Film Review: Predator - Badlands
First Hunt. Last Chance.
INTRODUCTION
This is a quick review of the newly released film Predator: Badlands. Please note that this is just one of the many movies I will have watched each year, and my initial grade for this film may change over time, for better or worse. To stay up to date on my thoughts about other movies and any potential changes in my opinion on this one, follow me on Letterboxd.
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PLOT
Via Letterboxd: Cast out from his clan, a young Predator finds an unlikely ally in a damaged android and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
REVIEW
Starting with 2022’s Prey, director Dan Trachtenberg has quickly become the go-to storyteller for the newest entries in the Predator franchise. The original Predator remains one of my favorite creature features of its time, but the series has had a messy, hit-or-miss track record with me when it comes to its sequels and spinoffs. Under Trachtenberg’s guidance, however, the franchise has found new life, he’s expanded its lore and worldbuilding by daring to push boundaries that few filmmakers before him have even attempted with this IP.
In 2022, Prey gave us a period piece set in the untamed American frontier, following a young Native American woman who goes toe-to-toe with a Predator. Earlier this year, Trachtenberg took another risk by directing an animated installment, Predator: Killer of Killers, which intertwined three time-spanning stories about humans chosen to prove themselves against the Predators.
Now he delivers Predator: Badlands, perhaps his most ambitious entry yet, told from the perspective of a Predator itself. Our protagonist, Dek, is seen as the weakest of his clan. After a tragic turn of events, he crash-lands on a hostile planet teeming with deadly creatures and rogue androids, all hunting the same beast he must kill to earn his clan’s acceptance. A creature that, so it happens, no one has ever successfully slayed.
But Badlands is far more than just a ninety-minute-plus hunt. Dek gradually forms unlikely alliances, including a creature that saves his life (and becomes a surprisingly crucial companion) and a half-damaged android who claims she can help him track down his target. Elle Fanning plays this android, and she delivers what I’d call the best performance of her career, though admittedly I haven’t yet seen Sentimental Value. Impressively, she also performs as a second android who serves as a darker mirror to the first.
The film boasts competent direction, strong cinematography, a fitting score, and some of the most impressive visual effects I’ve seen this year so far, with just under two months left to go. The creature action sequences are thrilling, but what really surprised me was how invested I became in Dek and his newfound clan by the third act. I suspect a lot of audiences will have just as much of a blast with this as I did.
If I have any complaints, they’re relatively minor; such as a few rough story beats with uneven pacing and some script holes that could have been smoothed out. The finale also runs a bit long and might have benefited from a tighter edit. There’s also an intangible “missing piece” that keeps the film from reaching the next level for me, but even so, it’s a highly satisfying ride and one of the top-tier popcorn flicks of 2025.
Predator: Badlands is a great time at the movies, even for casual fans of the franchise. I’m giving it a solid B+. Trachtenberg has proven himself to be the remedy this series has long needed, and I’d be more than happy to see him continue breaking new ground with it.
“TL;DR”
Pros: Yet another brand new take that adds to the growing lore around the Predator franchise; Amazing creature action sequences and special effects; A great “found family” theme; Elle Fanning giving her best performance yet in my view; Great popcorn flick that will appeal to most ages
Cons: A couple rough edges for some story beats that could’ve used a little more smoothing out; Third act feels like it could’ve been cut down to a tighter finale; Feels like something is missing to take it into that extra tier of something really special
GRADING
