“Predator: Badlands” Rocks Hard

Predator: Badlands (Dan Trachtenberg, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars

After breathing new life into the long-running Predator series with his 2022 Prey, director Dan Trachtenberg returns with Predator: Badlands. Working within established lore while enriching the narrative through exciting original details and characters, Trachtenberg also continues the merging of the Alien universe to this one, with that franchise’s Weyland-Yutani Corporation (and its super-powered AI known as MU/TH/UR) here serving as primary antagonist, as well. Featuring terrific action and great messaging, the movie knows what it wants to do and does it well.

There have been previous Predator films that have given the titular extraterrestrials three-dimensionality (especially when compared to the insect-like Xenomorphs of the Alien creatures) but this is the first entry to center the drama squarely on the shoulders of one Predator—or “Yautja,” as they are known—and his journey to self-actualization. It’s a fascinating shift of perspective that augments the storytelling and heightens our interest. Coupled with themes of community and altruism, these fresh aspects make of Predator: Badlands not only a kickass adventure but a sharp critique of toxic masculinity.

Still, the movie is not without flaws of conception. The series will never escape the original sin of its Rastafarian hair design which, combined with the super strength and aggressiveness of the Yautja, leans into societal fears of Black men (however much later iterations of the beings turn out to be honorable in their warrior ways). In Predator: Badlands, we are now given a Yautja language to go along with the characters, and from the vocalized clicks it sounds like a derivation of some Southern and East African tongues, further linking Earthbound perceptions of culture and race to these violent intergalactic killers. Such caveats aside, the rest is pure sci-fi bliss.

We begin with a duel between brothers, Kwei (the elder) and Dek (the baby). Though at first their relationship appears confrontational, we shortly gain greater insight into how they feel about each other: 1) the Yautja prize physical strength and prowess above all else, and Dek, as the runt of the family, is considered a liability; 2) the siblings actually care for each other a great deal. When father shows up and demands that Dek be killed, Kwei refuses, to dire consequences.

Thereafter, Dek is determined to prove himself by coming back home with an ostensibly unkillable prey: the Kalisk from the planet Genna. Off he goes, crash-landing and very quickly finding himself hunted, rather than hunting, on a hostile world. The Yautja believe in going it alone, yet soon Dek is at the mercy of the native fauna. If not for the assistance of a stranded “synthetic” (aka, android), Thia—missing her legs courtesy of her own tangle with the local environment—he would be toast.

But what is a Yautja to do after being saved? Why, reject further assistance, of course! And yet, the wily Thia—a Weyland-Yutani creation—convinces him to bring her along (she needs him to get around), telling him that she knows where to find the Kalisk. Before long, all the plot threads converge, mixing a coming-of-age tale with stylized violence and a call to forego solitude in favor of cooperative solidarity. I won’t lie: Predator: Badlands is pretty awesome.

Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (Red, White & Brass) stars as Dek, aided by a ton of CGI and other physical add-ons (certainly for the Yautja mandible face). Elle Fanning (A Complete Unknown) plays Thia (and her less-friendly twin, Tessa), and Rohinal Nayaran provides the motion-capture performance for Bud, a cross between a monkey and a dog that Dek and Thia encounter on Genna. Together, they form something of a magical trio, bringing humor and warmth to their parts.

I can’t write this review without singing the praises of one particular sequence where Thia’s separated legs do battle on their own against an army of look-a-like synths while Dek demonstrates his willingness to adapt his fighting style to include some of Genna’s natural elements. It was clever and emblematic of all that works in this delightful cinematic romp. Everything comes together to make Predator: Badlands one of the best Predator films in the franchise.

Christopher Llewellyn Reed

Chris Reed is the editor of Film Festival Today. A member of both the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) and the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, Chris is, in addition, lead film critic at Hammer to Nail and the author of Film Editing: Theory and Practice.