20th Century Fox's prime rival to its popular Alien franchise, the Predator franchise took the same premise of a murderous extraterrestrial threat in a much different direction. Where Alien spent much of its tenure in the realm of creeping horror, Predator began as an unabashed action franchise that evolved significantly over time to include elements of horror and even comedy. Today, the Predator franchise and its titular creature (also known as Yautja) are going strong, with the newest entry known as Prey having been released on Hulu on August 5, 2022.

The Predator has found its way into various locales much like the Xenomorph of Alien, but this star-traveling killer has different ambitions in mind. The Predator is intelligent, technologically apt, and seeks out worthy prey to make trophies of. Where the Xenomorph aims to reproduce and protect the hive, the Predators seek worthy challengers. Across the film franchises, the Predators have taken on more than a few worthy adversaries toe-to-toe, including the Xenomorphs themselves.

Now that Prey has given us the freshest dose of otherworldly action and suspense, it isn't a bad time to take a look back at the best (and worst) titles featuring the franchise's eponymous headhunter.

RELATED: 'Predator' Prequel Movie Reveals Title, Release Window

7. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

A still from Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
Image via 20th Century Fox

The sequel to the first Alien vs. Predator, Requiem might have had more redeeming qualities if watchers could make out the back half of the movie with any clarity. Its antagonist, the Xeno/Yautja hybrid known as the Predalien, is an awesome idea, but that's roughly the best thing this film has going for it. As the creature continues on from the first AVP and begins a Xenomorph infestation in a small town in Colorado, a Predator named Wolf receives a distress signal from one of its dying comrades and heads to Earth to eliminate the Xenomorph threat.

Sadly, the majority of the film's cast doesn't add much to the narrative or the emotional stakes. The human characters seem to go through the motions as the situation worsens in their town, leading to an attack on the town's hospital and the military deciding to level the town with a ballistic missile strike. There are also incredibly head-scratching editing and production choices, including the aforementioned lack of lighting. Huge swaths of the second and third act take place at night in a thunderstorm, and very little is even visible, including the final battle between the Predalien and Wolf.

There are a few scenes that can be discomforting or otherwise eerie, but by and large, this film is a visual and narrative mess that throws out any real story intrigue in the interest of having fights between its two titular monsters.

6. Alien vs. Predator (2004)

A still from Alien Vs. Predator
Image via 20th Century Fox

It's better than Requiem, but Paul W.S. Anderson's clash of sci-fi titans is still hamstrung by many of the same problems its sequel retained. Beautifully-produced sets that include sprawling pyramids and chambers are obscured significantly by the dense darkness. While one could argue this adds to the mood, it doesn't exactly help when it comes to seeing what's going on during action scenes.

The story, like Requiem, takes place on Earth. Adapted partially from the comic book series of the same name, watchers follow a group of scientists who investigate a strange heat bloom emanating from a pyramid in Antarctica. Unfortunately, the pyramid rests as a breeding ground for Xenomorphs, and the structure's activation has drawn Predators to it from off-world for a good old-fashioned bug hunt. It's about as silly as you'd expect from Anderson, but it earns a bit of credit for some of its production value. You won't see the full scope of the production, but you'll see more than AVP: Requiem.

5. The Predator (2018)

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Image via 20th Century Fox

Attempting to recapture the spirit of the original Predator, The Predator features an over-the-top presentation that fluctuates between action and comedy. However, in doing so, it loses out somewhat significantly on the more tense and adrenaline-inducing moments that the original prides itself on.

Following the trials of a group of soldiers and a scientist studying the Yautja, The Predator returns to the familiar confines of Earth. After a Predator ship crash lands on the planet, researchers attempt to analyze the creature and its equipment. However, the creature awakens during an examination and breaks out of the lab, causing the last remaining scientist, an Army Ranger, and a ragtag group of ex-Marines to group up and pursue the runaway Predator. They soon find out that their quarry is far from alone.

This particular Predator outing sports the acting chops of the likes of Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight), Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Olivia Munn (Attack of the Show!), and Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones), who admittedly outperform the film's writing and one-liners. The violence and humor will land for most, but it doesn't quite capture the true Predator essence as intended. Still, compared to the likes of the AVP films, it's not the worst outing.

4. Predator 2 (1990)

A still from Predator 2
Image via 20th Century Fox

Initially panned upon its release, Predator 2 has grown to become a cult favorite, due in no small part to the acting and some expansions of the Predator's lore. Taking place in Los Angeles in 1997, a heatwave bakes the city as the streets are torn apart by warring drug cartels. Lieutenant Michael Harrigan (Danny Glover) does his utmost to stop the crime wave, but little does he know that a Predator stalks the concrete jungle, killing and flaying more than a few targets on its own. It isn't long before the daring police officer is in a battle of warriors against the deadly creature.

