Movies , Reviews , Sci Fi NOC Review: ‘Predator: Badlands’ is an Enjoyable Sci-Fi Romp Redefining a classic franchise is a difficult thing to do. Countless remakes and reboots of beloved classics from Poltergeist to Child’s Play have withered and died at the cinema. The Predator franchise, specifically, has even seen its share of wasted potential (see Shane Black’s failed attempt from 2018). Thankfully, in the hands of gifted filmmaker, Dan Trachtenberg, the Predator series has found exhilerating new life, starting with the incredible Prey, and continuing with Predator: Killer of Killers . Now, Trachtenberg is doing something even more daring: he’s reinventing his reinvention with a triumphant popcorn blast – the sci-fi adventure, Predator: Badlands! In the same way James Cameron took the Alien franchise and made an action romp with Aliens, Trachtenberg plays with genre for Predator, shifting the focus from a horror survival franchise and adapting it into a surprisingly lighthearted sci-fi fantasy action adventure. While this may rub purists the wrong way, Trachtenberg executes this with a stylish grace and reverance that never forgets what franchise this film is part of (being an expert himself after two other incredible films). And he does so through a concept that has never before been attempted: making a Yautja a sympathetic protagonist. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi on the set of 20th Century Studios’ PREDATOR: BADLANDS film. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. Predator: Badlands follows a young Yautja “runt” named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) that, according to the customs set by his own father, is intended to be killed for his weakness. Forced to flee to a treacherous planet called Genna, Dek must team up with an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning), a damaged Synth from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, to survive the dangers of Genna, and prove his worth as a true Yautja warrior. With Badlands, Trachtenberg takes a well worn franchise and adds a lot of freshness to it; freshness from even what he brought us with his previous installments. To actually make a Yautja a sympathetic protagonist rather than the primary antagonist subverts expectations and recontextualizes the way we’ve seen these “monsters” as villains in past installments. It provides even more depth to this franchise and allows us to emotionally connect to all aspects of it – including its more trecherous sides. Though not entirely set on any Yautja homeworld, the presence of a fully formed and realized culture, with the complexitites of its own relationships, is both intriguing and inspired. This is something that has never been explored in a Predator film before. And I love that Trachtenberg and his crew, including screenwriter Patrick Aison, decided to change this and make it completely different. (L-R) Elle Fanning as Thia and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek in 20th Century Studios’ PREDATOR: BADLANDS film. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. In doing so, we begin to see not all the Yautjas are the same, and even within their own culture, there is a sense of cruelty towards one another. Pointing this out allows Trachtenberg to skewer concepts of toxic Alpha-male bravado. Having Dek, not only realize he has to be reliant on others to survive, but having one of those others be a female synth, is valuable to point out. So thematically, he’s introducing us to the culture of a trecherous race of aliens and subverting its flaws all in the same film, which is actually incredibly smart. On a performance level, Koloamatangi is great, embodying both the imposing nature of a Yautja in his performance, and even going out of his way to learn the Yautja language to deliver his lines. The fact that so much of this movie is subtitled in Yautja is an incredible feat, and poses such a challenge for a breakthrough performer like Koloamatangi, so the effort definitely deserves admiration. That said, his delivery also allows us to connect with Dek on a personal level, seeing both the facade of his bravado covering up a vulnerability he ultimately accepts. It’s something that allows us to empathize with a Yautja after almost 40 years of cinematic iconography. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek in 20th Century Studios’ PREDATOR: BADLANDS film. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. However, this movie absolutely belongs to Fanning. The actress portrays dual roles in the film, as two very different synths: Thia and Tessa. As Thia she brings an optimistic sense of glee and lightheartedness to the film, and yet as Tessa, a sense of coldness and danger. It’s not easy to go from one to the other, but she does a terrific job. Thia, as a character, could easily come across as annoying to some, but in the hands of a performer like Fanning, it’s actually very endearing and charming. Unlike most synths introduced in the greater Alien/Predator mythos, Fanning provides a bit of empathetic whimsy to the role, much like Koloamatangi does with Dek. Whether she’s murdering dangerous beasts with a smile on her face, or taking joy in the impact she’s having on her otherwise stern and hostile companion, the joyful, innocent nature of her character allows us to root for this unlikely duo, and believe in the impact she’d have on Dek. Visually, this film is also incredibly impressive. The Predator effects have not lost their touch since the 1987 classic, however, with advancements in CG, it’s easier to make a Yautja look a lot more sympathetic, allowing us to see emotion in Dek’s eyes. The visuals used to erase Fanning’s lower half as Thia are also impressive, given she’s only half a synth for most of the movie. That being said, visually, the movie has more merrit beyond just its effects. The cinematography in this is absolutely gorgeous. Director of Photography, Jeff Cutter, who has collaborated with Trachtenberg previously on both Prey and 10 Cloverfield Lane does stellar work showcasing to us the grand scale of this planet, but also framing things in the most badass way showing us an ordinarly large creature like Dek as the underdog against a larger creature like the Kalisk. Cutter also captures the otherworldly nature of this planet, Genna, through muted colors and grit. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek in 20th Century Studios’ PREDATOR: BADLANDS film. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. If the movie has any flaws for me it’s that, tonally, it gets a bit sillier than other Predator films. That’s not to say any of it is bad, but I think they attempt to take a more comedic approach to Badlands than any other film in the franchise. I wish the film played things a bit more seriously from a tonal standpoint, akin to Prey and Killer of Killers. However the differences between Badlands and the rest of the franchise is what also makes this installment refreshing. I just think they probably could have cut a few jokes or some of the overly campy moments. The Predator franchise has always been campy, in a way. I mean it’s a monster movie with a guy in a suit. However, humor has always been used very sparingly, giving space more to drama and action. And with Badlands, as soon as Dek meets Thia, it basically becomes a buddy comedy. This mostly worked for me, even though some of the humor fell flat, but purists are definitely going to have issues. Overall, however, Predator: Badlands is a wild ride you won’t want to end! Trachtenberg has made a very different yet very enjoyable type of Yautja movie that’s a bit more lighthearted than others in the franchise, but a lovely movie about found families and survival, and a commentary on the idea of strength not deriving from toxic bravado! Fanning is incredible, as is Koloamatangi! It’s another unexpected surprise hit in this franchise that, despite not quite reaching the heights of Trachtenberg’s previous entries, Prey and Killer of Killers, still stands on its own as tremendous fun with engaging characters and an entertaining as hell world! Overall Score: B Source: https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2025/11/11/noc-review-predator-badlands-is-an-enjoyable-sci-fi-romp/