Movie · 2018 · Science Fiction, Action, Thriller · 1h 47m · R · English
Curator score: 0.6/10 (166K ratings)
The hunt has evolved.
Overview
When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled scientist can prevent the end of the human race.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.6/10
IMDb: 5.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 34%
Metacritic: 48
TMDB: 5.6/10
Director
Shane Black
Production
Davis Entertainment, TSG Entertainment, 20th Century Fox
Cast
Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Sterling K. Brown, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, Augusto Aguilera, Jake Busey, Yvonne Strahovski, Brian A. Prince, Mike Dopud, Niall Matter, Javier Lacroix, Gabriel LaBelle, Nikolas Dukic, RJ Fetherstonhaugh, James S. Salisbury, Garry Chalk
Where to watch
Hulu
Curator Review
Verdict
A noisy, overstuffed franchise sequel with a few entertaining splashes of gore and Shane Black snark, but the tonal whiplash, weak character work, and messy studio feel overwhelm the fun. It has moments for viewers who want a crude, R-rated alien-action romp, but it is not a strong entry in the series.
Best for
fans of disposable creature-feature action
viewers who enjoy broad, quippy ensemble chaos
people mainly here for gore and monster mayhem
Skip if
you want a tight, suspenseful Predator movie
you’re sensitive to clumsy humor and tonal inconsistency
you care about respectful, well-written representation
you dislike obvious reshoots and studio-muddled storytelling
Overview
The Predator wants to be a rowdy, self-aware update of an ’80s action monster movie, and you can feel the ingredients that should work: hard-R violence, military banter, a big alien threat, and Shane Black’s gift for punchy dialogue. In isolated moments, it does deliver the dumb-fun energy of a late-night creature feature.
Worth noting
But the movie is badly assembled. Scenes lurch from one set piece to the next, the comedy rarely lands cleanly, and the emotional beats feel undercooked. What should be a lean survival thriller instead plays like a franchise product trying to be both a throwback and a crossover-style crowd-pleaser.
Bottom line
The result is more frustrating than thrilling. If you’re curious, go in expecting scattered entertainment rather than a satisfying action-horror ride. For most viewers, the better move is to revisit the original or seek out sharper, meaner sci-fi action elsewhere.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Patrick Willems (3★) · 2884 likes
Look, every criticism of this movie is accurate, but I laughed and clapped when people died in fun ways and said funny lines so maybe I'm just a dumb man with simple tastes.
Josh Lewis (2★) · 2022 likes
They turned Predator into an R-rated Marvel movie.
Logan Kenny (1★) · 1529 likes
the autistic character in this film isn’t a character, he is a device. the only traits he’s established to have are the ones that neurotypical society have defined us by, he melts down, he is sensitive to sounds, he cannot interact socially in a normal way, he is bullied. he exists in a state of constant torment or anxiety because that’s the only human understanding of autism that the writers have, a human being who is just an amalgamation of… more the autistic character in this film isn’t a character, he is a device. the only traits he’s established to have are the ones that neurotypical society have defined us by, he melts down, he is sensitive to sounds, he cannot interact socially in a normal way, he is bullied. he exists in a state of constant torment or anxiety because that’s the only human understanding of autism that the writers have, a human being who is just an amalgamation of… more