How do you watch all the Predator movies in order? Since the 1987, Predator has held an ardent following. Fans of science fiction enjoy all the inventive weapons, while thriller aficionados are kept happy with the tension. And, of course, it stars the one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Over the course of 35 years, and counting, many have found themselves standing against a Predator, and only a few lived to tell the tale. After Arnold Schwarzenegger’s muddy slobber knocker, we’ve seen Predators stalk city streets, ancient buildings, their home planet, and, er, generic American suburbs. Then, in Prey, we saw those three dots make their way through the forestry of the Comanche tribe.
Between the mainline science-fiction movies and crossovers with the Alien timeline, you might wonder how you can watch all the Predator movies in order. Have no fear; we’ve no camo over our film knowledge. We go through each entry here, from the first Arnold Schwarzenegger movie to the final adventure movie. Stay wary, and keep an eye on the foliage.
How to watch all the Predator movies in chronological order:
- Prey
- Predator
- Predator 2
- Alien Vs Predator
- Alien Vs Predator: Requiem
- Predators
- The Predator
Prey (2022)
Where to watch: Disney Plus
Three centuries before Schwarzenegger ran into trouble in the rainforest of Central America, a Native American tribe found themselves the hunted ones. Naru is the extraterrestrial’s main adversary this time around, and she’ll need every tool available to survive the contest in this clever thriller movie.
As noted in our Prey review, it’s an excellent entry into the Predator series, opening up the door for more history-spanning prequels. Yes, that is a way of saying that we want to see a Predator fighting a samurai.
Predator (1987)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV Plus
A classic piece of action horror cinema and still the peak of the franchise. A group of commandos led by Schwarzenegger’s Dutch wade deep into Central America in 1987 on a rescue mission.
They find their targets but discover themselves in a wholly unexpected set of crosshairs. All the Predator’s main powers are established in what is firmly a highlight of ‘80s movies. Disarmingly quotable and one of the best action movies ever made.
Predator 2 (1990)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV Plus
Ten years later, another Predator arrives in Los Angeles and wanders the urban jungle for a worthy challenger. Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) is the unlucky opponent who’s to tackle the alien assailant amid an escalating drug feud that’s consuming the city. Funnier than its predecessor but still packs a punch.
Alien Vs Predator (2004)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV Plus
The early noughties gave us two massive studio crossovers: the slasher brawl Freddy Vs Jason and the sci-fi slugfest Alien Vs Predator. The Alien timeline is extended to put Xenomorphs on Earth in 2004, products of the Predators who breed them for training and sport. Some exposition reveals that Predators have been using our planet for centuries, laying the groundwork for Prey.
Ridley Scott discarded this for Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. So far, Predator has stuck to its guns. In any case, human interference means this particular exam hall might need to be shuttered.
Alien Vs Predator: Requiem (2007)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV Plus
Alien Vs Predator ended with the ‘Predalien’, who requires a seasoned pro Predator to be stopped. Reads about a thousand times cooler than it is because the sequel moves from an unnerving, brutalist temple to some small American town.
The ending to the mashup is supposed to tie directly back to Alien and Weyland-Yutani, but it’s a non-sequitur now. Somewhere between a mid-franchise Halloween sequel and a late-game Friday the 13th instalment in quality.
Predators (2010)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV Plus
It’s unknown exactly when Predators is set, but we’re confident it’s somewhere around 2010 when it came out. A bunch of soldiers, police officers, organised criminals, and death row inmates awake mid-freefall, Adrien Brody among them, onto an alien world, forced to fend for themselves. Something deadly hides in the trees, picking them off.
Keeping with the idea of the Predators hunting for sport, people that could prove a challenge are gathered up and transported to another planet with limited supplies. The intro and premise make it play like an adaptation of the battle royale game PUBG, though modded a bit for all the space-age tech.
The Predator (2018)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV Plus
Shane Black was drafted in to inject some life into Predator after several years without a sequel. His 2018 thriller has a group of Marines encounter the creature in active combat. They manage to overcome the Predator early but are taken in by government scientists who become transfixed by all the new armour and weaponry.
It all goes downhill from here. The son of Army Ranger Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook) intercepts remnants of the Predator’s equipment that were sent home via snail mail. CGI Predator hounds clumsily skulk around the suburban setting. Dafter than your mate’s pitch for a Predator/Highlander crossover. It also sets up a sequel that we’re unlikely to ever see.
How to watch all the Predator movies in release order:
- Predator (1987)
- Predator 2 (1990)
- Alien Vs Predator (2004)
- Alien Vs Predator: Requiem (2007)
- Predators (2010)
- The Predator (2018)
- Prey (2022)
Unlike many other franchises, Predator has remained fairly straightforward. Most films take place near enough the time they were released, so watching them as they came out still gives you broadly the same story. This is verifiably true of the original, Alien Vs Predator, and The Predator, while Requiem and Predators need some guesswork.
Prey, of course, throws this for a loop, heading back in time as it does. Could it mean a pivot from modern-day stories to some more adventurous settings for the Predator to blast through? Only time will tell, but we’ll update the list when we start hearing about a Prey 2 release date.
For more picks, here are our guides on watching all the Hellraiser movies in order and the best horror series ever. Or, check out our selection of the best movies of all time or learn all you need to know about every major new movie in 2023.