Fans of thePredatorfranchise should check out these movies that deliver on the same sense of thrills, action, and monsters. 2025 is a particularly good year forPredatorfans with two new projects in the franchise. The critically acclaimedPredator: Killer of Killerstakes an animated approachto the beloved movie series while keeping the signature R-rated violence. Meanwhile,the upcomingPredator: Badlandsreveals the latest live-action Predator movie, taking the franchise in a new direction with the Predator as the protagonist.
However, even with those options paired withevery Predator moviethat has already been released, fans may still be looking for more. Fortunately, there are a number of terrific movies that capture the unique blend of sci-fi, horror, and action that the bestPredatormovies pull off so well. Some of these movies clearly took inspiration from thePredatorfranchise, while others are popular franchises in their own right. Regardless, each one of them will surely satisfy anyPredatorfan.
Deep Risingstill holds up as a cheesy bit of fun. Treat Williams stars as a high-seas smuggler who is hired by a gang of mercenaries to transport them to a luxury cruise ship stranded in the middle of the ocean, where they plan to rob it. However, once on board, they discover it is empty and a giant sea creature is hunting them.
WhilePredatorhas a good bit of cheesiness to it, the silliness ofDeep Risingmay be a little too much for some fans. However, its willingness not to take things too seriously works well while also avoiding lessening the stakes of the horror. Indeed, it is quite a gory movie, while the strong cast, including Famke Janssen, Wes Studi, and Djimon Hounsou, adds a lot of fun to it.
The upcomingJurassic World Rebirthlooks like it holds a shot at delivering on the kind of moviePredatorfans would love, with a band of mercenaries on a mission to the dinosaur-populated island. However, theJurassic Parkfranchise already delivered a movie like this withThe Lost World: Jurassic Park. Jeff Goldblum returns as Ian Malcolm, who leads a rescue mission to the island, only to cross paths with corporate mercenaries looking to capture the dinosaurs.
Pete Postlethwaite also makes for a surprising action hero as a determined yet noble hunter who wants to capture the T-Rex.
The much larger ensemble for the second movie makes for a bigger body count, as there is some terrific dino carnage in the sequel. Pete Postlethwaite also makes for a surprising action hero as a determined yet noble hunter who wants to capture the T-Rex. WhileThe Lost Worldis often unfavorably compared to the original movie, it remains thebestJurassic Parksequel to date.
The Abyssis not as popular asJames Cameron’s other blockbusters, but it is still the kind of thrill ride that can be expected from the legendary action filmmaker.The Abyssfollows a crew of deep-sea oil rig workers who are hired to help a group of Navy SEALs explore a sunken vessel out in the ocean, only to discover an alien lifeform below the surface of the water.
WhileThe Abyssis not as action-packed asPredator, it still has a lot of similarities in its story.Both movies follow highly trained and mission-focused professionals who encounter the unknown and realize that they are outmatched.The Abyssis a mesmerizing sci-fi movie with the kind of ground-breaking special effects Cameron excels at, and which hold up today.
Nearly 20 years after Zack Snyder’s directing career began withDawn of the Dead, the filmmaker returned to the world of zombies withArmy of the Dead. The action horror movie stars Dave Bautista as the leader of a band of highly-trained mercenaries who are hired to go into the zombie-infested remains of Las Vegas to rob a casino vault.
The premise is enough fun to lure inPredatorfans looking for that wild mix of action and horror.It is another great “team on a mission” movie with Bautista leading a strong ensemble of colorful characters. Of course, Snyder also delivers on the thrills with the majority of the movie being a fast-paced ride with one harrowing action sequence after another, and the team members are picked off one by one.
Outside oftheFast and Furiousfranchise,Vin Diesel made a name for himself as an action star in the fun sci-fi horror moviePitch Black. The movie follows the survivors of a transportation vessel that crash-lands on a mysterious planet, only to discover that it is populated by vicious creatures that come out in the dark. With the sun setting, they attempt to escape the planet alive while being hunted.
