Predator: Badlands Review
Some time in the future on the home planet of the Predators, or Yautja, young Dek hits a milestone in his life. Under the training of his brother Kwei, Dek is finally ready to undertake his first hunt to earn his invisibility cloak. However, their father sees Dek as the family’s runt and would rather see him dead than sully the clan’s reputation with his weakness.
Looking to prove himself to his father, Dek decides to go after the creature most feared by the Yautja – the Kalisk on the planet Genna. Completely unprepared, Dek crash-lands on Genna and begins his hunt for the Kalisk.
However, the other flora and fauna on the alien planet prove to be just as dangerous as the legendary creature. In over his head, Dek runs across a damaged synth robot by the name of Thia.
Thia offers Dek a deal – she will lead Dek to the Kalisk in exchange for returning her to the Weyland Yutani encampment on the planet. Dek reluctantly agrees, and the two begin a treacherous journey across the planet. But Dek soon realizes nothing on Genna is as it seems.
I’m a lifelong fan of the Predator series. Having seen all the movies, read the comics, and read the novels, I freely admit that I am biased. But I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Predator: Badlands, and I think even people coming in cold, having never seen the movies, can enjoy it too.
Predator: Badlands is one of those rare sequels that builds on its predecessor and takes the franchise in a whole new direction. New corners of the universe are revealed, and we learn more about the culture of the classic movie monster, see its home world, and venture into other corners of the galaxy.
Most notably, the Predator is switched from being a longtime villain or antagonist to the hero or protagonist. It’s a lot like the switch from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s villainous robot in The Terminator to the one in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Not only that, but it also seamlessly blends with the world of Alien by featuring synths and the Weyland-Yutani corporation.
Fans of the Predator will not be disappointed by the classic villain being turned into the hero. There are still villainous Yautja, we get to see crazy new weapons, and there are plenty of grisly kills, just not with red human blood. That’s why this film can have a PG-13 rating and still be hardcore.
Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi plays Dek in Predator: Badlands. While he’s buried under a suit and a CG face mask, he definitely helps bring the character’s rage and frustration towards his father to the surface. Dek has a lot of spirit, and it’s fun to see him as a young, imperfect killer trying to prove himself.
Elle Fanning is also excellent as Thia. If you are looking for the exact opposite of a Predator, Thia is it. While Dek is intense and full of rage, Thia is joyful and full of wonder. Dek is a giant male alien, while Thia is a chatty female robot who his just had her feelings flipped on. They contrast each other in every way, and it’s entertaining.
I was also glad that they did not bicker the entire time, as it might have been tempting to do. Having them work together and provide contrasting perspectives is much more entertaining to watch. And when you throw the alien Bud into the mix, you get something that starts to feel more like a Star Wars film than a Predator sequel. I wasn’t sure how it would work at first, but Bud grew on me.
The music by Sarah Schachner and Benjamin Wallfisch is also noteworthy. It had a tribal beat, along with Yautja lyrics that give it a primal feel that suits the Predators well.
I’ve been a fan of director Dan Trachtenberg since 10 Cloverfield Lane, and he has yet to disappoint me. It’s rare to see a creator come into a franchise like this and deliver wildly different stories like Prey and the animated Predator: Killer of Killers. Yet he hits it out of the park each time. I look forward to seeing what else he’s capable of.
Predator: Badlands is well worth seeing on the big screen. It is fun, action-packed, and just the kind of popcorn flick you want to see at the theater. And it’s accessible to people who aren’t Predator fans or kids who haven’t yet seen the R-rated predecessors. It’s a great jumping-on point for new audiences.
PREDATOR: BADLANDS REVIEW RATING: 8.5 OUT OF 10
Predator: Badlands will open in theaters on Friday, November 7, 2025. The film has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) for sequences of strong sci-fi violence.
