Cast out from its clan, an alien hunter and an unlikely ally embark on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Cast: Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Mike Homik, Rohinal Nayaran, Reuben De Jong, Cameron Brown
Release Date: October 31, 2025
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong sci-fi violence.
Runtime: 1h 47m
Review:
Dan Trachtenberg's Predator: Badlands is an incredibly fun sci-fi buddy movie that flips the script on the usual approach giving it a fresh vantage point which is aided by an excellent turn from Elle Fanning in dual roles. Trachtenberg film delivers a visually impressive, although decidedly CGI heavy, experience even as he mines some well-worn sci-fi tropes to set up the story. His energetic approach to the story makes it easier to overlook the fact it all feels overly familiar especially to any Trek fans who might see more than a few similarities to Klingon culture and that of the Yautja. The good thing is that the action is well constructed across the board with each set piece providing some impressive thrills that's sure to make most fans of the series happy. Making the central Predator a runt who's been outcast keeps him from being the standard issue killing machine we're used to seeing in these films. This character is still untested which makes him far more vulnerable particularly when he loses the majority of his tech. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi is able to deliver a solid character work as Dek, in the suit, while also providing the motion capture for the character's facial expressions. Schuster-Koloamatangi manages to give his character the appropriate air of intensity and ferocity you'd expect but there are also slivers of playfulness and emotion scattered throughout. He and Elle Fanning share strong chemistry together which makes the whole thing work as well as it does. Fanning's damaged synth, Thia, has a wide-eyed enthusiasm despite the fact that she's missing her lower half for the better part of the film. She's clearly having fun as Thia, a synth who was made more for research as opposed to field work which gives her character an inquisitive sense of wonder. Their mismatched pair makes for some natural comedy that brings an air of levity you wouldn't typically expect from these kinds of films. On the other end, Fanning's Tessa is much closer to the kind of mildly malevolent synthetics we've come accustomed to from the Alien franchise. That character isn't nearly as fleshed out as Thia which is a shame since Fanning was game for it all. Predator: Badlands does make a few decisions that are destined to be divisive in the long run but that doesn't hold the film from being one of the better entries in the series.
B+
