Predator: Badlands is a sci-fi action film set on a harsh alien world where survival is everything. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg and staring Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster‑Koloamatangi. The story focuses on an unlikely alliance formed under extreme circumstances, blending action, adventure, and emotional depth without relying solely on the traditional “human hunt” formula. It’s a fresh take and a respectful nod to the classic Predator legacy in one action protein shake! 🍻
It's so refreshing and interesting how the film shifts perspective by making a Yautja (the Predator species) the main character (Dek), giving that creature nuance and emotion rather than purely a monster. The chemistry between Dek and the android Thia (played by Elle Fanning) are fantastic! They have a surprisingly entertaining odd-couple dynamic which worked great. There was moments Dek and Thia both made me laugh, it was amusing.
The alien planet Genna is astonishing and so beautiful, amazing world building and worlds shown along with Yautja Prime. The new creature designs, and the interaction of Predator lore are fresh for the franchise and a much welcome addition.
As a big long time predator fan myself it was so refreshing to see more of the Yautja clan and hearing them interact with eachother. My hat is off to the sound design behind that and to the cool distorted daft punk like soundtrack we get with them at times. Some fans of the Pred films may feel the film softens the “monster” and horror aspect too much by giving The Predator more emotion, vulnerability and a journey but there's still ferociousness here.
The action and spectacle are strong, the pacing does slow down when characters outside of our titular ones are on screen. The tone shift from the traditional 18 to a mere 12A feels odd with what prior Predator films delivered (horror, action, gritty) but it still works here. Score is fantastic and elevates the film, trust me the distorted Yautja type vocal music whatever you call it, I'm so hyped I can't even word right now about it but yes that slaps!
Predator: Badlands is a big bold evolution of the franchise. It's so good to have more substance to the Predator species. The 12A rating is a shocking step down from the Horror series 18 ratings in the past but there's still blood to be shed here. It's not your typical Predator horror hunt like the past entries, but it does take interesting risks and delivers fun, strong visuals, and a new emotional core. It signals that the franchise is moving into territory traditional Pred fans may not like which may divide fans but arguably in an exciting way.
I thought this was incredible, I am looking forward to seeing what's next for the franchise. Thanks for reading, stay shiny and follow for more reviews! 😊
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