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Predator: Badlands (PG-13)

Cast: Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Stefan Grube, Rohinal Nayaran

Release Date: November 7, 2025

Runtime: 1 hr. 47 mins.

Genre: Science Fiction, Action/Adventure

20th Century Studios’ “Predator: Badlands,” directed by Dan Trachtenberg (“Prey”), opens exclusively in theaters November 7, 2025. The newest entry in the “Predator” franchise is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator, outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.

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Review

Finally - for the first time since the original 38 years ago - a Predator movie I can enjoy. The reason is simple: it finally breaks the formula. The previous Predator films have largely lived in the shadow of the 1987 John McTiernan/Arnold Schwarzenegger installment, endlessly trying to replicate its success without understanding that the first movie's appeal came as much from its human star as its alien adversary. Once Schwarzenegger exited the equation, the entire weight fell on the Predators themselves, and with thin, uninspired screenplays relying on repetitive action sequences, they just weren't up to it.

The franchise now rests in the hands of Dan Trachtenberg, who has helmed the last three entries (Prey, the animated Predator: Killer of Killers, and this one). His hallmark has been finding new niches for the series, and for the most part, he's succeeded. In Badlands, he flips the script by turning the Predator, Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Kolomatangi), from antagonist to protagonist and layering in overt elements of comedy. Although undeniably a sci-fi/action film with plenty of violence (though not excessive gore), it carries a strong mismatched-buddy vibe, full of banter between Dek and his legless synthetic sidekick, Thia (Elle Fanning). The dynamic, initially forced, evolves into something surprisingly natural as the film progresses.

Predator: Badlands exists in the same universe as the Alien movies, though it avoids the mistakes of the lackluster Alien vs. Predator films by not shoehorning a crossover. The link comes via the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, once again on a mission to weaponize extraterrestrial life. Here, they've dispatched a troop of synthetics to the planet Genna to capture the feared creature Kalisk for their collection. Dek's mission, in contrast, is to kill the Kalisk and prove his worth to his people.

The film opens on the Predator homeworld, Yautja Prime, introducing Dek, his brother, and father, while expanding on their harsh culture. When Dek's father decrees his death - branding him a weak runt - Dek escapes, vowing to prove himself through the hunt. He crash-lands on Genna and encounters Thia, who has lost everything below the waist in a clash with the Kalisk. She offers to help him navigate the planet's dangers in exchange for reuniting her with her twin "sister," Tessa - and maybe getting her legs back. Dek reluctantly agrees but, true to Predator tradition, refuses to acknowledge her as a companion, referring to her instead as a "tool."

Badlands excels more at world-building than character development. The arcs for Dek, Thia, and Tessa are straightforward and predictable, but Genna itself is a strikingly realized world teeming with imaginative, deadly flora and fauna. The mix of CGI and the natural wilds of New Zealand make it a ferocious, fascinating setting. The action sequences are solidly staged, if not remarkable - but fortunately, there's more going on here than just fighting.

Surprisingly, it doesn't take long for the audience to start rooting for a Predator after decades of doing the opposite. That's due in part to Dek's underdog status, but also to his evolving bond with Thia, which humanizes him (so to speak). Dimitrius Schuster-Kolomatangi gives the character personality, and using motion-capture with a CGI mask lets him actually act with his face rather than hide behind animatronics. Like Star Trek's Klingons and Vulcans, the Yautja have their own language (developed by linguist Paul R. Frommer, who created the Na'vi tongue for Avatar). Thia and Tessa speak English - explained in a throwaway line - while Dek does not, so expect plenty of subtitle reading.

Some fans have griped about the PG-13 rating, but the film doesn't feel neutered. Most of the victims are non-humanoid monsters or synthetics, and since the blood isn't red, Trachtenberg gets away with a lot under the PG-13 umbrella. Realistically, it's an R-rated experience in disguise, with the MPA's decades-old pro-violence/anti-sex bias still firmly intact.

The decision to partially reinvent what a Predator movie can be is what makes Badlands work. While it leans on familiar sci-fi tropes and doesn't exactly revolutionize the genre, it feels fresher than the other sequels and far less beholden to the original. The ending teases another installment, though Trachtenberg admits that depends on box-office results. This one deserves to do well - but one can't help wondering how much life is left in a franchise that hasn't really connected with mainstream audiences since Schwarzenegger's heyday.

© 2025 James Berardinelli

Synopsis

20th Century Studios’ “Predator: Badlands,” directed by Dan Trachtenberg (“Prey”), opens exclusively in theaters November 7, 2025. The newest entry in the “Predator” franchise is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator, outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.