10 Risky Movie Moments That Totally Failed
3. Weaponised Autism - The Predator
On paper, the prospect of Shane Black writing and directing a new Predator movie seemed like it couldn't miss - and then it came out.
Though most of the film marks a thoroughly mediocre attempt to blockbuster-ize the sci-fi action franchise, its biggest gamble was a subplot involving - wait for it - weaponised autism.
For much of the story, we're led to believe that the Ultimate Predator is hunting soldier Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook) in order to harvest his DNA, until we learn that it's actually after his autistic son Rory (Jacob Tremblay).
It's suggested that the Predator is targeting Rory because it believes that harvesting his autistic DNA will allow it to become a smarter, better hunter. Rory is himself depicted as something of a child prodigy, being able to partially decipher the Yautja language before embarking on an accidental demolition spree when he unlocks a captured Predator helmet.
Though Black surely intended no offence with his portrayal of autism in The Predator, he totally bungled it, repeating stereotypes while delivering what James Ward-Sinclair of Autistic & Unapologetic called "the most ill-informed, backhanded compliment [the autistic] community will ever receive."