Predator: Badlands (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – A young Predator outcast from his clan finds an unlikely ally on his journey in search of the ultimate adversary.

My Take – Though the Predator has been dwindling around for over 37 years in pop culture, it was the Dan Trachtenberg directed straight-to-Hulu feature, Prey (2022) that finally provided the franchise much needed boost by stripping the alien hunter down to basics in a light-footed prequel that found acclaim from all corners.

A success on which he doubled down by co-directing the highly entertaining anthology flick, Predator: Killer of Killers (2025), which proved that one can also tell a story with minimal dialogue and a gorgeous animation system.

And now for the seventh entry in this frustratingly uneven series (ninth, if you include two rendezvous with Aliens), director Trachtenberg and co-writer Patrick Aison once again prove that there’s still life in this universe yet. That too, by taking the boldest pivot yet by turning the titular murderous killer into an underdog hero.

Simply told, this new installment justifies its new setting and less blood-filled gore by providing the most original adventure in the franchise’s history by leaving the human prey at home while the Predator breaks free of being an emotionless antagonist into something more interesting and even worth rooting for.

It’s a daring move, but one that has clearly stemmed from a desire to take the franchise in new and exciting directions. Taking a couple of wild swings yet also functioning as a terrific adventure story that features themes like found families, tests of courage, and other complex social dynamics.

Sure, the film suffers from some occasional sluggishness, particularly after certain characters enter the plot, but it’s hardly an issue. As the core story is first-rate and serves as a proper way to build a narrative that is always on the move, never less than exciting, and full of imaginative ideas for showing what it truly means to be both the hunter and the hunted. After numerous failed sequels, it seems like the Predator franchise has finally found itself on solid ground.

Beginning on the fictional planet of Yautja Prime, the story follows Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a young Yautja (the Predator’s species) struggling to find his place in the clan. He’s undersized, but he is also the kind of restless soul desperate to prove his worth to his older brother Kwei and his father, a stern leader who considers him a disgrace and far from a hunter.

And when the father decides Dek should be eliminated, a series of events pushes the young warrior into a journey of defiance. Leaving his only way to prove himself is by doing the unthinkable i.e. travel to the deadly planet of Genna, a planet composed entirely of deadly organisms and capture the mythical Kalisk, a beast no Yautja has ever tamed, not even his own father.

Reluctantly allying with Thia (Elle Fanning), a damaged Weyland-Yutani Corporation synthetic whose team was destroyed while attempting to capture the Kalisk, the two set off on a trek together to find the monster, even while knowing a variety of threats will attempt to upset their journey.

On paper, it all sounds straightforward, but it is also incredibly creative, as we are witness to an entirely new world with plenty of lovingly crafted creatures that exist to either kill or be killed. The script sets up tons of fun situations, many of them violent, but also funny, emotional, and even quite dramatic. Yes, it is not the most sophisticated script ever, but it works in ways many current blockbusters fail to do, which is by making you care about the characters, and not much else.

The film also goes deeper than ever before into the Predator culture, from which we have seen glimpses throughout the years, but never too much, really. However, here, the film does the Predators a solid by transforming them into something more than monsters, but true warriors.

Also, by taking away the human characters leaves Dek as our key source of emotional connection in the narrative. In every previous installments, the Predator has been an emotionless killing machine, a source of nightmarish fear who hunts without any motivation other than the fact that it can. But now, we have our first emotional Predator, struggling to find his place in a world that sees him as a weak failure, an outsider, subverting the traditional Predator archetype.

It isn’t the most original setup for a character arc, but it’s one justified with the warrior mentality that the Predators define themselves by, as we get our first glimpse at one of these creatures who isn’t quite as tough as he appears. Along with that being crafted for the big screen rather than digital release, it finally allows director Trachtenberg to let loose and it shows.

The guttural roars, the echo of alien machinery, and the hum of glowing weaponry envelop the viewers completely. The visuals work hand in hand with this soundscape, transporting you into a world that feels otherworldly yet strangely tangible. The glowing red saber like guns, the hauntingly beautiful wastelands of Genna, and the sweeping CGI panoramas make for a sensory experience that few recent films can match.

We even get to see the Yautja dished out to an assortment of deadly creatures, including flying beasts, a forest that acts as a Hydra, a regenerating monster, and a buffalo that’s able to split its head open. Among the stronger ideas put forward to enhance this narrative, watching our main character learn to accept his environment and find ways to use it to his advantage, rather than fight it, becomes rewarding in a variety of ways.

Not only is it good character work for a creature who only speaks in a language made up for this film, but it’s a solid reflection of what good directors can accomplish when they are equipped with the right sensibilities to consider what they have at their disposal.

The performances too add an unexpected strength to this world of creatures and chaos. Elle Fanning, portraying both Thia and Tessa, brings a different kind of nuance. She balances mechanical restraint with flashes of warmth, giving Thia an oddly human soul. She even distinguishes her dual roles with subtle gestures and vocal tones that make each character feel distinctly alive.

While Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi delivers remarkable physical acting. For the entirety of the film, he is hidden behind layers of prosthetics and a bodysuit, yet you can sense every ounce of emotion in his posture and movements. On the whole, ‘Predator: Badlands‘ is a solid and visually stunning sci fi survival-action feature that continues director Dan Trachtenberg’s excellent expansion of a previous dwindling franchise.