All ‘Predator' movies ranked from best to worst
For almost 40 years, the 'Predator' franchise has explored the galaxy's ultimate hunter. The alien race was first introduced in 1987's 'Predator,' becoming instantly iconic. Over the subsequent decades, various Predators have been featured across five mainline movies and a couple of 'vs. Alien' spin-offs.
Here's the truth about the 'Predator' series: It's wildly inconsistent. The highs are pretty darn high, but some of the lows are pitiful. While I'm significantly more partial to its (friendly) rival, the 'Alien' franchise, I still have a soft spot for all things 'Predator.' So, after watching the franchise in its entirety several times over the years, I'm here to rank every single movie from best to worst.
With the latest installment in the franchise, 'Predator: Killer of Killers,' landing on Hulu this week (Friday, June 6), now is the perfect time to return to the series and make a definitive call on where each one falls in the ranking.
Here are all the 'Predator' movies ranked from the highs of 2022's phenomenal 'Prey' to the crushing lows of 2018's painfully poor 'The Predator.'
I don't say this lightly, but 'The Predator' is offensively bad. That's not a hyperbolic statement; I was actually offended by this movie. I can't get into its biggest sin without spoilers, but beyond its jaw-droppingly insulting climax, 'The Predator' is just wretched in almost every way.
The biggest disappointment is that, on paper, there were promising signs. Shane Black returns to the franchise in the director's chair this time, after a supporting role in the original, and it was touted pre-release as the start of a new era for the 'Predator' franchise.
The 2018 flop has all the signs of intense studio meddling with a chopped-up narrative, erratic pacing and a bizarre ending (the final scene was reportedly altered last minute to remove an 'Alien' reference).
The especially poor CGI and the highly unlikely cast of characters are just the rotten cherry on top of this hugely underbaked cake. It's a straight-up disaster.
Watch "The Predator" on Hulu now (if you must!)
I've never been wholly sold on 'Alien vs. Predator' as a concept.
Granted, I'm pretty biased as 'Alien' is my favorite film franchise of all time, but the former has genuine sci-fi prestige, and while I have a fondness for 'Predator,' I'm well aware it's a little more shlocky in tone. In my opinion, the two series are better separated.
Still, at least the first 'Alien vs. Predator' has its moments (but we'll get to that), whereas the truly terrible 'Requiem' very much doesn't. It plays out with all the grace of a young child smashing two action figures together, and don't get me started on the abomination that is the 'Predalien,' a Predator/Xenomorph hybrid that proves to be as dumb in practice as it sounds on paper.
The lighting is also so dark that figuring out what is happening half the time is a real struggle, but considering 'Requiem' is a front-to-back mess, perhaps that's a saving grace.
Watch "Alien vs. Predator: Requiem" on Hulu now
'Predator 2' was met with unfavorable reviews upon release in 1990, but over time, its reputation has improved, and it now stands as something of a cult favorite. Still, I rank it pretty low overall, with its central setting being one of my biggest points of criticism.
Switching from the jungles of Central America to sunny, urban Los Angeles, 'Predator 2' is a bit of a mismatch. It almost feels like two different movies stitched together as the eponymous hunter finds himself in the middle of a turf war between two rival drug cartels.
Danny Glover's leading performance as an LAPD officer has been much praised over the years, and his compelling character is the standout reason to give 'Predator 2' a chance. Still, this first sequel is one for franchise completionists rather than essential viewing.
Watch "Predator 2" on Hulu now
'Alien vs. Predator' was a long-requested flick following the two titans of the sci-fi landscape first facing off in comic book form in the '90s. The big-screen result was less impressive than the concept sounds in theory, but it's still got a few memorable scenes.
Perhaps, I'm overly kind to this movie. It served as my introduction to both 'Alien' and 'Predator' in my youth, so I guess you could say I have a liking for the first 'AVP.' I can acknowledge that the characters are thinly-sketched and the decision to turn the 'Predator' into ostensibly the hero of the piece feels ill-judged.
But putting all its many flaws aside, when the Predators start squaring off against a pack of ferocious Xenomorphs, it's undeniably novel. That is when you can actually make out what is happening on screen; several action scenes are poorly constructed and hard to decipher.
Watch "Alien vs. Predator" on Hulu now
2010's 'Predators' is the point where I can start recommending movies in the franchise without a lengthy string of caveats. This attempted reboot of the franchise is pretty underrated in my eyes.