Diesel makes for a great action hero to lead the ensemble, while the monsters make for some formidable creatures.
Pitch Blackis perhaps best remembered as the movie that introduced Diesel’s character of Riddick. However, it remains the best movie of that franchise because it avoids the complicated mythology and is simply content to be a fun sci-fi horror movie. Diesel makes for a great action hero to lead the ensemble, while the monsters make for some formidable creatures.
Overlordwas a box office disappointment when it was released, but more and more fans are discovering this excellentWorld War II horror movie. Set on D-Day, the movie follows a team of American soldiers on a mission behind enemy lines to destroy a pivotal German base, only to discover that the Germans are conducting experiments on humans to create the perfect and unstoppable super soldier.
It is a lot of fun seeing the horror sci-fi drama swapping out the commandos in the jungle setting ofPredatorfor the WWII soldiers facing horrors amid the chaos of war. The setting makes for a more eclectic cast of characters, with some of these soldiers unprepared for war, let alone the terror that awaits them. However, it isThunderbolts* star Wyatt Russell who steals the show as the most seasoned soldier of the group.
Starship Troopersis one of the most misunderstood action movies of all time, leading to it being dismissed upon release. Decades later, the movie is now seen as a darkly comedic satire of the military mindset while still being a terrific bit of popcorn entertainment. The movie follows a group of young soldiers going into battle against deadly alien insect enemies.
The over-the-top personalities of the characters and the fact that the “heroes” of the movie are actually the ones being criticized went over a lot of people’s heads when they first sawStarship Troopers. However, that could be because Paul Verhoeven delivers a gory and wild sci-fi action movie with some excellent action sequences.WhilePredatoris not filled with such commentary, fans can still enjoyStarship Trooperssimply for its fun ride.
While the firstBlademovie starring Wesley Snipes remains a terrific R-rated comic book movie, Guillermo del Toro delivered the best movie in the franchise withBlade II. The sequel centers around a new form of vampire emerging that feeds on vampires and humans alike. Blade is forced to team up with an elite band of vampire warriors in order to track down their common enemies and destroy them.
Del Toro is exceptional at bringing out the horror and action while also writing some surprisingly strong characters.
While Snipes is iconic as Blade, the team dynamic in the sequel works exceptionally well. It is true that Donnie Yen is underutilized as a member of the team, but Ron Perlman steals the show as a vampire who predictably butts heads with Blade. Del Toro is exceptional at bringing out the horror and action while also writing some surprisingly strong characters.
Despite being one of the iconic monsters of the horror genre, there is a lack ofgreat werewolf moviesout there. Perhaps the last movie that really had fun with the idea of werewolves was the action horror movieDog Soldiers. The British movie follows a group of soldiers on a routine training exercise in the Scottish wilderness when they stumble upon a pack of werewolves.
Seeing modern soldiers going up against a movie monster that has been around forever is a lot of fun, even with the low-budget approach to the werewolves. The movie also shares the fun dynamic between the soldier characters, with a surprising sense of humor, to add another layer of fun to the story. It even takes a cue fromPredatorby including a female civilian joining the soldiers in their fight against the monsters.
TheAlienandPredatorfranchises have been connected for a long time, with everything from small Easter eggs to full-blown crossovers. There is even talk of anewAlien vs. Predatormovie on the horizon. However, in terms of similarities between the franchises,Aliensis the closest thing to the action-horror elements of the Predator movies.Aliensis James Cameron’s sequel to the original, with Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) joining a band of space marines to take on the xenomorphs.
The result works very well, and likePredator, it does a great job of forming a team dynamic that makes the audience really care about these new characters, rather than just letting it be Ripley’s movie.
Cameron boldly swapped out the claustrophobic thrills of the original movie with an action-packed new version. The result works very well, and likePredator, it does a great job of forming a team dynamic that makes the audience really care about these new characters, rather than just letting it be Ripley’s movie. However, Weaver does make for a great action hero in her Oscar-nominated role.
