Predator: Badlands is a major departure and a thrilling evolutionary step for the long-running franchise. Director Dan Trachtenberg, returning after his success with Prey, delivers a film that reconfigures the iconic alien hunter from an unstoppable monster into a complex, reluctant protagonist. The result is a propulsive, action-packed sci-fi adventure that manages to find surprising heart amidst the carnage.
The film is set in the future and focuses on Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a young, exiled Yautja (Predator) who is the “runt” of his clan. Desperate to prove his worth and earn the right to belong, he travels to the notoriously deadly planet Genna to hunt a fearsome, legendary creature known as the Kalisk.
The most significant shift is the perspective change. For the first time, the Predator itself is the hero and an underdog. This move has been praised by many as a successful way to breathe new life into the franchise, allowing for a deeper dive into the Predator’s culture and motivations. However, it is also the film’s most controversial element, as some critics feel that “humanizing” the monster removes its essential, terrifying mystique.
Dek’s journey takes a sharp turn when he crash-lands on Genna, forcing him into a reluctant alliance with Thia (Elle Fanning), a damaged and stranded Weyland-Yutani synthetic (android).
The chemistry between Dek and Thia is the undisputed emotional core of the film. Thia, often humorous and endearingly talky, is the perfect foil for the stoic, prideful, and wounded Predator. Their odd-couple dynamic, which evolves from mutual suspicion to a genuine, touching rapport, gives the film a surprising heart and a layer of emotionality rarely seen in the Predator series. Elle Fanning also pulls double-duty, playing Thia’s colder, more ruthless “sister,” Tessa, who operates as an antagonist.
This duo quickly becomes a trio with the introduction of Bud, the infant Kalisk. This creature is widely regarded as a phenomenal success—an adorable yet dangerous little beast with a chitinous shell and surprising strength. The baby Kalisk alone is worth the price of a movie ticket, providing both comedy and a touching thematic contrast, highlighting the issues of family and loyalty that Dek and Thia struggle with. Bud’s bond with the two leads and his role in the third act are highlights.
Trachtenberg excels at world-building on the hostile planet of Genna. The film is as interested in the deadly flora and fauna of the environment as it is in the hunt, making the planet itself a character. The visuals, utilizing New Zealand locations, feel appropriately epic and alien.
The action sequences are expertly handled, often blending intense, brutal violence with clever use of the environment. Dek, stripped of his most advanced gear (like the signature cloaking device), is forced to be a resourceful, Rambo-like warrior, creating his own weapons from the dangerous landscape. While the action is stirring and propulsive, some critics note that the film’s larger scale and focus on a protagonist may cause it to lose some of the contained, suspenseful tension that made Prey and the original 1987 film so effective.
Predator: Badlands is a bold, brilliantly directed, and thoroughly entertaining sci-fi action film. It takes a huge creative risk by centering the Predator as an underdog hero, and that risk pays off, resulting in an exciting, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt adventure.
This is a must-see for fans open to franchise evolution, and a welcome, high-octane spectacle for genre enthusiasts. While it may sacrifice some of the franchise’s traditional horror elements for an adventure tone, it firmly establishes Dan Trachtenberg as the current architect of the Predator universe.
