The Predator (2018)
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A group of PTSD-afflicted soldiers and a scientist must team up to fight off an invading pair of Predators and discover their plans for humankind.
The story
After a Predator ship crash-lands on Earth, U.S. Army Ranger sniper Quinn McKenna and his team are attacked during a hostage retrieval mission. Quinn manages to incapacitate the creature and secures pieces of its armor as proof of extraterrestrial life. However, the government captures him and the Predator, leading to a laboratory where the creature is studied by evolutionary biologist Casey Bracket. When the Predator escapes, Quinn is grouped with other soldiers and Bracket. The group must navigate a dangerous landscape to find Quinn's son, Rory, who is wearing the Predator's armor, while facing the threat of the alien hunters and their hidden agenda for humanity.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a Predator ship crash-lands on Earth, Quinn McKenna and his team are attacked during a mission. Quinn captures a piece of the Predator's armor, but the creature is later captured by the government and taken to a lab where it is studied by Casey Bracket. The Predator escapes, and Quinn is joined by other soldiers and Bracket as they flee to find Quinn's son, Rory, who is wearing the stolen armor. They encounter Predator Hounds and eventually a larger, more powerful Predator. The group learns that the Predators are attempting to use human DNA for hybridization, a process they fear will be hindered by climate change. They eventually reach the crashed ship where a final confrontation occurs. The second Predator captures Rory, believing his autism makes him a superior candidate for hybridization. After a series of sacrifices and a final battle, the team kills the Predator. In a post-credit scene, Quinn and Rory are shown in a lab where a piece of technology—a 'Predator killer' suit—is revealed to have been left intentionally by the first Predator as a gift to humanity.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 108
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Shane Black
- Writers
- Fred Dekker · writer; Shane Black · writer
- Cast and characters
- Boyd Holbrook · Quentin "Quinn" McKenna; Trevante Rhodes · "Nebraska" Williams; Jacob Tremblay · Rory McKenna; Keegan-Michael Key · Coyle; Olivia Munn · Casey Brackett; Thomas Jane · Baxley; Alfie Allen · Lynch; Sterling K. Brown · Will Traeger
- Genres
- science fiction; action; horror; comedy
- Themes
- Human evolution; Survival; Parental protection
- Tone and mood
- Action; Suspenseful; Tense
- Premise and plot tags
- Alien invasion; Military operation; Survival; Sci-fi action
- Franchise connections
- Predator
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews from critics, though it was noted for its attempt to capture the spirit of the original film's era.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 48 · scale: 100 · review count: 49; PostTrak · score: 66% · scale: 100%
- Production trivia
- The character of Baxley was named after the stunt coordinator of the 1987 film.; The film's title was confirmed in February 2016.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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