Predator: Badlands

Dan Trachtenberg's latest Predator entry is another solidly entertaining character piece

It’s a curious yet unsurprising trend, when a franchise has burnt out, studios are willing to give the material to filmmakers with a lower budget and freer rein. The studio liberation allows viewers to instead get engrossing entries as with Planet of the Apes, when Matt Reeves delivered some of the most thought-provoking films in the franchise. The same has occurred with the Predator films; long in the B-movie bucket, they have now been given new life by Dan Trachtenberg’s vision.

Predator: Badlands (2025) is Trachtenberg’s third predator film, after reviving the IP with Prey (2022) and Predator: Killer of Killers (2025). Badlands does a first in the series, by having our protagonist be an actual Predator – or Yautja as their alien species is called. Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) is small for a Yautja and is an outcast as a result. To prove himself he travels to a deadly planet, to hunt the a creature no Yautja has ever felled before. Upon crash landing, however, he meets that a group of synthetic robots are also hunting the creature, amongst which he finds the cheery, stranded droid Thia (Elle Fanning).

Predator has really only had a one good film before Trachtenberg’s arrival, it being the campy original Predator (1987). Subsequent entries have been failed attempts at cashing in on the cool creature design. Trachtenberg has taken on the lore and not just delivered entertaining films, but good ones too. Prey was ingenious, setting the Yautja encounter in pre-colonial America. His follow up, earlier this year, was the animated Killer of Killers, which used the animation medium and three short stories to brilliant effect. Trachtenberg is taking risks and approaching the Predator world, not from a franchise perspective, but one of curiosity. Each of his films so far has been a self-contained story, not seeking to set up sequels, but to creatively play with different scenarios.

Badlands continues this trend, albeit you sense that 20^th Century Studios is starting to catch on to Trachtenberg’s effectiveness, proportioning him with a larger budget. Yet the American filmmaker is not crushed by the added weight of a bigger production, instead delivering a character-driven story with an actual emotional heartbeat. The design of this alien planet and the new creatures that inhabit it are particularly original, with new plants and critters that truly surprised me in their composition.

Badlands starts with an effective prologue that frames the story through a dark revenge lens. It is one that shows a grittier side to the franchise that is usually focused on amplifying the gore. For those types of fans, not to worry. While Badlands is rated PG-13, Trachtenberg ingeniously delivers R-rated violence, but since there is not actual human blood shown (its all alien creatures and robots) he skirts the MPAA’s criteria.

Badlands follows Joseph Campbell’s classic hero’s journey, but done so with a clear verve and crackle, showing Trachtenberg actually excited about his story. It shows him as an initial runt, realistically put through his paces, and learning to become the fearsome hunter he wishes to be. Yet Trachtenberg also show’s Dek as evolving internally, as his rigid orthodoxy’s are softened as he learns from his conversations with Thia and learning to respect and adapt to his environment.

Badlands does follow a predictable structure however, not delivering any significant twists, yet the story keeps you on your toes regarding how our characters will resolve certian challenges. But the overarching themes and character fates follow the standard formula. Ditto to the inserted four-quadrant humor and merchandizing creature designs, which feel less organic than shoehorned. That’s not to say that it diluted the enjoyment, but these elements do feel more like echoes than an original melody.

Schuster-Koloamatangi was previously a stunt performer, but delivers a complex lead role in Badlands. The kiwi actor is under heavy make-up and costume (his Yautja face is CGI) and thus has to perform and emote dramatic scenes using a his body language and employing more exaggerated, theater gestures as a result. Fanning, meanwhile, is perfect as the cheery companion droid, oozing charisma and likeability. She does pull double duty, also playing a second, colder droid named Tessa; there she is more wooden and prone to cliché line deliveries, blunting an important character juxtaposition.

The finale is gripping, with an action sequence featuring a severed lower torso being a particular highlight. Yet, Badlandsalso falls into the common blockbuster pitfall of unnecessarily elongating the final battle, wearing the audience down who was ready to accept a resolution, and instead giving viewers fake outs and seemingly unkillable villains.

Nevertheless, Predator: Badlands is yet another solid Predator entry by Trachtenberg who is single-handedly expanding and enlivening the franchise. The film is a solid character piece, with exciting and original action, charismatic performances and overall excellent entertainment value. You do begin to see some studio interference, with tacked endings setting up sequels, yet for now Trachtenberg’s vision is holding strong, and one hopes it continues unimpeded.

7.5/10