Predator Badlands Review: The Best Entry Since The 1987 Original

Predator: Badlands is the first film of the Predator franchise that features a predator (Yautja) as the main character and protagonist rather than a villain. Previous films have always centered on human protagonists, but this time, Dan Tranchtenberg knew exactly what he was doing, and surprisingly, it worked quite well.

Here is our version of the Predator Bandlands review that captures how it became one of the strongest installments in the Predator universe.

Plot details of Predator: Badlands (2025)​

Predator: Badlands is set on a remote planet in the future and follows Dek, a young predator (Yautja) from his homeland clan. After his father declares him an outcast, Dek sets out to prove his worth and restore his honor.

The father considered him weak and therefore useless, after which Dek wanted to prove himself and bring his first prey. He vows to bring the most terrifying villain, Kalisk, from one of the most dangerous planets, Genna.​

It is Genna where he embarks on a treacherous journey with his two most valuable allies, Thia (Elle Fanning) and an alien. Watch the trailer here:​

Actors’ performances in Predator: Badlands (2025)​

The entire highlight of the film rests upon the only two actors: Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Kolamatangi. Elle Fanning was special in the sense that she played a double role- one of Thia and the other, her villainous robot sister, Tessa.

Like Dek, Thia also came in search of Kalisk, a powerful alien who has unimaginable powers, making him indestructible. She, with her sister Tessa, wanted to capture and deliver Kalisk to their company, which was involved in making bioweapons.

Thia is desperate to be saved and wants her legs back, and till then, makes a deal with Dek to help and guide him. She becomes his “tool,” after which Dek carries her as his backpack. Despite being technically broken, Thia is intelligent and sympathetic throughout her partnership with Dek.

Dimitrius Schuster-Kolamatangi is remarkable as Dek, delivering both the character’s fierce determination and emotional turmoil. He also voices Dek’s father, doubling the impact of his performance. Dek’s drive to restore his family’s honor by taking on a fearsome creature creates some of the film’s strongest, most gripping scenes.

It is the lead performances that made the story memorable, as it was brilliant of Tranchtenberg to think about making the robots and aliens both kind and humanistic in their own special ways.

What do critics add to Predator Badlands review?

The critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes has a positive review that cites:

“Director Dan Trachtenberg continues to take the Predator franchise in exciting new directions with Badlands, a rollicking adventure that transforms one of cinema’s most iconic brutes into a hero worth rooting for.” [Source]

The critics are of the view that the film is the perfect fusion of “practical and digital effects” which vividly shows the character dynamics. The story is “compelling” despite a standalone narrative and a great “crowd pleaser” due to fun moments as well.

The world-building remains fantastic, as coming up with a completely new entry but keeping it emotional was one of the most complicated things to do for this franchise. The critics believe that the protagonist angle of the film was a good move by the director.

Fans’ reaction

Fans are absolutely fired up as the film has bagged a 95 percent audience score. They expressed their excitement with praise for the special effects, compelling cast, strong focus on the Yautja community and Dek’s motives, and super fun action sequences.

They call it a “worth watching” film, especially one that calls for a theatrical experience. The original story and several thrilling moments make it a deserving “must-watch” this season.  

Is it worth watching?

Yes, Predator: Badlands is surely worth watching due to its gripping story that takes a fresh and bold take on the franchise’s mythos. The strong character work creates the relentless tensions with jaw-dropping action stunts, making it pure cinematic magic.

I was impressed by the world-building and could never forget those small snake-like creatures who only wanted some snacks, as Thia told Dek. The tight pacing made it an unforgettable hunt where every step meant something and nothing felt out of place.

The first half of the film is a pure survival story as soon as the newcomer Dek steps into the brutal wilderness of an unknown planet whose flora and fauna are also as vile as Dek’s ultimate adversary, Kalisk.

A learning comes from the film that in order to survive such badlands, we have to learn to move through such ecosystems. We cannot survive alone, even if it means making new friends like synthetic Thia or an alien who knows how to run through the “glass lands” instead of a grassland.

The film’s poster features the tagline “First hunt, last chance,” which echoes the earlier scene where Thia teaches Dek about the role of an alpha in a wolf pack. She explains that a true alpha isn’t the toughest or the most aggressive, but the one who protects the pack and ensures its survival—an idea that foreshadows Dek’s own journey and ultimate claim to honor.

It seems like Dan Tranchtenberg gave a new life to the Predator franchise, as his last three films gained the highest ratings compared to the rest of the films. All Predator franchise movies with their respective ratings are as follows:

	IMDb	Rotten Tomatoes (Critics’ score)	Rotten Tomatoes (Audience’s score)
Predator (1987)	7.8	64 percent	87 percent
Predator (1990)	6.3	36 percent	44 percent
Alien vs. Predator (2004)	5.7	21 percent	39 percent
AVPR: Alien vs. Predator Requiem (2007)	4.6	12 percent	30 percent
Predators (2010)	6.4	65 percent	52 percent
The Predator (2018)	5.3	34 percent	32 percent
Prey (2022)	7.1	94 percent	74 percent
Predator: Killers of Killers (2025)	7.4	95 percent	88 percent
Predator: Badlands (2025)	7.5	86 percent	95 percent

What we liked

• A bold new perspective on the Predator franchise
• Outstanding performances
• Strong character dynamics
• Exceptional world-building
• Compelling story and tight pacing
• Strong themes and emotional core
• Practical and digital effects blend beautifully
• Fun, crowd-pleaser action

What could be better

• Some lore elements could be clearer
• Human characters are mostly absent
• Tessa’s character could use more depth
• Limited exploration of Yautja society

Here’s a detailed breakdown of our rating for Predator: Badlands (2025):

Story/plot	9/10
Characters and acting	9/10
Direction and pacing	9/10
Visuals and cinematography	9/10
Soundtrack/score	8/10
Themes and message	8/10
Emotional impact	7/10
Creativity/originality	9/10
Rewatchability	8.5/10

​​Our rating: 8/10

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Is Predator: Badlands (2025) available for online streaming?

​Predator: Badlands (2025) (PG-13) is currently distributed by 20th Century Studios in theaters and is not available for online streaming. It is expected to be released on digital streaming platforms for rental or purchase in early January 2026.  

Genre: Alien invasion, sci-fi, adventure, drama, mystery, thriller

IMDb rating: 7.5

Rotten Tomatoes: 86 percent on Tomatometer (critics’ score) and 95 percent on Popcornmeter

Cast: Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Kolamatangi

Director: Dan Tranchtenberg

Writers: Dan Trachtenberg, Patrick Aison, Jim Thomas, John Thomas

Producers: Dan Trachtenberg, John Davis, Brent O’Connor, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt

Release date: November 7, 2025

Movie runtime: 1 hour 47 minutes

Was Predator: Badlands the best Predator film yet in your opinion? How did you feel about Dek as the lead? Join the conversation in the comments!