One of the more interesting aspects of this particular film is the Predator's personality. Dubbed "the City Hunter" by many, this Yautja spends a good amount of time observing the combat habits of the humans of Los Angeles, almost in admiration of their capability. This, as well as the film's ending, expanded the nature of the Predator alongside the original film. It showed viewers that although Predators are ruthless killing machines, they garner respect for others that they consider cunning warriors. And, there's a nice little Alien easter egg in the final act, if you're into that kind of thing.

3. Predators (2010)

A still from Predators
Image via 20th Century Fox

Based on a script dating back to the '90s by producer Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn), Predators can be considered something like a retelling of The Most Dangerous Game within the confines of the Predator franchise's lore. It has received much more praise compared to the AVP films or The Predator, and some have even posited that this film is the true sequel to the original Predator.

Following a group of manhunters (mercenaries, serial killers, convicts, military members) who are kidnapped and left to fend for themselves on an unknown planet, the group very quickly finds out that they are caught between two tribes of Yautja who battle each other and use the jungle planet as a game preserve. In a bid to find their way back to Earth, the group has to fight and use every tool at their disposal to survive the many traps and dangers left in wait for them.

This film most closely emulates the spirit of the original Predator, returning to the dense jungle vegetation and jury-rigged survival tools of the trade. It also presents plenty of quality action scenes and a tangible distrust among the group of protagonists. The humans fight each other while also battling the Predators, while still attempting to coerce at least one particular hunter into assisting them. The characters aren't exactly action stars, but the direction by Nimród Antal keeps them steeped in intense combat and keeps them from growing too stale or campy. It isn't the top contender in the rankings, but it remains a solid sequel and stands in stark contrast to more than a few entries in the franchise tonally and visually.

2. Predator (1987)

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Image via 20th Century Fox

Equal part guts and glory, the original entry in the Predator franchise is pure action and testosterone in a way only the decade of the 1980s could capture. With action juggernaut Arnold Schwarzenegger starring and a script by Joe and Jim Thomas (Behind Enemy Lines), this film blends muscled-up action, science fiction, and horror elements all in the backdrop of the Central American rainforest.

The story follows Vietnam War vet and commando leader Dutch (Schwarzenegger) along with his crack team of soldiers Mac (Bill Duke), Poncho (Richard Chaves), Billy (Sonny Landham), Blain (Jesse Ventura), and Hawkins (Shane Black), who are on a mission to rescue a cabinet minister from the clutches of a guerilla force. Carl Weathers also adds his macho talents in the role of CIA operative Al Dillon.

It is quickly revealed that the team isn't sent to the jungle for quite the reasons they were told. However, the true nature of their mission pales in comparison to the eviscerated corpses left behind and a cloaked figure stalking the troopers with every step. According to a captive guerilla named Anna, this particular stalker has used this jungle as a killing ground for quite some time. Bodies start piling up, and Dutch and his men find themselves battling a creature technologically advanced and trained to kill for sport.

Although parts of the film don't quite hold up to modern-day scrutiny, the original Predator is a must-see for action aficionados. It retains everything the franchise would eventually attempt to emulate in future sequels: It's a film of survival, break-neck maneuvers, and the understanding between those who thrive on the battleground. Considering the film's budget, what it was able to accomplish shows why Predator has endured as a franchise past its B-movie roots.

1. Prey (2022)

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Image via Hulu

If this is the new face of the Predator franchise, then it appears to be in great hands. This release spearheaded by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) brings the franchise into new territory while still keeping its core tenants intact. Instead of bringing the Yautja to the modern day, the depths of the jungle, or the urban sprawl, Prey places a lone Predator in the American Great Plains in 1719. The region's beauty is put on display, but Trachtenberg and scriptwriter Patrick Aison make one thing perfectly clear: danger is always lurking.

The story follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young girl from the Comanche tribe who wishes desperately to become a hunter. She has an eye for detail that others, including her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers) and the men of the tribe, simply don't have. She's written off as a threat time and time again, but Naru learns that this is one of her greatest strengths. She won't have to wait long to prove what she's truly capable of either, as mountain lions and bears aren't the only threat out beyond the ridge.

In Prey, the threat of the Yautja (portrayed by Dane DiLiegro) is only the foremost danger. Naru, Taabe, and her fellow Comanche quickly realize that they'll have to contend with Mother Nature, foreign human trespassers, AND the creature stalking all of them with high-tech gadgets and razor-edged cunning. The title Prey is beyond fitting for this excellent thriller film because it gets to the core of what makes Predator so engaging: Everybody is a target, including the otherworldly creature itself, and all that matters is survival. The Yautja may have superior firepower, but Naru knows her environment well and takes every small detail into account. This film is a classic pitting of brains vs. brawn, but its writing, setting, and casting also make a deeper statement about expectations and what great things people can accomplish even when they're underestimated.

It's a real shame this film didn't see a theatrical release, but the spectacle is worth watching on the largest screen and sound system you can muster. You won't be disappointed with the results.