Predator: Badlands
An extra-terrestrial coming of age
In a way, the Alien/Predator universe has been alive and well since Alien first debuted in 1979, but there’s no denying that the franchises have experienced a resurgence in recent years. Predator: Badlands is the perfect culmination of this revival and is sure to appeal to Predator fans, Alien enthusiasts, and newcomers alike. Dan Trachtenberg, who also directed Prey, breathes new life into the franchise (along with screenwriter Patrick Aison) by giving us the first film to date where a member of the Predator species is the main character rather than the antagonist. The result is a heartfelt coming-of-age story set against a futuristic sci-fi backdrop.
The film follows Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), an outcast among the titular extraterrestrial species called Yautjas, as he is sent from his planet to earn his place in his clan by completing his first hunt. To prove he’s the strongest, he chooses a Kalisk as his prey, a formidable creature that has killed every Yautja that has gone before Dek and, to make matters worse, resides on Genna, better known as the death planet.
We quickly learn Genna is very aptly named as Dek faces death at every turn. During one of these near-death experiences, Dek first meets Thia (Elle Fanning), a synthetic android sent on a mission to Genna by the Weyland-Yutani corporation, the infamous entity that opposes most of the Alien movies. Thia has her own vendetta against the Kalisk and teams up with Dek on his mission, him being the brawn and her the brains.
Fanning adds the perfect balance of heart and humor to the story. Thia was created to work alongside her ‘sister,’ Tessa, and feels empty without a partner, the perfect opposite of Dek, who has lost trust in others and prefers to work alone. Despite being synthetic, Thia (and Fanning) bring a beautiful human element to the story. Remove the Kalisk, spaceships, and synthetics, and you could easily have a heartfelt YA film, and I mean that as a compliment.
Although the storyline is rich with themes of friendship, family, and belonging, that in no way means it lacks the action and fight scenes expected of a Predator film. The film fully showcases Yautja and Weyland-Yutani technology, both new and familiar, throughout the battle sequences. One standout fight features the use of a Power Loader, beautifully reminiscent of Ripley’s fight against the queen at the end of Aliens.
The Alien/Predator films have a long history of asking audiences to switch allegiances between characters and species, and Predator: Badlands is a superb example of this, especially by showing us the world through Dek’s eyes. Trachtenberg and Aison have created a wonderful addition to the Predator universe, a film that can stand alone as one of the best films of 2025, while also evoking nostalgia for the films that preceded it.