It kicks off with a bang as Adrien Brody's Royce literally falls into unfamiliar territory, and from there, it's a cat-and-mouse game against the universe's most lethal hunter.
The cast list is also pleasantly stacked with Walton Goggins, Laurence Fishburne and Danny Trejo in supporting roles (and Topher Grace ...), and I like the way it takes a group of harder mercs and throws them into a situation where their bravado falls away to real fear.
The action is also some of the franchise's best to date, and things build to a suitably bombastic finale. It does have some of the less savory hallmarks of 2010s action sci-fi, but 'Predators' is a franchise reboot that manages to both honor the original and stay relatively fresh.
Watch "Predators" on Hulu now
It's hard to argue against the original 'Predator.' Obviously, as the franchise starter, it has the benefit of setting the standard and introducing us to a sci-fi creation that has become hugely iconic, but it's also a beefed-up '80s action movie with enough brains to supplement its hefty brawl.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch is one of the genre's great action heroes, and there are plenty of iconic moments and lines ('If it bleeds, we can kill it' remains just as badass as ever). Its sweltering setting of a Central American jungle adds a great deal to the sense of unease, and the characters, while not super memorable beyond Dutch, at least fit the tone.
'Predator' is also smartly restrained, giving us enough of the creature to be intrigued but not so much that it loses its fear-factor (later sequels would go overboard in this regard). It's a sci-fi classic for good reason, and for a long time, I thought it would never be topped.
Watch "Predator" on Hulu now
'Prey' absolutely blew me away. I didn't have the highest of expectations when it was announced due to the low quality of most 'Predator' movies after the original, but director Dan Trachtenberg delivered an action-horror that truly unlocks the hunter's potential.
The period setting proves to be a stroke of genius, and the showdown between a young Comanche warrior (Amber Midthunder) and the single Predator is spine-tinglingly awesome. The setup is simple: An aspiring Native American hunter gets more than she bargained for when she becomes the prey for the universe's most deadly killer. But it's this simplicity that makes the movie so engaging. Its singular focus is sharp and intense.
The movie is also available in a full Comanche language dub, which adds extra authenticity and is the best way to experience this showdown between two highly-skilled forces of nature.
While 'Prey' is more restrained than other 'Predator' movies, that works in its favor, and the build-up to the finale only makes the end results all the more impactful.
Watch "Prey" on Hulu now
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
37 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
CSO hires a new chorus director; cancels next season's MusicNOW series
This week, Symphony Center saw a one-two punch of good news and bad news. On Tuesday, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra announced that Donald Palumbo, the former chorus master of the Metropolitan Opera, would lead its award-winning chorus on an initial three-year contract — a cheering development for an ensemble that has been without a director since 2022. That was followed on Thursday by word that MusicNOW, the CSO's contemporary music series, would be 'paused' next season. A statement from Cristina Rocca, the orchestra's vice president for artistic planning, said the organization intended to 'imagine new possibilities for connecting Chicago audiences with new music.' Once the domain of the CSO's composer-in-residence, MusicNOW programming is typically unveiled after the bulk of season programming has been announced. Instead, series subscribers were notified of the cancellation via a mailer. Palumbo will prepare the 2025-26 season's previously announced Chicago Symphony Chorus programs: Mozart's Requiem (Nov. 20-23), an Italian operatic potpourri conducted by music director emeritus Riccardo Muti (March 19-21, 2026) and Poulenc's 'Gloria' (May 14-16, 2026). He will also work with the chorus for 'Merry, Merry Chicago!', a CSO holiday tradition (Dec. 19-23). Palumbo spoke with the Tribune by phone between sessions with young singers at Lyric Opera's Ryan Opera Center. Rehearsals were well underway with the Chicago Symphony Chorus for Verdi's Requiem (June 19-24), his debut as chorus director designate. 'The rehearsals of the Verdi have gone really, really well so far,' Palumbo says. 'If I sound like a kid in a candy store, well, I kind of am.' Palumbo is only the third director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus in its nearly 70-year history. At 76, his tenure will doubtlessly be shorter than predecessors Duain Wolfe and founding director Margaret Hillis, the latter leading the chorus for a whopping 37 seasons. But Palumbo — whose remarkable career trajectory saw him ascend from being a primarily self-taught hobbyist musician to the most in-demand choral director in the country — says he's approaching the job like any other. 