Predator Badlands

The term less is more and more is less seems like the perfect analytical viewpoint when looking at the Predator and, subsequently, tied to it, the Alien franchise. It is a fine balance, and both IPs have had a bit of an identity crisis with it in the last decade. When it comes to dealing with monsters in shadows, once we shine more light and understand them, the terror and mystery fade. That in turn necessitates new ways or tricks to bring the viewer back and not repeat the first film.  Such was the fate for the Predator. Since his unveiling at the end of the 1987 film, the titular antagonistic race of the Yautja has been turned at times into a seeming anti-hero type. With each addition to the franchise, the role of the Predator grew somewhat questionable. Each film trying to somewhat outdo the previous iteration by raising the level of "cool". That quickly sank with The Predator (2018). It was one of those films where I can say that it is 1h 58m of my life that I am not getting back, enough said. For a while, I thought that this franchise was to be written off, but Prey (2022) gave me hope, and most recently, the animated Predator: Killer of Killers (2025). My faith was slightly restored. However, when I saw that Badlands was to feature a Yautja as a protagonist, I raised my eyebrow.

 

The seventh Predator installment, Badlands (directed by Dan Trachtenberg), follows a young outcast Predator named Dek who must prove himself by hunting the deadliest creature on a hostile alien planet. In doing so, he forms an unlikely bond with a damaged android Thia as they fight for survival. At its core, it is a classic revenge story and at the same time a coming-of-age story. Does it work? Yes, but it plays it very safely, and at times, I did have myself wondering if what I'm watching is a predator film or a Disney cheer for the band of misfit heroes type of film. I must say, an interesting choice for this film was actually to not include any humans in it at all. It's cool having Weyland-Yutani Corporation being part of the film, given that the Alien franchise could have been seen trying to shift away from keeping the universe as one until Disney bought both IPs. Nevertheless, the known humanoid androids from the evil mega corp being a part of the story adds an interesting mix. As there is no longer a human element of fear involved in the story, we can actually focus on something seemingly new in terms of what the Predator franchise has made us accustomed to. I was actually more taken by Thia's story from a sympathetic perspective, but her chemistry with Dek and their co-dependent character development work well. Its nothing revolutionary and plays their relationship safe in regards to both faithfully representing their respective species. ​

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The film has its standard fair share of action sequences, and they do not disappoint per se, but they are just average, with some momentarily elevated, well-paying off sequences. Dek truly has to use everything to keep himself alive, as at times he is not the hunter anymore, but the hunted, and each encounter feels like a trial for him. Which is a nice twist, showing him more as a thinking being with a personality that must learn quickly if he wants to become a hunter. The ending is as you would expect when you get to around the halfway point of the film, but that is not to say that it disappoints. Overall, the film definitely opens a new door for the franchise in terms of exploring the perspective of Yautja storytelling. While some may point out that it no longer feels like a Predator film, I somewhat agree. Yet let me ask you this: how many times do you want the same story of aliens in the shadows hunting humans? Badlands is a decent film, and if the Predator Franchise keeps this quality up, fans should be pleased they are exploring new stories and not doing remakes. I hope they do not forget what makes the Predator what it is, as it is a fine line to walk when trying out new ideas with an established expectation.