Predator: Badlands Review
The ninth Predator film proves that the franchise is in the right hands with Dan Trachtenberg.
(L-R) Thia (Elle Fanning) and Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) in PREDATOR: BADLANDS. Courtesy of 20th Century Studios
Predator: Badlands does something no other movie in the franchise has done: it makes the titular Predator the hero. Dan Trachtenberg’s third Predator film, after the excellent Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers, the latter animated, is an action-packed adventure film that presents a Predator, known here as a Yautja—his people’s name—as a sympathetic character straining against family the rigid structure of his culture as he sets out to prove himself a worthy member of his clan.
Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) is a young Predator outcast from his clan on Yautja Prime, deemed too weak by his father Njohrr to survive. Before Dek can prove himself, his father orders Dek's brother Kwei to kill him, but Kwei instead sacrifices himself to help Dek escape. Seeking to prove himself and avenge his brother, Dek travels to Genna, known as the “Death Planet,” to hunt the Kalisk, a legendary creature that even Njohrr fears. On Genna, where the entire ecosystem seems to be a deathtrap, Dek finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning), a damaged Weyland-Yutani android. Thia offers to guide Dek in exchange for taking her to her android sister, and they go looking for the Kalisk together.
Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) in PREDATOR: BADLANDS. Courtesy of 20th Century Studios
As some sci-fi fans may have noticed from the inclusion of Weyland-Yutani androids in the film, Badlands also marks a new crossover between the Predator and Alien franchises. I appreciated that all the characters representing the latter were androids, which I find to be one of the most fascinating parts of that series. Though I’m sure many fans will lament the absence of a xenomorph, there are still plenty of series connections they’ll enjoy. I still hope we will eventually see the terrifying Working Joes from the Alien: Isolation video game on film at some point.
Badlands is excellent as an adventure film, featuring thrilling action and impressive visual effects. The film’s action ranges from hand-to-hand combat to battles featuring far larger combatants, complete with franchise favorite weapons—should cannons, blades, grenades, and the like—sometimes with surprising twists on them. Often in films like these, it’s easy to note a difference between a PG-13 and R rating; in this case, I didn’t even notice the tamer classification. The action is still great.
(L-R) Thia (Elle Fanning) and Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) in PREDATOR: BADLANDS. Courtesy of 20th Century Studios
Part of the reason the action is so good comes down to the creativity and thought behind the design of Genna’s flora and fauna, which leads to interesting setups. Razor-sharp tall grass, snake-like carnivorous tree branches, venomous reeds that shoot paralyzing thorns, explosive caterpillars… there’s great stuff in here. The thought put into it reminds me of Scavenger’s Reign, an animated show with particularly great ecosystem design that takes relationships between its various species into account. Creating an alien world that is exotic and dangerously unpredictable provides for thrills and suspense in a way that the Avatar films have failed to achieve.
Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) in PREDATOR: BADLANDS. Courtesy of 20th Century Studios
I was surprised by the film’s thematic richness. It’s very much a coming-of-age story, with Dek learning to navigate the world instead of being in a hostile relationship with it as his culture demands, as he struggles between individual choice and following his culture’s customs and codes. He learns the value of compassion, a concept viewed as a weakness by his people, yet demonstrated by his own brother’s sacrifice. At the same time, the film explores the power of chosen family and community over bonds of blood.
I had a great time watching Predator: Badlands. It may lack the grittiness of past franchise entries, but it’s a fantastic action-adventure nonetheless. Dan Trachtenberg is the right steward for the franchise, and I’m eager to see the next Predator project he tackles.
Predator: Badlands premiered in theaters on November 7, 2025.
