Predator: Badlands
November 4th, 2025
MOVIE: PREDATOR: BADLANDS
STARRING: DIMITRIUS SCHUSTER-KOLOAMATANGI, ELLE FANNING
DIRECTED BY: DAN TRACHTENBERG
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME: 107 MINUTES
Predator: Badlands is science fiction done right. In a genre bursting with creativity and ingenuity, this one stands out as the best of the best. Director Dan Trachtenberg follows up his successful Predator prequel, Prey, and the animated Predator: Killer of Killers with what may be the finest installment in the Predator universe yet. Packed with gnarly monsters, strange creatures, explosive flora, razor-sharp terrain, an android companion, and an underdog hunter, Predator: Badlands is the most badass movie of 2025.
The film introduces us to the Yautja- warriors reminiscent of samurai, allergic to weakness and relentless in their pursuit of dominance. Our hero, Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), is searching for his brother, Kwei, on the planet Yautja Prime. The two clash in a laser-sword duel for superiority, each determined to prove he’s the stronger warrior. When their father arrives, he deems Dek the weak one. In an act of compassion, Kwei spares his brother from sacrifice, a moment that costs him his life. With his dying breath, Kwei sends Dek to the planet Genna: a world where everything is trying to kill you. There, Dek finds his purpose: to prove his strength by hunting an unstoppable prey and avenging his brother’s death.
Plot-wise, Badlands throws viewers straight into the fire. Dek is immediately assaulted by killer tree branches, hunted by dragon-like creatures, and poisoned by deadly plants. Salvation arrives in the form of Thia (Elle Fanning, in one of 2025’s coolest performances), an android created by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, linking this story to the Alien universe. Thia becomes Dek’s unlikely ally, and together they embark on a brutal journey of survival and self-discovery, each striving to prove their worth to their families and themselves.
From a technical and creative standpoint, Badlands is a triumph. The world-building is so detailed that it deserves to be studied. Writers Patrick Aison and Trachtenberg craft a simple yet gripping survival quest that’s almost entirely dialogue-free in its first half. The tone blends elements of sci-fi horror à la Alien: Covenant, the desolate modern western vibe of The Book of Eli, and the disciplined honor of samurai cinema like Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins or Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo. All these influences converge seamlessly into a Predator film where, for the first time, the monster is the hero, a twist that feels both daring and long overdue.
The film’s few shortcomings stem mainly from its PG-13 rating, which slightly dulls the franchise’s trademark edge, and from one creature whose more playful design feels out of place. Beyond that, Badlands fires on all cylinders. The banter between Fanning and the Predator strikes a perfect balance of humor and heart, grounding the spectacle in genuine emotion. Amid this deadly environment, two outsiders form a bond that makes their perilous journey deeply engaging.
In the end, Predator: Badlands isn’t just the best sci-fi film of 2025. It’s a bold reinvention of the Predator mythos. Dan Trachtenberg proves once again that he understands this universe better than anyone. This is science fiction done right: thrilling, emotional, and unapologetically wild. The journey is treacherous, and the Predator reigns supreme in the land of the bad.
3 ½ STARS
PREDATOR: BADLANDS IS PLAYING IN THEATERS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
