15 Best Movies Like Predator

Hitting theaters in the summer of 1987, "Predator" instantly became an icon of '80s cinema. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger at the height of his action star era and Carl Weathers fresh off the "Rocky" franchise, the film sees a team of elite military men head deep into Central America on a top secret mission. As they head deeper into the unforgiving jungle, they come face to face with an enemy unlike anything the battle-tested fighters ever faced: A highly-skilled, equipped, and near invincible being from another world, hunting them down one by one for sport.

A tremendous influence on pop culture since landing on the silver screen, the original "Predator" has grown into a full-fledged franchise. But with only so many "Predator" sequels to go through, audiences may still clamor for movies reminding them of Schwarzenegger's blood-soaked trip through the jungle. Below, we'll be taking a look at 15 such films, with everything from terrifying cosmic horror to ultra graphic neo-westerns.

Whereas "Predator" focuses on action, the similarly themed alien hunter movie "A Quiet Place" goes for white-knuckle suspense. The film is set in the wake of an apocalyptic invasion, with the human race on the brink of extinction. Like the Predator, these monsters from beyond are apex killers, and what they lack in sight they make up for with other senses — particularly their uncanny sense of hearing. The few remaining humans are scattered in pockets across the planet, living under constant fear and forced to adjust to a new, silent way of life. The Abbot family is among the survivors, shattered by the world they now live in and desperately clinging to life.

Take out the brawny commandos and bristling firepower, but keep the terrifying alien threat, and you begin to see the similarities between "A Quiet Place" and "Predator." Though it certainly falls more firmly into the horror category than the action-packed Schwarzenegger romp, if you're looking to see how ordinary humans would try to survive a Predator-level threat, "A Quiet Place" is exactly that.

An '80s classic where an alien monster hunts men? That's as much "The Thing" as much as it is "Predator." Rather than a jungle, "The Thing" takes place at a remote research station in Antartica, where an unexpected visitor from the stars is thawed from the ice. Capable of mimicking any life form it encounters, the bloodthirsty being infiltrates the facility by posing as a canine before taking human form. Paranoia and dread soon take over among the living, as any one of them could be "the thing" in disguise, waiting for the opportunity to strike. It's a tense, claustrophobic, and nauseating nightmare, and it's absolutely unforgettable.

Arguably one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made, "The Thing" gives audiences everything they could ask for with action, horror, and then some. Amazing practical effects, tense direction by John Carpenter, and memorable performances from Kurt Russell and Keith David combine to make what many consider the best body horror movie ever made. "The Thing" is an absolute icon of the genre, and for "Predator" fans who somehow haven't seen this classic yet, it's a must-watch.

2002's "Dog Soldiers" may be one of the most similar movies to "Predator" that's ever been made, but with one major twist. The directorial debut of British filmmaker Neil Marshall (whose name you'll hear a few more times on this list), "Dog Soldiers" follows a group of British soldiers sent on a training exercise that becomes very real very fast when the troops happen upon the battered remains of their comrades. What begins as an unseen enemy skulking in the woods reveals itself to be a pack of bloodthirsty werewolves, pitting man against beast as the two sides try to survive a long night under a full moon.

More than its military protagonists and man vs. monster action, the similarities "Dog Soldiers" shares with "Predator" are by design. In a lengthy interview with Den of Geek, director Neil Marshall explained that he took cues from certain throwback sci-fi flicks in the creative process, stating: "I wanted the werewolves just to be essentially like the enemy ... like the equivalent of aliens in 'Alien' or 'Predator' or whatever." That decision, plus a healthy dose of blood and guts, make "Dog Soldiers" one of the best movies like "Predator" around.

The 2017 sci-fi thriller "Life" is like "Predator" aboard a space station, a place where there is no easy escape. There, researchers studying samples from Mars results in the discovery of the first example of extraterrestrial life. But what began as a single-cell organism quickly transforms into something much deadlier, threatening the lives of everyone on board. Now trapped in the confines of a claustrophobic station while being picked off by a hostile new life form, the crew must try to save not just themselves, but their home as well.

With an all-star cast including Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Ryan Reynolds, "Life" is a pick that could be at home in discussions of not just "Predator" but "The Thing" as well. Admittedly, it's a bit of a tonal departure from the more action-oriented "Predator," but it still retains plenty of the tension, mystery, and violence audiences crave.

A pop culture staple since the late '70s, the "Alien" franchise delivered arguably one of the best sequels of all time in 1986, with James Cameron stepping in for Ridley Scott behind the camera. The film had plenty of scares, but dialed up the action while multiplying the alien threat. Predating "Predator" by a year, the two films sport similar stories of aliens hunting groups of soldiers. The fact that it's since become part of the "Predator" franchise makes it an irresistible watch after the Arnie classic.

