All 7 Predator movies, ranked from worst to best

1. Prey (2022)

I know what you’re thinking: Am I crazy to be ranking Prey above the original, incredibly influential Predator movie? Honestly, part of me feels like even typing these words is akin to blasphemy. The first Predator movie was one of my formative moviegoing experiences as a teenager, and remains one of my favorite films of all time. I tell you this so you understand that this ranking is not something I do lightly, or because I’m swept up in the hype.

To be as objective as possible, I watched Prey and the 1987 Predator back-to-back. It was the only way to be sure. And as iconic as Predator is…I think Prey is the better movie. And I genuinely believe there’s a good chance that in a few decades, it will be considered just as iconic in its own right.

Prey takes the franchise back to its roots, telling a story that examines the relationship between predator and prey in a way that no movie in the franchise ever has. It’s set 300 years before Predator at the height of the Comanche Nation on the American Great Plains. The film makes an obvious effort to have Native American talent both in front of and behind the camera, and it turns Prey into not just an excellent Predator movie, but an excellent film overall.

There’s commendable attention to detail, best-in-the-series sound design, a minimalistic score from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla composer Sarah Schachner, and a thoughtful exploration of what tools a Predator from an earlier era might have at its disposal. Prey is just a pitch-perfect movie from start to finish. It follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), an aspiring Comanche hunter who seeks to prove herself by taking part in a ritual hunt known as a kühtaamia, where she hunts some creature dangerous enough to hunt her back. However, Naru soon realizes that she’s bit off more than she can chew as she finds various signs of the Predator’s existence. Eventually, she’s caught up in a fraught struggle for survival.

The Predator has never been as brutal and terrifying as it is in Prey, slicing people to bits and displaying a tenacity that no Predator has had since the early days of the franchise. The fight choreography is insane, the exploration of the 18th Century setting is top notch, and Midthunder’s performance is riveting. This is the first Predator movie with a female lead, and man does Naru prove that she’s a serious badass again and again in the movie’s 90+ minutes.

So despite how iconic the 1987 Predator film is…for my money, Prey takes the trophy for the best. But don’t take my word for it. Prey is out now on Hulu. Watch it for yourself, and see what all the hype is about.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels