Every ‘Predator’ Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best

If it bleeds, we can kill it.

And yet for almost 40 years now, the Predator franchise has refused to die. Created in the mid-1980s by Jim and John Thomas, a pair of sci-fi loving screenwriting brothers, the series has now produced seven movies, two crossover movies with the Alien franchise, and a bottomless well of comics, toys, video games, and merchandise.

Every installment is different but the core concept remains the same: An elite alien warrior wishes to hunt the most dangerous game, armed with incredibly cool technology like heat-vision goggles, camouflage systems, and all manner of advanced weaponry. (Stay away from those flying discs, those things are just bad news.) Sometimes his quest takes him to our planet; sometimes the monster brings us to his home. Occasionally, the xenomorph gets involved as well. But always one thing remains: Dreadlocks. The Predator always has dreadlocks. It’s just a rule.

With nine movies in the franchise and counting, and a reasonably solid track record over the course of 35+ years, why not rank them all? The top Predator film is pretty obvious, of course, but after that, it’s a tough call; like cooking up a story and dropping six tough hombres in a meat grinder. There’s a lot of debate about which takes on the concept worked best or delivered the most satisfying blend of action and horror. Here’s how they all shake out for me. (Note: If you want to watch or rewatch any of them, all of them except Predator: Badlands are currently streaming on Hulu.)

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