REVIEW “Predator Badlands”
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Predator: Badlands Review: A Franchise Refresh That Finally Works
It’s official: Predator: Badlands is a fantastic movie, and the box office success and strong word-of-mouth are reflecting that. This film was a long time coming and represents a major, necessary change in the Predator franchise.
For decades, the sequels have struggled, often feeling like minor variations on the same plot—a rehash of the “most dangerous game” setup where the Predator comes down, gets some human trophies, and is ultimately defeated by the main human protagonist.
The Sequel Problem (And Why Badlands Fixed It)
We’ve seen the attempts to evolve the franchise, and they mostly fell flat. I saw Alien vs. Predator (skipping Requiem, probably for the best) and Predators, which was just okay. While I’m a sucker for a Yakuza guy with a Katana sword, the subtle twist at the end didn't save the film. It was mostly just a forest and some bland CGI animals.
Then there was The Predator (2018). That movie was a chaotic mess, packed with bad jokes that even stars like Keegan-Michael Key and Thomas Jane couldn't save. It tried to introduce a larger, "Ultimate Predator," but ultimately, it just felt like they didn't know what they were doing.
What Badlands understands is that the core loop needed to be broken. We’ve seen the Predator hunt humans. Man isn't that interesting anymore. It was time for a point-of-view change.
A Predator Protagonist and the Hunt on Genna
The biggest and best change is that we are officially seeing the story from the Yautja (Predator) perspective. Our main character is Dek, a young Predator who has been exiled from his clan for being considered weak. His mission is to go to the hostile alien world of Genna to hunt a legendary, practically invincible monster called the Kalisk—a feat that would restore his honor.
This move gives the film depth. We hear their language for the first time in film, and their face being CGI this time allows for the Yautja to use human facial expressions to express characteristics like—confusion, curiosity, planning, and anger—to help us relate to Dek's emotional journey.
Critically, the film handles the Yautja language perfectly: it uses subtitles. But Elle Fanning speaks English using a pseudoscience of her scanning his language and then turning on some robot signals that allow us to understand her and Dek to understand her.
The Unexpected Duo: Dek and Thia
Dek’s hunt quickly turns into an odd-couple buddy adventure when he encounters Thia (played by Elle Fanning). Thia is a synth from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, immediately connecting this film to the Alien universe.
Thia is incapacitated below the waist, and Dek eventually fashions her into a carrier, strapping her to his back. It’s a genius visual and character dynamic—part C-3PO on Chewbacca’s back, part eyes in the back of Dek's head. She provides him with crucial information and the ability to speak English to other forces, while he provides the muscle to get them off the deadly planet. This partnership is what sells the movie.
⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD: The Stakes and The Payoff ⚠️
The plot and lore-building in Badlands are what make it truly stand out.
The reason the Weyland-Yutani robots are on Genna becomes clear: they are also after the Kalisk. This massive creature has an extraordinary regeneration ability, and the company wants to harness it for human benefit back on Earth. So, it becomes a multi-species race: the corporate greed of Weyland-Yutani racing the need for honor and redemption from the outcast Dek.
The way Dek uses the environment, the plants, the animals, and even Thia to hunt this ultimate monster is incredibly satisfying. The entire movie is full of earned surprises—those moments where you gasp, “Oh, that’s what that was for!” or “Oh, he’s going to do THAT!”
It never feels like twists are just thrown in for shock value. The filmmakers clearly have a deep love and understanding of this world. Predator: Badlands is different enough to be fresh, but still maintains the core lore, opening up exciting new possibilities for the future.
Final Verdict: Predator: Badlands is a must-see for sci-fi and action fans, and it definitely sets a new high bar for the franchise.
I loved this new, lore-heavy direction!
What element of the film did you find the most surprising?