'I'm going to do my job, and it's going to go on as long as I'm doing a good job, I want to do it, and they want me,' he says. Palumbo's résumé made him a contender to watch after Wolfe's mid-season departure from the chorus in 2022. Prior to his appointment at the Met, the country's most storied opera house, Palumbo directed the Lyric Opera chorus from 1991 to 2007. He is still a known quantity to scores of local singers, including some who sang under him during his Lyric tenure. 'He prepares you in such a way that you feel so understanding of the piece of music that you're doing,' says Chicago Symphony Chorus alto Emily Price, whom Palumbo also hired to the Lyric Opera Chorus in his final season there. 'The language is so important, and the intensity of each line has to be so specific.' Palumbo's preparation of the chorus for two Muti-led programs in 2022 and 2023 — an unstaged 'Un ballo in maschera' and Beethoven's 'Missa solemnis,' respectively — sealed the deal. Muti made his affinity for Palumbo known when, after 'Missa solemnis,' the outgoing CSO music director implored Palumbo to consider leading the chorus 'permanently' in onstage remarks. 'That was very unexpected,' he recalls, laughing. But in time, the prospect began to make natural sense. Palumbo feels he'd done his time in the opera world, where margins are getting ever tighter. At this stage in his career, he prefers to focus on the music — a stated position of Muti, once again his collaborator in the forthcoming Verdi Requiem concerts. The CSO post, Palumbo says, allows him to get down to fundamentals. 'I was just in Japan for a month doing a 'Traviata' production with a chorus of young singers. … I told them, 'For better or for worse, this could be my very last 'Traviata,' and it's your first,'' he says. 'It's a progression.' The appointment comes at a time when the CSO is in need of steady leadership. Klaus Mäkelä, the CSO's music director designate, does not begin his term at the organization until 2027. While he continues to spearhead orchestral hires, Mäkelä did not participate in Palumbo's search committee, owing to the timing of his own appointment, in 2024. 'When we engaged Klaus, we informed him of any number of things artistically that were going on here, including the search for a new chorus director. Knowing that he wouldn't be working with the full chorus for quite a while, he agreed that we should just move ahead and have the committee make the selection,' says CSO president Jeff Alexander. Mäkelä will, however, be part of Palumbo's renewal talks in 2028, which were intentionally timed to the end of Mäkelä's first season. Though Mäkelä and Palumbo are not working together next season, Alexander confirmed they would begin working together on programs beginning in the 2026-27 season. The CSO has pointed to the same contractual awkwardness in its curtailing of MusicNOW, its contemporary music series. Last year, the CSO did not appoint a composer-in-residence, citing the interregnum between music directors Muti and Mäkelä, who have hiring power over the position. (Despite this, the CSO filled a similar gap between Muti and former music director Daniel Barenboim 20 years ago with a twin appointment of composers Osvaldo Golijov and Mark-Anthony Turnage.) Alexander reaffirmed the CSO's commitment to hiring a new composer-in-residence, 'probably' during Mäkelä's first season in 2027-28. But he acknowledged that MusicNOW, or anything like it, may not be under that person's aegis. 'It may still include some curation of some kind regarding our contemporary music offerings, and the rest will probably remain pretty much the same: writing a new piece for the orchestra each year, et cetera,' Alexander says. Above all, economic factors prevailed. Alexander noted that MusicNOW — essentially a chamber series featuring members of the CSO — tended to follow the ticket-sale trends of those programs, filling just a fraction of Orchestra Hall's capacity. That's despite having costs not usually associated with those programs, like music licensing fees or guest artist expenses. (Featured composers and, occasionally, soloists and conductors were typically flown out for the series.) Instead, Alexander signaled that a short-term strategy may be to program more contemporary music on the CSO's mainstage. Though the CSO's 2025-26 season includes just one premiere (Matthew Aucoin's 'Song of the Reappeared' in December), subscription concerts feature works by 16 living composers: Camille Pépin, Carlos Simon, Thea Musgrave, Unsuk Chin, Jörg Widmann, Paquito d'Rivera, Gabriella Smith, Kevin Puts, Joel Thompson, Jennifer Higdon, Erkki-Sven Tüür, John Adams, Wynton Marsalis, Joe Hisaishi and former CSO composer-in-residence Jessie Montgomery. 'The word we're using is 'pause,' because, as we thought about it, we're a symphonic organization first of all,' Alexander says. 'If we put a contemporary piece on a CSO subscription program and it's performed three times, on a good week, 6,000 people are hearing it. If we put it on a MusicNOW concert, maybe 300 people were hearing it. … Part of our thinking is, let's beef up the contemporary offerings on the CSO main (series). Cautiously, of course. But more than normal.' Rocca's written statement went on to say that 'conversations with the artistic planning team' and Mäkelä 'are underway to guide future plans' for contemporary music programming at the CSO.
Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
How to watch 'Virgins' online – stream the reality show about late-bloomers from anywhere
"Virgins" – American's answer to Britain "Virgin Island" – is a docuseries that follows four late bloomers (in their 30s and 40s) as they step out of their comfort zone and prepare to go all the way. Here's how to watch 'Virgins" online from anywhere with a VPN — and potentially for free. "Virgins" premieres on TLC on Monday, June 9 at 9 p.m. ET. and is available to stream on Max the following day.• U.S. — TLC via Sling / Fubo / Hulu | Max (next day)• Canada — TLC via Sling/ Hulu• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk-free TLC calls is a "a journey of love, intimacy and self discovery in hopes of getting deflowered," which really doesn't describe just how terrifying it must be to attempt to lose your virginity with TV cameras in tow. Alex is 34 and lives with his parents. His sisters have somehow become involved in his private life and are pushing him to lose his virginity in the hope he will gain some independence. Meanwhile, 37-year-old Sonali is even less experienced and has never even experimented. Deanne is 35 and has "high standards" that she holds accountable for turning down most men she encounters, but 42-year-old Rhasha, who was celibate even during her marriage, has undertaken massive weight-loss surgery and wants to try BDSM. Read on to find out how to watch "Virgins' online and from anywhere around the world and find out all you need to know about the cast. In the U.S., "Virgins" will air on TLC with the premiere set for Monday, June 9 at 9.00 p.m. ET. Episodes will also available to stream on Max the following day. If you've already cut the cord and don't have cable, you can watch TLC on a live TV service, like Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, and DirecTV Stream. Traveling outside the States? You'll need to use a VPN to unblock your usual streaming service when abroad. Sling TV is one of the most affordable live TV services on the market. The Sling Blue package includes more than 50 channels including Fox and NBC (in select cities), TLC, AMC, Bravo, Food Network, HGTV, Lifetime and USA. Right now get 50% off your first month! Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching "Virgins" on your usual streaming service? You can still watch "Virgins" thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. Ideal when you're away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best VPN on the market. There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features too. With over 7,000 servers, across 110+ countries, and at a great price too, it's easy to recommend. Try the $3.99 per month plan for the best value Using a VPN is incredibly simple. 1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite. 2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're in the U.K. and want to view a U.S. service, you'd select U.S. from the list. 3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Fire up your website or streaming service of choice and tune in to "Virgins" just as you would at home. "Virgins" premieres on TLC on Monday, June 9. TLC is available in the U.K. on Sky (Sky channel 133).You can also watch it on Virgin Media (Virgin channel 167). If you have a Sky Go subscription, you can watch TLC live on that app as well. Americans on vacation in the U.K. can use a VPN if they want to watch via their usual domestic streaming platform. As with the U.S., "Virgins" premieres in Canada on Monday, June 9 at 9.00p.m. ET. Ion TLC. It is available via Hulu and Those on vacation away from Canada will need one of the best VPNs to log in back home as you will be geo-blocked when not in the Great North. We recommend NordVPN. It's a similar story Down Under, with no release date yet announced. When "Virgins" does arrive in Oz, it'll stream on Binge. Binge subscriptions start from AU$10 per month, up to AU$22. It's worth noting, the service does offer a 7-day FREE trial to new users. Visiting Australia and don't want to wait? American fans can watch the show from anywhere by using a VPN such as NordVPN. The official introduction to the four contestants from TLC teases: ALEX (Reading, PA) Alex is 34, lives in his parents' attic and drives his mom's minivan - a textbook failure to launch. Now, his sisters are stepping in, determined to push him toward independence and maybe even romance. From tantra speed dating to testing pickup lines at a bar, will Alex finally take that next step toward adulthood and sex? SONALI (Hollywood, CA) Sonali, a 37-year-old South Asian woman, dreams of a romantic first time filled with jazz, wine, and rose petals, but reality hasn't quite matched the fantasy. With a conservative upbringing and fears of intimacy, she's barely dated, let alone had sex. Now, she begins a personal journey toward sexual awakening. Can she overcome her anxieties and finally embrace pleasure on her own terms? DEANNE (Los Angeles, CA) Deanne is a beautiful, ambitious 