--- title: "Predator" year: 1987 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/predator" fi1m_id: "predator" imdb_id: "tt0093773" tmdb_id: 106 wikidata_id: "Q200804" fi1m_score: 84 critics_score: 65 critics_reviews: 7 published: "2026-09-15" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:36.368965+00:00" region: "PE" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Predator (1987) Directed by John McTiernan · 1h 47m · Science Fiction, Action, Adventure, Thriller ## Identity Predator - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/predator - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** predator - **IMDb ID:** tt0093773 - **TMDB ID:** 106 - **Wikidata ID:** Q200804 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093773/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/106, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q200804 **Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 65 from 7 reviews *In a sentence:* Arnold Schwarzenegger has brought all those muscles to a fight with something he cannot see > John McTiernan turns a jungle commando film into a gripping alien hunt, with Schwarzenegger convincing as a man who can be hurt. Crude dialogue and thin characterisation are the caveats; the suspense earns the evening. ## Synopsis Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) leads a platoon on a commando mission in the jungle. Among the men are Al Dillon (Carl Weathers), Mac Eliot (Bill Duke), Blain Cooper (Jesse Ventura) and Billy Sole (Sonny Landham). An alien hunter, played by Kevin Peter Hall, stalks the group while a cloaking device keeps it out of sight. The soldiers bring weapons and combat experience to a fight against something they cannot see. John McTiernan directs a science-fiction action film in which a military mission becomes a struggle to survive. ## Review The useful thing about casting Arnold Schwarzenegger against an alien hunter is that we begin with a fairly firm idea of who ought to be dangerous. John McTiernan uses that expectation to make *Predator* a tense, carefully staged action film. It starts with a commando mission in the jungle and lets an unseen opponent disturb the soldiers’ confidence. There is pleasure in watching capable people confront a problem their normal methods cannot solve, and McTiernan knows how long to keep us looking for it. Schwarzenegger’s Dutch is persuasive because the part needs physical authority before it needs eloquence. He looks capable of leading these men, which gives their predicament more weight than a collection of anonymous victims could manage. Carl Weathers, Bill Duke and Jesse Ventura help give the platoon the feeling of a group accustomed to one another, even when the script supplies dialogue that confuses aggression with wit. Their camaraderie gives us enough reason to care where the men are, without requiring much knowledge of their lives. Donald McAlpine’s cinematography makes the jungle difficult to read without making the action impossible to follow. The vegetation gives the eye too many places to check, so we keep examining the surroundings even when nothing appears to be happening. John Vallone’s production design keeps the military surroundings functional and recognisable, giving the alien technology a familiar world to intrude upon. Together, they make the setting convincing enough that we accept the difficulty of moving through it and finding anything within it. Editors Mark Helfrich and John F. Link give the action a pace that feels forceful without making every passage equally frantic. They leave room for waiting, which matters when the chief attraction is something we cannot see clearly. Alan Silvestri’s percussive score supplies a military insistence that suits the soldiers and keeps the quieter stretches from feeling comfortable. It can press hard, but the music earns its place by making the pauses feel like temporary interruptions to the pursuit. We were unnerved by the cloaking effect: knowing that the hunter is somewhere in the greenery does not make it easy to find. The thermal-vision images work for the opposite reason, picking the men out when the jungle has been concealing so much. Their bodies become conspicuous in a view they do not share. These effects are simple to understand, and McTiernan uses them to make the soldiers’ disadvantage visible without stopping for an explanation of the equipment. The screenplay is less resourceful about the people. John Thomas and Jim Thomas rely on familiar macho types, and some of the banter is tiresome enough to make silence welcome. Nor does every return to thermal vision add anything we have not already understood about the hunt. The critical consensus is cooler than we are, finding too little story beneath the effects; we think it gives too little credit to the suspense those effects help create. The thin characterisation matters, but it rarely stops us worrying about the immediate danger. Creature thrillers are more frightening when the people in danger seem capable of putting up a fight, and *Predator* makes good use of that. Its 107 minutes are well spent for anyone who enjoys patient stalking as much as forceful action. Just do not expect the men to be as interesting when they open their mouths. *Fi1m score 84, published 15 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics lean towards Predator as an effective action thriller, with praise clustering around John McTiernan’s tense direction, the jungle setting and the special effects. Schwarzenegger’s physical presence is another asset, particularly when the film makes its imposing hero seem vulnerable. Favourable reviews value the stripped-down storytelling and brisk action rather than looking for much characterisation. The photography and oppressive atmosphere also earn some respect from critics who find little else to admire. The spread is wide, however, and the main disagreement concerns whether the craft compensates for the thin script. Some reviews find the effects sustain tension; others see them replacing suspense. The New York Times finds the action alternately grisly and dull, preferring the jungle habitat to what happens in it. The Los Angeles Times is harsher about the empty, derivative writing, while allowing limited praise for McTiernan’s visual flair and the cinematography. ## Straight answers **Is Predator worth watching?** *Predator* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys patient stalking as much as forceful action, and we scored it 84. John McTiernan keeps the jungle hard to read and the unseen hunter unnerving, with Schwarzenegger convincing as a man who can be hurt. The caveats are crude dialogue and thin characterisation; the men are far less interesting when they open their mouths. **How long is Predator, and what is it rated?** *Predator* runs 1h 47m. It is a science fiction and action film. **Where can I watch Predator in Peru?** *Predator* is streaming on Disney+ in Peru. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Predator, and is it suitable for children?** *Predator* carries an 18 certificate in the UK and an R in the US, and it is not suitable for children. It is a violent creature thriller about soldiers being hunted and killed by something they cannot see, and the suspense is built to unsettle. The squeamish should also know that the banter is coarse as well as the action. **How does Predator compare to Predator 2?** *Predator* is the tighter and more suspenseful of the two, and the one we would recommend first. McTiernan uses the jungle to hide the hunter and lets the waiting do much of the work, while Stephen Hopkins's [*Predator 2*](https://film.one/film/predator-2) moves the fight to a sweating, shouting Los Angeles and makes noise the point. The sequel is cruder, though Danny Glover gives it an evening's worth. **Do you need to have seen the other Predator films before Predator?** *Predator* is the first film in the series and stands entirely alone, so nothing needs to be seen before it. It is a self-contained story of a commando platoon in the jungle against an unseen hunter, and it is the natural place to start. The later films borrow its premise rather than requiring it. **What should I watch after Predator?** After *Predator*, try [*Alien*](https://film.one/film/alien) (1979, Fi1m 92): Another capable crew discovers how little professional competence matters against an unfamiliar predator. Then [*Southern Comfort*](https://film.one/film/southern-comfort) (1981, Fi1m 81): Military confidence proves poor preparation for hostile terrain and people who know it; and [*Prey*](https://film.one/film/prey) (2022, Fi1m 76): The hunt starts afresh, with a resourceful opponent and fewer men shouting. **What order should I watch the Predator films in?** Release order is the safe choice for Predator, and it is the order [our collection page](https://film.one/collections/predator) lists them in. *Predator* is the first of the 6 Predator titles on Fi1m; after it [*Predator 2*](https://film.one/film/predator-2). [The full order.](https://film.one/collections/predator.md) ### Reviews we read (11) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (3.5/4): Ebert finds the film an effective, high-energy action picture that begins like Rambo and ends like Alien. He singles out the beautiful and convincing jungle locations in Mexico for particular praise. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/predator-1987) - **Radio Times**, John Ferguson (4/5): This is one of Schwarzenegger's most efficient movies, a stripped-down thriller that sacrifices characterisation for exhilarating action and special effects. McTiernan keeps the tension at snapping point with the cloaking device gimmick. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-yo5868/predator/) - **Variety**, Variety Staff (60/100, inferred): The review calls it a slightly above-average actioner that compensates for a tissue-thin plot with grisly death sequences and impressive special effects. It notes that director John McTiernan relies too much on special effects thermal vision photography. [Read](https://variety.com/1986/film/reviews/predator-1200427148/) - **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (40/100, inferred): Maslin describes the film as alternately grisly and dull with few surprises, noting that it starts as a commando mission before turning into a monster movie. She singles out the interesting jungle habitat over the action itself. [Read](https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E02E2DD153BF931A25755C0A961948260) - **Los Angeles Times**, Michael Wilmington (30/100, inferred): Wilmington calls the film an ominous high-tech Stone Age mixture with an empty, feeble, and derivative script. He singles out the visual flair of director John McTiernan and the cinematography for limited praise amid the vacuity. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-06-12-ca-4018-story.html) - **Empire**, Chris Hewitt: The critic finds Predator more than a dumb 80s actioner and a sci-fi/action classic thanks to McTiernan's assured, tense direction. The Predator creature and Schwarzenegger's heroic performance at his physical peak are singled out as memorable highlights. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/predator-review/) - **Sight and Sound**, Adam Barker: The film fuses outer-space horror with Vietnam-war allegory and plays on Schwarzenegger's star image by casting him as the vulnerable human against the alien. Special effects substitute for suspense, making the final conflict predictable. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/predator-archive-review-arnold-schwarzenegger-finds-his-human-side) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Duane Byrge: The critic finds the film a well-executed entry in the behind-enemy-lines buddy movie genre, with strong camaraderie among the team and Schwarzenegger's commanding presence. Direction, kinetic photography by Donald McAlpine, and technical credits including the percussive score are singled out as assets. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/predator-review-1987-movie-1009677/) - **Time Out**, NF: Arnie's platoon is picked off by an invisible alien adversary in a fight to the death. The film has the look of an expensive production but the feel of a B movie, delivering undemanding monster mayhem. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/predator) - **Eye for Film**, Gator MacReady (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it one of Arnie's best and a landmark action movie. McTiernan creates an oppressive atmosphere and turns the final act into a gothic landscape highlighting primitive brutality over advanced weapons. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/predator-film-review-by-gator-macready) - **Collider**, Rae Torres (B+): The critic views the film as an enjoyable 80s action classic centered on macho men battling an invisible alien hunter, despite its cheesy dialogue and tropes. They single out its fast pace, strong special effects for the era, and effective man-versus-monster survival theme for praise. [Read](https://collider.com/predator-review-arnold-schwarzenegger-carl-weathers/) ## Details - **Director:** John McTiernan - **Director:** John McTiernan - **Writer:** Jim Thomas, John Thomas - **Cinematography:** Donald McAlpine - **Editor:** Mark Helfrich, John F. Link - **Music:** Alan Silvestri - **Production design:** John Vallone - **Costume design:** Marilyn Vance - **Producer:** Joel Silver, Lawrence Gordon, John Davis - **Cast:** Arnold Schwarzenegger as Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer; Carl Weathers as Al Dillon; Kevin Peter Hall as The Predator / Helicopter Pilot; Elpidia Carrillo as Anna Gonsalves; Bill Duke as Mac Eliot; Jesse Ventura as Blain Cooper; Sonny Landham as Billy Sole; Richard Chaves as Jorge "Poncho" Ramirez - **Runtime:** 1h 47m - **Release (Peru):** 24 December 1987 - **Genres:** Science Fiction, Action, Adventure, Thriller - **Part of:** [Predator](https://film.one/collections/predator.md) · 1 of 6 - **Budget:** $15 million - **Box office:** $98 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo3FmkleTEQ ## Where to watch in Peru - Disney+: streaming, uhd *Checked 2026-09-15.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1988: Best Visual Effects (nominated) ## If you liked this - *Alien* (1979), Fi1m 92: Another capable crew discovers how little professional competence matters against an unfamiliar predator — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/alien.md) - *Southern Comfort* (1981), Fi1m 81: Military confidence proves poor preparation for hostile terrain and people who know it — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/southern-comfort.md) - *Dog Soldiers* (2002): Soldiers, monsters and barracks humour, with more warmth than the premise promises - *The Host* (2006): A Korean creature film whose family troubles remain urgent throughout the monster hunt - *Prey* (2022), Fi1m 76: The hunt starts afresh, with a resourceful opponent and fewer men shouting — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/prey.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/predator