Taking place decades after the events of "Alien," Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) awakens from a lengthy period in stasis only to be dragged into another encounter with Xenomorphs by the Weyland-Yutani corporation. This time, a remote colony has seemingly gone dark, with Ripley and a team of Colonial Marines dispatched to investigate. What ensues is a mission gone horribly wrong, as kitted-out space marines and a horde of aliens duke it out within the massacred colony. Beyond a perfect companion for "Predator," "Aliens" joins it as one of the best '80s action movies ever made. 

Though westerns might not seem to fit the "Predator" mould, an exception can be made for "Bone Tomahawk." Kurt Russell leads the cast as Sheriff Franklin Hunt, a lawman who sets off on a rescue mission when a handful of residents from his frontier town are kidnapped. A long journey separates Hunt and his small crew from the kidnapped victims who, it turns out, have fallen into the hands of a tribe of murderous cannibals that have their sights set on Hunt's posse for their next meal.

"Bone Tomahawk" is perhaps more famous for its extreme violence, a distinction that frequently sees it listed among the most disturbing movies of all time. But looking deeper warrants its comparison to "Predator." Beyond the downright brutal imagery, "Bone Tomahawk's" entire final act is a high-stress experience that'll leave you feeling as on edge and vulnerable as the characters on screen, delivering on the same true fear experienced in "Predator."

Though "Predator" remains one of Schwarzenegger's most famous flicks, it wasn't the first time that the actor-turned-governor appeared in a gun-toting adventure south of the border. That distinction belongs to 1985's "Commando," which saw Schwarzenegger playing retired special forces officer John Matrix, a role similar to Dutch from "Predator." When old feuds come back to life and Matrix's daughter is kidnapped, he's forced into a daring scheme to save her life, which involves staging a coup in the fictional country of Val Verde and reinstating a despot he once ousted.

Schwarzenegger, a Latin American setting, and a shared producer with Joel Silver are just a few of the similarities between "Commando" and "Predator." And though at first glance they might seem different plot wise, in a way, "Commando" is a different spin on "Predator." Instead of Schwarzenegger being hunted down, he's the one doing the hunting by the end, using every weapon in his arsenal along the way. There's also the little-known fact that "Commando" shares a universe with both the "Predator" and "Die Hard" franchises.

"The Running Man" arrived the same year as "Predator," dropping viewers into a world where reality television rules. After being falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit, disgraced policeman Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) winds up on the deadliest program on television, "The Running Man." Finding himself alongside fellow convicts and in a derelict Los Angeles, Richards and his team must fight to survive as they're pursued for sport by murderous celebrity hunters.

The first film he'd appear in following "Predator," "The Running Man," as its name implies, sees Arnie on the run. However, underneath the '80s action schlock and strong social commentary, both it and "Predator" are something of a solid match for each other. If you want to see Schwarzenegger being hunted down in his acting prime, coupled with a satirization of sensationalized reality TV, "The Running Man" delivers the goods. And if you enjoy it, you can also check out the 2025 remake, which is among the most underrated Stephen King adaptations.

Set in a rough South London neighborhood, "Attack the Block" stars a pre-"Star Wars" John Boyega as the leader of a street gang who find themselves in trouble when aliens attack from outer space. Perfectly blending horror and comedy, "Attack the Block" became an instant fan favorite, and shows what would happen if "Predator" had been set in an urban jungle, with tenacious street kids instead of highly trained soldiers.

Another pick that shows how ordinary people stack up against an alien invasion, "Attack the Block" does so with a lot more levity than most of the films we've discussed. That's not to say it's without violence; its R-rated for a reason, after all. But if you're looking for a bit of a reprieve from darker, more hard-hitting watches like "The Thing" or "Bone Tomahawk" — but still want to see a classic humans vs. aliens movie — "Attack the Block" is the perfect fit.

There's only been one time in Earth's history where monsters like the alien from "Predator" existed: 65 million years ago. That's where the action is set in "65." The sci-fi thriller stars yet another "Star Wars" sequel trilogy alum, Adam Driver, as Mills, a man from another world whose spacecraft careens off course and drops him on primitive Earth. But as he and another fellow survivor (Ariana Greenblatt) seek a way off of the planet, the pair discover that the world is inhabited by Earth's greatest predators — dinosaurs.

Full of action, suspense, and monsters hunting man, "65" puts a fun twist on typical sci-fi plot devices by making our protagonist the outsider and our home planet the unfamiliar world. Much like "Predator," Mills is completely outmatched by the "alien" threat, locked in a desperate struggle to keep himself – and the child survivor he's stranded with — alive against all odds.

