Predator

(1987)

When a covert military operation  goes as well as a surprise birthday party for a possum, what could have been a weekend team building exercise in the jungle turns into a high-stakes intergalactic safari with no s’mores and a lot of dismemberment. The mission starts simple - a rescue op. Major Dutch leads a crack team of soldiers into the jungle. Their objective is clear - extract hostages, shoot things, and say cool one-liners, but somewhere between the heavy artillery and Carl Weathers’ biceps, a story old as time emerges with the real enemy: an invisible space tourist with dreadlocks and a fondness for Tom Savini’s work. This thing, the Predator, who came for sport, starts picking the team off one by one using advanced weaponry, stealth camouflage,  thermal vision that makes TSA scanners look polite, and a shoulder-mounted laser that makes most laser tag systems look like a Fisher-Price toy. As the team tries to confront the beast with everything from a mini-gun to a war cry with no luck, Dutch finally decides to ditch his military weapons to take on their pursuer the only way left: using Home Alone style booby traps. All told, it’s a heartwarming tale of man versus beast, survival, and the importance of not skipping arm day. And remember: if you hear clicking in the woods, it’s either a Predator… or an accountant trying to work a retractable pen. Either way, run.