Prey, the latest installment in the long-running Predator franchise and prequel set in the early 1700s, has become a streaming hit. Hulu announced it as their number one film premiere of all time, with a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and huge acclaim from audiences. It’s the best and most refreshing Predator film since the original, thanks to its historical setting, back-to-basics storyline, and kick-ass Indigenous female lead.

RELATED:Why 'Prey' Should Have Been Released In Theaters

Amber Midthunter plays Naru, a young woman from the Comanche Nation who fights to protect her tribe from the highly evolved and technically advanced alien predator that arrives on Earth. Luckily, Naru is a brave and skilled warrior, leaving the Predator with some serious competition. Midthunder is a total badass in the role and the perfect match for the famous movie monster. Her character is groundbreaking, but she’s certainly not the first fierce female to face off against an unfriendly foe or find herself in a perilous survival situation.

‘Crawl’ (2019)

crawl-movie-kaya-scodelario-social

Like how that tornado brought out those terrible CGI sharks in Sharknado, a hurricane unleashes gigantic alligators into a house in Crawl. However, Crawl is a much, much better movie than Sharknado, and is even produced by Sam Raimi.

Kaya Scodelario plays competitive swimmer Haley, trapped with her father (Barry Pepper) in the hurricane and facing off against said alligators. Despite what may be a silly concept, this is a highly entertaining and unabashed popcorn thrill ride, with some intense claustrophobia and a great turn from Scodelario.

‘10 Cloverfield Lane’ (2016)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Michelle in 10 Cloverfield Lane
Image via Paramount Pictures

Directed by Dan Tratchenberg, who also happens to be the director of Prey, 10 Cloverfield Lane was a massive sleeper hit upon release. It offers something completely different from its predecessor, focusing more on human monsters than the extra-terrestrial.

The film follows Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who wakes up in a bunker and is told the outside world is inhabitable. However, she starts questioning whether those who saved her are telling the truth. It’s a film shrouded in mystery, and Winstead carries the tension magnificently along with her co-stars.

‘The Shallows’ (2016)

blake-lively-nancy-the-shallows-surfing-survival-movies

The Shallows is a shark film with bite amongst the many generic shark films out there. Blake Lively plays Nancy, who goes to a secluded beach to surf after her mother's death. Nancy is attacked by a great white and stranded on a rock in the shark’s feeding ground 200 meters from shore.

Lively’s heroine is incredibly clever and resourceful, using her experience as a medical student as an asset to survive. She’s easy to root for and has a nicely fleshed-out backstory, supported by superb thrills and action.

RELATED:The Scariest Shark Movies That Aren't 'Jaws'

‘Adrift’ (2018)

shailene-woodley-tami-oldham-adrift-boat-survival-movies

Based on a true story, Adrift follows an adventurous and free-spirited couple Tami (Shailene Woodley) and Richard (Sam Claflin). The two set sail on a journey across the ocean into one of the most deadly hurricanes in history. Richard is injured, and Tami must try to keep them both alive while stranded.

This real-life tale is a terrifying and inspiring story of the human spirit, and Woodley beautifully portrays hero Tami Oldham’s strength and love. There’s great storytelling here, with some surprising twists and a lot of heart.

‘Hush’ (2016)

Kate Siegel in Hush

Mike Flanagan, the director who brought us The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, had one of his first hits with the 2016 indie horror-thriller Hush. The story is simple but effective, following a deaf and mute writer (Kate Siegel) living in solitary who a masked killer hunts.

Running for a short and sharp 82 minutes, the film makes the most of its excellent premise, bringing originality to the classic slasher and home invasion flick. The protagonist’s inability to hear or speak raises the stakes, but strategy and timing are her biggest allies.

‘Gravity’ (2013)

Gravity (2013)

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity is one of the great space films of the twenty-first century, and a grand achievement in technical filmmaking and spectacle. It also features Sandra Bullock in one of her most moving and emotionally gripping performances.

Bullock plays astronaut Dr. Ryan Stone, who is left stranded in space after debris destroys her shuttle. The plot is simple but masterful in execution, with visuals and audio that pull the audience straight into space with Bullock and allow us to feel her isolation and will to survive.

RELATED:The Best Space Movies of the 21st Century (So Far)

‘Wild’ (2014)

Wild Reese Witherspoon

In Wild, Reese Witherspoon portrays real-life figure Cheryl Strayed, who embarks on a 1,100-mile solo hike to find herself after her divorce and her mother's death. Cheryl has no trekking experience, with only a heavy backpack and her own will to make it through the journey.

Strayed set out to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, one of the country’s longest and harshest treks. The film is based on her memoir and has a powerhouse performance from Witherspoon, working as an intimate character study and a tale of survival.

‘Alien’ (1979)

Alien - Ellen Ripley in an astronaut suit sitting down
Image via 20th Century Fox

Sigourney Weaver created one of the first modern female action heroes with her portrayal of Ellen Ripley in the original Alien film. She laid the path for the many kick-ass women that followed in her footsteps in this influential and groundbreaking sci-fi horror.

Ripley is a member of the crew on the Nostromo spacecraft, who are one by one infected and taken down by a deadly alien life form. As the sole survivor, it’s up to Ripley to outsmart this slimy organism, and Weaver is iconic as the fierce and intelligent heroine.

‘Don’t Breathe’ (2016)

dont-breathe-jane-levy
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Don’t Breathe is a bleak, clever little thriller with plenty of disturbing twists and turns. Three thieves attempt to rob the home of a blind elderly war veteran, also known as The Blind Man (Stephen Lang). However, he’s not as helpless as he seems when they become trapped inside his home.

The pack of delinquents is led by Jane Levy’s Rocky, who, despite her actions, earns some sympathy from needing the money to move away with her sister from their abusive mother. The film is a terrifying turning of tables that uses its intriguing premise to the fullest.

‘Oxygen’ (2021)

Melanie Laurent on the floor looking desperate in the movie Oxygen.
Image via Netflix

Being in a confined space and running out of air is the stuff of nightmares and also serves as the premise for the French Netflix thriller Oxygen. Mélanie Laurent plays a woman who wakes up in a cryogenic chamber with no memory, which she must try to recollect as she runs out of oxygen.

The woman, who doesn’t even know her identity, must use only the resources and clues within the chamber to figure out who she is and how and why she became trapped. As an audience, we, too, feel the protagonist's immense panic, claustrophobia, and suffocation.

NEXT:The Best Thrillers on Netflix Right Now