Predators
MTV Documentary Films | Release Date: September 19, 2025 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
83
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
18
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
The GuardianLeslie FelperinNov 12, 2025
It’s too soon to know for sure, but this may end up being ranked as one of the best nonfiction films of the year. Read full review
91
The PlaylistBrian FarvourFeb 3, 2025
It may seem like bias runs rampant, but that couldn’t be further from the truth, as Osit tries to answer his questions while looking behind the scenes in a manner that could if nothing else, showcase the obvious spin of mass media. In looking back at “To Catch a Predator,” Osit takes a look at much, much more. Read full review
90
The RevealScott TobiasOct 2, 2025
Apart from anything else, Predators is a clinic in documentary ethics, but Osit’s intellect doesn’t mute his pain, sensitivity and outrage. It’s a film for the heart and the head. Read full review
90
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergSep 18, 2025
As David Osit’s probing, troubling documentary Predators demonstrates, the sociological implications of the show were (and are) anything but simple, beginning with what the series’ popularity suggests about the viewers who watched it. Read full review
90
VarietyGuy LodgeJan 27, 2025
Osit’s brilliant, subtly needling film leaves us unnerved and alert, but not certain of our convictions — an outcome, perhaps, that more true-crime programming should pursue. Read full review
85
The Daily BeastNick SchagerJan 26, 2025
Initially teasing a condemnation, only to come away with something less certain and more fascinating, it straddles various lines, and perspectives, with impressive confidence. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubBrent SimonSep 19, 2025
In forcing a viewer’s roiling, complex feelings inward, Predators is also asking audiences to sit with cruelty, and ponder how contributive, even in a small way, they might have been—as well as just how deep their own personal reservoir of compassion might be. Read full review
83
IndieWireDavid EhrlichJan 27, 2025
Split into three parts that reflect an infinite pattern of crime, punishment, and cultural recidivism, Predators fixates on our shared complicity in continuing that cycle with every click. Read full review
82
Paste MagazineJim VorelSep 15, 2025
Where Predators becomes fascinating as a documentary is not in its rise-and-fall accounting of the titular series, however, but in the way it examines the evolution of empathy or vindictiveness in those who have been touched by abuse and tragedy. Read full review
80
Little White LiesHannah StrongNov 14, 2025
It’s uncomfortable and often disturbing viewing, but Osit’s unsentimental, self-critical and refreshingly thoughtful approach makes Predators one of the most valuable entries into a saturated genre, prioritising ethics over emotion. Read full review
80
Next Best PictureGiovanni LagoSep 19, 2025
Predators emerges as both a deeply unsettling reflection on a cultural moment and a probing look at how quickly compassion can erode when entertainment takes precedence over humanity. Stirring and provocative, it is not only one of the year’s most fascinating documentaries but also a career highlight for Dave Osit. Read full review
80
Screen DailyAllan HunterJan 28, 2025
Predators may not find all the answers, but it offers a thought-provoking exploration of the questions and should attract audiences fascinated by the morality of the media and the complexities of crime and punishment. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterDaniel FienbergJan 27, 2025
Predators isn’t a documentary about closing the door on the To Catch a Predator legacy, but on seeing what shades of gray we can discover now that the door is ready to be reopened. Read full review
80
ColliderEmma KielyJan 27, 2025
It’s not only counterprogramming to the same formulaic true crime series that streaming platforms continue to churn out, but it’s also in direct dialog with these shows and the audience's unrelenting obsession with them. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzSep 26, 2025
Predators often seems to be going for an Errol Morris-style, “What is the truth, and what does the word even mean?” approach that’s equally explanatory and philosophical. It succeeds a lot of the time, but other times seems to get bogged down in tangents that take it too far away from the central issues. Read full review
75
Film ThreatJason DelgadoSep 23, 2025
All in all, it’s an effective meditation on the show and the aftermath of it. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineDerek SmithJan 31, 2025
Always exhibiting a deftness of touch and willingness to continue probing a cultural taboo that’s now, more than ever, a delicate and charged topic, Obit also challenges our preconceptions of a much-maligned group. Read full review
75
The Film StageDan MeccaJan 31, 2025
Predators is a clear-eyed analysis of the cultural phenomenon, an earnest attempt at understanding why we enjoy watching these kinds of people get caught (apart from the obvious), and a reckoning with the morality of the whole enterprise. Read full review
50
LarsenOnFilmJosh LarsenJan 13, 2026
Predators lost credibility with me well before its stunt ending. Read full review
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