Dek of the Yautja is cast out as a runt and a weakling by his father, who leads his tribe. Exiled and determined to prove himself, he travels to Genna, the Death Planet, determined to kill an unkillable beast known as the Kalisk, returning to Yautja Prime with his trophy and proving himself to his tribe. But a chance encounter with a damaged Weyland-Yutani android and an indigenous creature lead Dek to question his values, as he engages on a dangerous journey through an unforgiving planet against savage beasts and a corporation whose interests clash with his own.
The PREDATOR franchise started way back in 1987, with a John McTiernan-directed action epic that became a classic for the ages, featuring the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and the late Carl Weathers. Over the years, it has played out as something of an anthology series, with each film focusing on different conflicts and characters. While not every movie has been a masterpiece, this approach has kept the franchise interesting. After the not-so-stellar reception of 2018’s THE PREDATOR, director Dan Trachtenberg took the series back to basics with PREY; it was the best film in the franchise since the 1987 original. Unfortunately, released during the pandemic, it was relegated to small screens despite universally positive reviews. This longtime PREDATOR fan was ecstatic to hear Trachtenberg would be helping the new movie, which would get a big screen release, and take the story away from Earth.
PREDATOR: BADLANDS isn’t quite the masterpiece that PREY was, but it still easily ranks among the better entries in the long-running series thanks to interesting characters, great action sequences, exotic locales, a thrilling musical score, and the simple fact that it’s never boring. Who would’ve thought at PREDATOR movie from the Predator’s perspective could be so entertaining, intriguing, and… dare I say it… fun?
For years we’ve been seeing PREDATOR movies in which the titular creatures are outsiders and hunters looking for their next hunt, and largely seen as the antagonists in their respective films. BADLANDS takes the opposite approach, throwing us into a storyline where we not only follow a Predator/Yautja for the entire film, but one rejected as a runt and a weakling by his clan, who must prove himself. This twist makes for one of the most intriguing and entertaining of all PREDATOR films. And the character development and transformation across the movie’s duration as among its best traits.
A story of a young Predator on the hunt on an unforgiving planet would’ve been an intriguing premise unto itself, but BADLANDS ups the ante by involving Weyland-Yutani (the villainous “Company” from the ALIEN films) in the storyline, with orders that put our young hunter right in the path of deadly synthetic entities. Elle Fanning plays a double role here is a wounded cyborg who becomes something of an ally to Dek (who he initially refers to as a “tool”) as well as her more by-the-book “sister” who’ll stop at nothing to accomplish Weyland-Yutani’s goals, no matter the cost. The chemistry and the clashes here are delightful, with Fanning’s wounded cyborg giving the dark nature of this material some much-needed levity and comic relief.
Atmosphere is the name of the game in BADLANDS, and the cast and crew deliver. The exotic and deadly word of Genna is one of this fictional universe’s most intriguing to date, with a threat around every corner, and even some indigenous life that may not be all bad. The musical score is one of the biggest surprises, with tribal beats and a way of breathing life into the experience that it wouldn’t have had without the sounds. BADLANDS looks as good as it sounds.
The only minor flaws in an otherwise stellar PREDATOR film are the somewhat predictable storyline, and the PG-13 rating, which feels unnecessary. Hopefully when the movie hits home video formats, we get an ultraviolent unrated cut that may do the material some favors. But even with the lower MPA rating in place, the film still delivers edge-of-your-seat intensity.
PREDATOR: BADLANDS shows is that director Dan Trachtenberg was no one-movie wonder with the classic sci-fi/action franchise, delivering one of the best movies and biggest surprises of 2025. Hopefully audiences will share my enthusiasm when the movie hits theaters this weekend. Very highly recommended!