tribe that she is the most badass of them all.

Prey is, without a doubt, the second-best Predator movie. In fact, our very own Dirk Libbey opined in his review that Prey is "the best Predator movie in years, possibly ever." And I agree… that it's the best Predator movie in years. It's just so refreshing. Putting it deep in the past and showing a Predator on Earth in its own first hunt provides a great counterbalance to our heroine's story arc. The setting is also phenomenal, and I love that Killer of Killers followed through on more Predator stories that take place in the past. Prey is excellent, but really, only one Predator movie can be the very best.

1. Predator (1987) 

Directed by John McTiernan (well, most of it anyway) and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers (we still miss you, King), Jesse Ventura, and a few others, the original Predator is about a group of alpha males who go into a jungle on a rescue mission, only to find that they're being hunted by a deadly alien. Simple, but effective.

I know how I went on a screed earlier about how the whole concept of masculinity is kind of dated in the 2020’s, but yeah. Predator is a supermanly movie. I mean, there is a whole scene where two grown-ass men arm wrestle in the air to prove their toughness. How much more of a pissing contest do you need? And, the thing about the first Predator is that it commits to that idea of masculinity, even making it important to subvert the plot. Because in this movie, Arnold, who was the biggest action hero on the planet at the time, wasn't the predator, but rather, the prey, and it really made you nervous for a guy who could probably deadlift an SUV back in his prime. Like, if this hunk of beef can't take down a Predator, who can?

This contrast, and the fact that the Predator takes such a long time to actually reveal itself, makes this film legendary, and ultimately, the greatest Predator movie of all time (Even with Trachtenberg’s three gems). And, I honestly have a hard time believing that any other Predator movie, no matter how good it is, will ever surpass it.

And, that's the list. But, what's your favorite Predator movie? For more news on all things Predator-related, make sure to swing by here often!