35-year-old virgin with high standards and quick to dismiss any man she meets. Despite her charm and success, her finickiness holds her back. With encouragement from friends, she starts dating but always finds a reason to walk away. Will she finally let her guard down? RHASHA (Jacksonville, FL) After a divorce, a major transformation that included weight loss surgery and shedding 80 pounds, Rhasha enters the dating scene at 42 years old with newfound confidence, despite having been celibate her entire life, including the period where she was married. Ready to explore her sexuality, she decides to dive headfirst into role play and BDSM. Will she finally lose her virginity and embrace her liberated self? We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Gizmodo
an hour ago
- Gizmodo
Let's Talk About the Ending of ‘Predator: Killer of Killers'
'Holy shit!' I screamed when the final image of Predator: Killer of Killers came onto the screen. After a movie that was already incredibly awesome and enticing, the film's final image adds a whole new dimension. One that we just had to talk to the filmmakers about. This, of course, will require us getting into major spoilers, so if you haven't seen the film, go watch it right here and come back after. It's seeded pretty early on that Ursa, the Viking warrior voiced by Lindsay LaVanchy; Kenji, the feudal ninja voiced by Louis Ozawa; and Torres, the World War II pilot voiced by Rick Gonzalez, who have all killed a Predator, have been subsequently captured and brought to an alien planet. And to answer your first question, no, this did not involve time travel. Each character is frozen in their time and then awoken when they are needed. 'That's why we specifically put in the line that Torres says 'I feel like I've been asleep forever,' to try to help because I know it certainly could be misconstrued,' director Dan Trachtenberg told io9. So they wake up, have to fight some Predator creatures, and each manages to escape in their own unique ways. For Torres and Kenji it's a literal escape, at least for now. Don't forget, they are on an alien planet, in a spaceship, and neither has been alive in an era where space travel has been a reality. So you can't imagine even if they get off the planet, they'd have any idea get back to Earth. Plus, last we saw them, they were again being hunted by probably hundreds of Predators, so we have to assume they are going to get caught at some point. As for Ursa, her sacrifice is the only thing that gives Torres and Kenji a fighting chance and, as a reward, she's once again put into that frozen stasis. A tactic which, it's revealed, the Predators have used a lot. Ursa is moved into an almost Raiders of the Lost Ark storage facility filled with pods. Pods as far as the eye can see. And, one of them, the last one we see, contains Naru, the star of the movie Prey played by Amber Midthunder. 'Holy shit!' This reveal, of course, raises so many questions, one of which we can answer definitively. 'I think now we can say people who defeat the Predator get captured and are frozen,' Trachtenberg told io9. Which indirectly implies that, yes, Mike Harrigan from Predator 2 might be there or even Dutch from Predator, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. We don't see them, of course, but they, and seemingly thousands of other species that have beaten a Predator, were then captured. (Another link: Torres is also given the gun Harrigan had in Predator 2. One we also saw in Prey.) On a larger scale, this revelation gives us some fascinating insights into Predator culture. For one thing, they can be defeated and have been many times. And yet, they treat those defeats as lessons, taking the victors to their planet. But why? Do they all get to fight the Warlord Predator? Are they just there for entertainment? Are they studied? None of that is clear but, maybe, will become so in the future. On a more specific scale, the tease raises some questions about a potential Prey 2. Is a second movie starring Naru about how she is captured? Or was she captured after the events in the film, and any future stories will now take place in the future? Plus, when is that future, specifically? Naru's story, as well as Kenji's and Ursa's, all took place years before Torres'. So while this could all be happening in the 1940s on Earth, it could also be the 4040s or something. We don't know for sure. Nevertheless, reintroducing Naru was a decision that was made early on, and with great anticipation. 'It was thrilling,' co-director Josh Wassung said about the Naru reveal. 'We just knew it would be something that fans would get so excited for. And… Dan alluded to he just wanted to make sure the fans knew that he was still thinking about that character.' So what are your thoughts here? Are we gearing up for an Avengers: Endgame mega-crossover event? Can the Predators ever truly be defeated? And how does the fact that the next movie, Predator: Badlands, stars a Predator as the hero, change things? All very, very fun to think about.
