Review: ‘Predator: Badlands’ Is Solid, Fun, And The Sci-Fi Adventure You’ve Been Waiting For

When it was announced that Predator: Badlands would be rated PG-13 in the United States, a certain shudder went through the fanbase. How could the usually R-rated series cheap out on its action to appease the MPA’s standards for the broader reach rating? As it turns out, director Dan Trachtenberg — who also directed the R-rated Prey — resolved the issue by delivering a science fiction take on a boy’s adventure that still delivers Predator-style action via aliens, androids, and not a single human being in sight.

Yes, that’s right: Badlands is the “no-humans allowed” Predator movie fans have been dreaming about since the 1987 original.

As it begins, Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatang) is a young Yautja — a term now finally, properly canonized in a live action Predator film — who does not have the favor of his father. Considered a runt among his clan, his brother is tasked with ending his life for the good of the herd. But his brother has other ideas and offers Dek the chance to go on a hunt and prove his worth. Dek, being headstrong, chooses to hunt a creature no Yautja has ever successful killed: the Kalisk of planet Genna. Once there, Dek encounters a damaged android, Thia (Elle Fanning), sent to the planet by Weyland-Yutani for the Company’s own shady reasons.

And though I described the film as a “boy’s adventure,” the dynamic between the purpose-driven Dek and the cheerful-and-inquisitive Thia proved to be one of the most satisfying aspects of the film. They’re a great pair that, strangely enough, humanize each other despite being non-human characters. They also learn a great deal about themselves and their respective societies along the way. So, while being an adventure, it’s also a sci-fi film that asks questions with no definitive answers — something sci-fi films used to do more often before lore became an all-encompassing thing in tentpole films.

Sure, there is lore here. The film is seemingly set after every Alien or Predator film except Alien: Resurrection. Yautja culture gets explored. But those ideas are revealed in a seemingly effortless way that evokes the early Alien and Predator films. Viewers get these new ideas via the journey of compelling characters.

That one these characters is a young Yautja is truly miraculous and finally removes the worry that a Predator could not headline its own film. Sure, Fanning is a human in real life — so is Schuster-Koloamatang for that matter — but centering two non-human leads in a story sense gives the film something fresh for both the Predator and Alien film series. And it proves either one can move forward without a traditional, human viewpoint character.

But for all the high-minded ideas we’re discussing, you might be wondering if there is action. The answer is yes. Trachtenberg knows how to stage good Predator fights. And while all of the gore one might see in the film is of the extraterrestrial or synthetic variety, it’s still there. Badlands might not be the most “viscous” film in the series, but it still delivers some solid action set pieces as Dek and Thia fight for their lives on a world that seems designed to specifically put Yautja on the backfoot. That means some great creature designs, curious vegetation, and rocky landscapes that might feel familiar to players of recent Final Fantasy games. It leads to great visuals and, occasionally, a chance for the movie to pause and marvel at the world its made. It also offers Dek the chance to be the star of a heavy metal album cover from time to time.

All that said, there are a handful of issues with the film. The CGI Yautja mandibles take twenty or so minutes to get used to — particularly if you’re used to the practical effects of the earlier Predator films. But that issues melts away as Dek becomes more of a character and less of an effect. A more niche quibble will be a reference to a discredited theory about certain Earth mammals being treated as gospel truth. It is an off-note that will stick out immediately if you know about the issue. The presence of Weyland-Yutani, meanwhile, may also be a source of alarm for those who would prefer Alien and Predator to remain separate after the disastrous Alien vs. Predator film duology.

Nevertheless, Badlands reminded this reviewer of those early AvP comics from Dark Horse. The team-up between Dek and Thia certainly echoes the (eventual) buddy dynamic found in those comic book miniseries. But like 2024’s Alien: Romulus, the film evokes that same feeling of reading the comics and feeling the universe becoming a larger place. And with no Xenos in sight, the Yautja sharing the galaxy with Weyland-Yutani feels like a wonderful and compelling expansion.

Meanwhile, if you’re not interested in the lore implications, you still have this solid adventure story with appropriately-sized stakes. Dek’s hunt is never far from his mind, even as other concerns compel him to do things another Predator might not. Thia is a wonderful addition to the character roster in either film series. And like with Prey, Trachtenberg proves he gets the Predator concept in a way no one has since director John McTiernan on the original film. In fact, one can argue he gets the ideas even better than the original creators.

All of which leads to this: go see the film and if you have a teenager with any interest in sci-fi or adventure, bring them too. It can be a great bonding experience and a good night at the movies.

Predator: Badlands is in theaters now.