If you love "Predator" but are in the mood for something more thought-provoking, look no further than "Annihilation." Set several years after a meteor strikes Earth's surface, a mysterious phenomenon known as "the Shimmer" has spread outward from the site of the meteor's impact, engulfing both the land it covers and almost all who dare to enter. In a bid to stop the spread of the Shimmer and find out what it really is, scientist Lena (Natalie Portman) leads a team into the unknown. The truth of what lies within, however, proves to be more mysterious, beautiful, and horrifying than could ever be expected.

There are moments in "Annihilation" that will remind audiences of Schaefer and his team being hunted by the Predator; however, by and large, the threat in this one isn't the same type of entity. Instead, the Shimmer is more analogous to a disease, slowly consuming and altering everything it touches. But a key similarity between "Predator" and "Annihilation" lies in both films' leading plot device, with a group of professionals combating an unknown entity from beyond the stars. For that reason alone, "Annihilation" makes our lineup, while also managing to deliver on some truly terrifying moments of cosmic horror.

Director Neil Marshall is back on our list, this time at the helm of arguably one of the greatest horror movies of the 21st century so far. Released in 2005, "The Descent" is a deep dive into the dark and unknown, centered around a group of six spelunkers on a caving trip in Appalachia. The trip goes wrong almost immediately, with the group trapped and lost deep underground. Even worse, they're not alone in the suffocating darkness, being actively hunted by packs of subterranean flesh-eating humanoids.

Like some of the picks on our lineup, "The Descent" doesn't compare to the "Predator" if you're strictly looking for guns-blazing action. That said, they share similar themes of being hunted down by an unknown entity, making it a suitable companion piece. If for nothing else, "The Descent" is worth seeing for some of the best scares out of any of the films we've covered, ultimately capturing the never-ending sense of impending doom from "Predator."

Shot down behind enemy lines during the global war on terror, English Air Force pilot Kate Sinclair (Charlotte Kirk) must evade capture by hostile forces on the ground. Eventually finding refuge in a derelict facility once used by Soviet researchers, she uncovers what it is they were studying: Scientific horrors and genetic experiments left to fester in the bunker for decades that are still very much alive, making the confines of the facility no safer than the warzone outside. After reaching the relative safety of allied soldiers, Sinclair and the group focus on annihilating the long-forgotten menace for good.

Another Neil Marshall project, and his most recent horror outing at the time of writing, "The Lair" is a similarly low-budget affair not unlike "Dog Soldiers," but with the action-packed monster thrills of "Predator." Usage of quality practical effects elevate it above some of modern horror's more forgettable titles, making it a fitting compliment to the 1987 Schwarzenegger classic.

An unseen horror attacking an innocent population is the commonality between "Predator" and "The Host," where in the capital of South Korea, something evil lurks in the water. It begins with an explosive opening act in which a massive monster emerges from the waters unexpectedly, wreaking death and destruction on anything it chooses before slipping back into the depths with its captives, much like the invisible alien in "Predator." In the wake of the attack, however, questions of how and why the monster came into being points to a shadowy government conspiracy. Meanwhile, the father of one of the victims, Park Gang-du (Song Kang-ho) mounts a makeshift rescue mission to save his captured daughter (Go Ah-sung) before it's too late.

In some ways, director Bong Joon Ho, who has gone on to earn widespread acclaim for films such as "Snowpiercer" and "Parasite," first broke into international recognition with this 2006 kaiju favorite. With a bit more of a satirical edge than "Predator," "The Host" takes the story of a terrifying monster and effectively blends it with comedy and horror, while also inserting sharp political commentary on Korean life.

The 2000 sci-fi action-horror movie "Pitch Black" can be seen as a spiritual successor to "Predator." Both involve a group of soldiers out to stay alive while being hunted by an alien monstrosity. This time, though, all hope doesn't rest in an overly muscled leader, but instead with a mysterious figure named Riddick (Vin Diesel), a convicted killer being sent to a penal colony in the far reaches of space.

During the voyage, the ship destined for a prison planet crash-lands on a barren world infested with nocturnal alien creatures that hunt people as prey. When Riddick is freed, he has a chance to get away, but instead chooses to stay and help the rest of the ship's crew stay alive. Riddick is far more than just your ordinary criminal — he's a fierce and noble warrior ... with the ability to see in the dark.

A stunning action-suspense movie that straddles the line between sci-fi and horror, "Pitch Black" kickstarted a franchise with a story of alien monsters hunting ordinary soldiers, just like "Predator." Its sequel, "The Chronicles of Riddick," dove into fantasy, and despite bombing, still got a sequel of its own in 2013.