In a universe where hulking aliens have been the unstoppable force of destruction for ages, Predator: Badlands dares to do the impossible: it humanizes the hunter. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the genius behind Prey, this 2025 film flips the script on the Yautja legacy and turns the franchise’s iconic dreadlocked predator into an underdog on a mission to find himself. Starring Elle Fanning in a dual role and newcomer Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as the titular runt, the film is 107 minutes long and gets 3.5 out of 5 for its bloody action, unexpected heart and PG-13 rating that manages to get franchise level gore without going R. In theaters November 7, Badlands isn’t just another body count flick – it’s a buddy movie that asks what happens when the top of the food chain finds out true strength comes from being vulnerable.
On the remote planet of Badlands—a stand in for New Zealand’s beautiful landscapes—the story follows Dek (Schuster-Koloamatangi) a scrawny young Yautja shunned by his clan for being weak. Exiled by his father to prove himself by killing a mythical beast, Dek crash lands in a deadly environment of flora and fauna that makes Arrakis look like a Sunday stroll. Trachtenberg’s screenplay co-written with Patrick Aison drops us into this alien world with no hand holding, trusting us to figure it out with Dek: bioluminescent traps that catch the unwary, beasts with hides tougher than Yautja armor, and a food chain where even the plants fight back. It’s a narrative sleight of hand like Pitch Black, where survival is about adaptation not brute force and Dek’s “flaw”—his ability to empathize with the prey he studies—becomes his greatest strength.
Enter Thia (Fanning), who discovers the remains of a Weyland-Yutani robot buried amongst the rubble of a human settlement. despite being minus a pair of legs Thia retains her sharp intellect and resourcefulness. Fanning brings Thia to life with her boundless enthusiasm , giving the synthetic a more optimistic outlook - one that gradually transforms her from a hunk of junk into Dek's uninvited moral compass and cheeky sideskick. Their unlikely friendship becomes the movie's unsung hero an offbeat pairing where Dek barks orders like "tool" while Thia playfully jabs at his "daddy issues" - its a funny and endearing dynamic that's not a million miles from the friendship between Hiccup and Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, but with laser guns and rather a lot of green blood. Fanning also gets to show off her range by playing a straight-laced corporate suit in holographic flashbacks - her ability to seamlessly switch from over-the-top bad guy to loving pal really helps ground the film's emotional gut-punch. Schuster-Koloamatangi makes a seriously impressive debut - tucked away under an impressive layer of fancy special effects that blend in beautifully with some digital bits & bobs, he brings Dek's transformation from miserable outcast to confident fighter to life with his animated facial expressions and gestures - all without saying a single word in english.
Trachtenberg's style really shines in this stripped-back setting , ditching the elaborate ensemble pieces for tightly wound, high-octane moments that pack a punch with their dark humour and inventive fight choreography - A mid-point ambush by these completely bonkers , bandersnatch-inspired creatures (and a sly nod to the absurdity of Alice in Wonderland) erupts into a breathless whirlwind of DIY traps and intense close-quarters combat, where Dek's wrist gauntlets get repurposed as what can only be described as multi-tool gadgets. The action is loud & frenetic - never getting bogged down in the sheer spectacle of it all; instead, it's put to work serving up a lesson in teamwork, as Dek and Thia (along with their mischievous, pint-sized alien sidekick - Bud - who's as much a handful as he is adorable) learn that being top dog doesn't necessarily mean you're the best. Cinematographer Jeff Cutter captures the planet's unsettling beauty on camera, with sweeping helicopter shots & claustrophobic cave descents that get your heart racing, while composer Brian Tyler ratchets up the tension with some seriously unhinged Mongolian folk-metal riffs from The Hu - layering throat-singing growls over orchestral crescendos to create a score that's both primal & utterly propulsive.
But even with all its thrills - Badlands still manages to stumble a bit. Taking a subversive stab at turning a so called "heroic" Predator into the main character veers on into goofy at times, toning down the franchises oh-so-violent roots until they feel almost too cute - Dek's non-threatening exterior & Bud's puppy-dog antics flirt with going all Disney on us, watering down that raw menace that made the 1987 orignal a slasher benchmark. And then the final showdown takes place in some generic - crumbling ruin backdrop that's the epitome of a video game arena - the kaiju clashes at the end feel more like a theatrical special effect show than a genuinely visceral pay off , echoing all the weightless , CGI excess we saw in those recent Godzilla vs. Kong movies. Pacing does sag a bit in the second act when Dek's supposed growth happens through these montages where he just keeps staring at pictures of creatures - which though ,I suppose is where the film's B-movie charm shines through & it's okay with itself for not being 'high-brow' but sometimes it just feels like they really wanted to make one of those super highbrow IMAX experiences rather than something with some real edge.
But Predator: Badlands offers a level of straight up fun that’s kept the series alive and Trachtenberg is digging deeper into Yautja in ways that are intense and sincere. This is a legacy sequel that gets it right: fun, thoughtful and willing to connect the harsh elements to a theme about being vulnerable. In a year that’s already given us some great genre films this one’s a favourite and reminds us even predators can have a community. Get your invisibility gear ready and get to the cinema—Dek’s adventure might just get you.