7. Predator
Though the Predator movies rely on a sci-fi premise, they aren’t sci-fi movies. Predominantly, they’re action movies, with a good dose of survival horror thrown in the mix. They’re also truly brilliant movies (yes, even the bad ones).
1989’s Predator remains a classic, with its macho cast thoroughly subverting expectations. Though Predator 2 was long considered disappointing, it’s an interesting development of the franchise’s core premise. Predators and The Predator may have been over-cheesy, but they continued the general appeal of the franchise. The prequel, Prey, was perhaps the franchise’s best movie to date.
The Predator movies certainly aren’t infallible, but they deliver upon their interesting premise. Advanced aliens hunting humans for sport is a great concept, and leaning into the horror angle while pursuing tense and weighted action is something that always entertains. After over three decades, the franchise is as strong as ever, and that’s a good indicator of the overall quality of its core ideas.