Predator: Badlands [Film Review]

Predator: Badlands
Released: November 6, 2025

Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Starring: Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi

Since 1987, the Predator series has been exciting sci-fi nerds with each instalment... well, that was until the series went off the rails with countless flops - 2010s Predators and 2018's The Predator (and let's not get started on the Alien vs Predator entries) - but in recent years, the quality of films have increased thanks to director Dan Trachtenberg's approach to simplified storytelling. In 2022's Prey, the over the top special effects were replaced with heartfelt and authentic character development that proved you don't need a smorgasbord of explosions and special effects to make a movie resonate.

Earlier this year he followed up that success with the highly praised animated entry Predator: Killer of Killers which opened up a new world of enthrallment that piqued fans' interest again and now, Predator: Badlands continues his successful hat trick by flipping expectations on their heads and creating a family friendly flick guaranteed to hit you in the feels.

Commencing with training fight between two Yautja Predator brothers - Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) and Kwei (Mike Homik) - no time is wasted in setting up the focus of the film with Dek being ostracised by his father (and clan leader) Njohrr [also played by Dimitrius] for being the weak runt of the family... who knew dysfunctional families didn't discriminate against intergalactic species.

After escaping execution, Dek is blasted into outer space destined for Genna, the "Badlands" planet the film is set upon and home to the feared "unkillable" creature known as the Kalisk, which Dek intends to kill and return home with as his trophy in the hopes of receiving validation his father. We've all been there right?

Following an unrelenting battle against the clutches of native fauna and flora, Dek happens across legless synthetic robot, Thia (Elle Fanning), who was on her own mission to document and capture the Kalisk for the Weyland-Yutani organisation (you know, the one from the Alien franchise) before succumbing to its destruction. With Thia's knowledge of the planet's deadly lifeforms, and an adorable CGI monkey-adjacent creature nicknamed Bud, the unlikely trio set off to hunt the planet's most formidable apex creature.

However, they're being tracked by another damaged synthetic named Tessa (also played by Fanning), who has her own mission and plans for the Kalisk, and will stop at nothing to complete her mission. As both parties come face to face, battle lines are drawn and newly formed relationships are put to the test.

Now, I went into this movie with a completely open mind. I was eager to see how a Predator film told by the perspective of the Predator would go down, especially since they're not really much for talking, but I was pleasantly surprised by how simple Dan Trachtenberg tackled this approach and how quickly I sunk into the captivating story.

Secondly - as mentioned by a few naysayers online - the film's Disney-ification of introducing kid-friendly characters like Bud rubbed me the wrong way at first, but by the action-packed climax, I was all in on the cuteness and humour provided by the CGI offsider. The connection and character development between the main trio was so seamless that it didn't take long for you to be rooting for them all to excel on their mission - despite the curveballs along the way. And much like in Prey, the dialogue was second to the action... and believe me there is plenty going on throughout.

Sure, the gore and murderous bloodbath kills of previous entries were dulled down for this accessible M15+ approach, but it'll open a new and exciting entry-level flick for young fans and newcomers to dive into the cult classic movie monster franchise without scaring them off so soon.

The action will keep you locked in, the fight scenes are some of the BEST this franchise has ever seen, the overarching theme of chosen family is wholesome AF and the laughs and synthetic butt kicking were more than fulfilling as it sets up (and builds towards) a much bigger crossover between the Predator and Alien franchises without throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks - looking at you Alien vs. Predator.

I would recommend watching Alien: Earth prior (or after) - just to get an understanding of why the Weyland-Yutani synthetics were present in this flick. But keep your eyes peeled for the beautiful landscape of New Zealand (where the film was shot) which borders on the awe-inspiring visuals from the Lord of the Rings series.

All in all Predator: Badlands will satisfy sci-fi nerds and kids alike.

Rating: 4/5

Review by Paul ‘Browny’ Brown @brownypaul

Predator: Badlands is exclusively in Australian cinemas now.

Get tickets here