Predator: Badlands ★★★★

Released: 7th November 2025

Director: Dan Trachtenberg

Starring: Elle Fanning & Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi

We’ve come a long way since Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch uttered the infamous words “you’re one ugly motherfucker” in John McTiernan’s 1987 classic Predator. However funny (yet iconic) that line is, it speaks volumes about the Predator franchise itself. Humanity coming into contact and reconciling with something unbelievable and beyond comprehension – a near, unstoppable creature who revels in the hunt. Somehow, the words “we’re not alone in the universe” feel genuinely terrifying.

After many sequels and disappointing crossovers later, we found a return to such substance and semblance in 2022’s Prey and this year’s brilliant animated film Predator: Killer of Killers. Both entries setting an unprecedented yet refreshing high bar for evolving the franchise to chart new territories, and returning director Dan Trachtenberg with his latest instalment, Predator: Badlands offers to do the same, but with very different results. Consider Badlands a different flavour of what we’ve seen before, an action-packed one, and with that notion in mind, Trachtenberg crafts one of the most entertaining films of the year. 

This feeling shouldn’t come as a surprise when Hollywood has burned itself out drinking the nostalgia well with very little to nothing to show for it in terms of satisfaction. It’s the small victories that count, where directors’ passion and conviction count for something when you see the final product. At his third attempt, Trachtenberg has naturally positioned himself as custodian of the Predator franchise, and it continues to be in safe hands.

That reassurance comes from the storyline. For decades, audiences watched the Predator hunt, kill and celebrate with their trophies thanks to its technological gadgets and survival instincts. Here, the mythology perspective is reversed, where the Predator becomes the prey.

In Badlands, we follow Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) on Yautja Prime. He is the ‘runt of the litter’ of his clan, where weakness is not tolerated amongst the stronghold. After his brother Kwei dies at the hands of their father, Dek travels to the planet Genna to honour his brother and retrieve the ultimate trophy that will hopefully earn his place amongst the tribe, an unstoppable creature called the Kalisk.

To build empathy for what is essentially ‘the villainous monster’ of the series is an impressive feat by Trachtenberg and writer Patrick Aison. They continue the franchise’s underdog spirit, and in keeping true to the tone, style and ethos of what Prey introduced, this is a franchise that happily rips up the rulebook to remain fresh. By doing so, it enriches the film in exciting new ways.

It borrows the same formula as Prey, where not only does Dek have to prove himself as a worthy warrior to his clan, but Aison’s coming-of-age screenplay zeroes in on the Yautja culture, everything from their alien language and ancestral hierarchy to their killing philosophy and beliefs. With access to this new perspective, there’s a whiff of Game of Thrones here, exploring the messy familial relationship between fathers and sons that ‘preys’ on strength and weakness is ruthlessly culled. It’s that toxic undercurrent of fear that fuels Badlands, a fear of not being ‘good enough’ which aptly comes into context on Genna itself, a planet so alive that it would make David Attenborough weep. Razor grass, bone bisons, snake-like vine branches and exploding worm-like creatures all exist on this dangerous planet, and Dek quickly realises that he will either have to adapt or die.

Navigating this challenge comes in the form of Thia (Elle Fanning), a damaged (and legless) Weyland-Yutani synthetic on an incomplete exploration mission on Genna. The pair form an unlikely partnership, falling between hunter and a Siri backpack helping the young warrior to find his prize. On the surface, this simple yet grounded premise with a minimal cast is what Trachtenberg enjoys before unleashing the various surprises and obstacles that unfold. 

Undoubtedly, praise should be given to how Trachtenberg continues to push the envelope; however, there are some minor drawbacks to this concept. Prey and Killer of Killers are self-contained episodes but Badlands takes its cue from all the inevitable expansion with the incorporation of Weyland-Yutani, which may (or may not) spark rumours of the direction of this franchise. While it provides Badlands with some genuine surprises, we do start to lose some of the magic and momentum that made Prey and Killers of Killers special. Nostalgia kicks in with one particular moment in its spectacular 3rd act, whilst its lowered age rating and occasional dose of humour mean very little to no blood in some of the film’s action-packed moments.

Despite its slight unevenness, there are other areas where Badlands excels. Sarah Schachner and Benjamin Wallfisch’s score adds an intense, tribal atmosphere to complement Jeff Cutter’s beautiful cinematography. But at its heart is found between Dek and Thia. There’s something profound in watching non-human characters bond and wrestle with their own “codes” before discovering how purpose and humanity go a long way. In Thia, her humour and genuine innocence of seeing the world always undercuts the stubbornness of Dek, who, like Dave Bautista’s Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, takes metaphors seriously. In Fanning and Schuster-Koloamatangi’s excellent performances (particularly his emotional conveyance through a Yautja’s eyes), their on-screen chemistry empathetically drives the film. The emotional payoff has always been key to Predator’s recent revival, and why we keep coming back for more, and Trachtenberg’s astute vision keeps that tradition alive and well.

With Trachtenberg in fine form, there’s enough about Badlands to place itself as a unique entry into the franchise. To put it simply, it’s a legacy sequel done right, and Badlands is equal parts exciting and thrilling, a cinematic crowdpleaser that showcases the franchise still has plenty of stories and fight within it. Roll on the next hunt.