For nearly four decades, the Predator has been the hunter. In Predator: Badlands, director Dan Trachtenberg flips the franchise on its head and asks a question no earlier film dared to: what if the Predator is the hero?
The answer, delivered with swagger, heart and a surprising amount of humour, is the most entertaining Predator film since the 1987 original — and audiences agree. With an 85% Certified Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes and a franchise-record opening weekend, Badlands is the rare blockbuster that reinvents a series without betraying it. Our verdict: 4 out of 5 stars.
| Director | Dan Trachtenberg |
| Cast | Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Reuben de Jong, Michael Homick |
| Release date | 7 November 2025 |
| Runtime | 107 minutes |
| Genre | Sci-fi action adventure |
| Rating | PG-13 |
| Studio | 20th Century Studios |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 85% Certified Fresh (critics), 95% audience score |
| Metacritic | 71 |
| CinemaScore | A- |
| Opening weekend | $40 million domestic, $80 million worldwide (studio estimates) |
What Is Predator: Badlands About?
On the Yautja home world, young hunter Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) is the runt of his clan, dismissed by his father, the clan leader Njohrr, and overshadowed by his older brother Kwei. When Njohrr orders Kwei to kill his weaker sibling, Kwei refuses — and pays with his life, using his dying moments to send Dek away in a ship bound for Genna, a planet so dangerous that almost nothing survives there.
Dek’s mission is to kill the Kalisk, a near-mythical apex beast, and so prove himself and avenge his brother. But Genna wants him dead from the moment he crash-lands: the plants, the wildlife and the weather are all lethal. Salvation comes in an unlikely form — Thia (Elle Fanning), a damaged Weyland-Yutani synthetic who has lost her legs and is stranded on the planet, searching for her twin sister Tessa (also played by Fanning). She knows Genna’s dangers; he has the muscle. Their uneasy alliance becomes the beating heart of the film, with a small creature they name Bud along for the ride — and the Weyland-Yutani Corporation hunting the same prey for its own reasons.
What Works in Predator: Badlands
The boldest choice is also the best one. Making a Predator the protagonist — a character who speaks an alien language, wears a mask for much of the film and communicates largely through physicality — should not work, and yet Schuster-Koloamatangi gives Dek a wounded, stubborn soul. You feel every humiliation and every small victory.
Elle Fanning is the film’s secret weapon. Playing both Thia and Tessa, she delivers two distinct performances — Thia warm, funny and endlessly resourceful despite being literally carried on Dek’s back for much of the journey, and Tessa cold and corporate. Their scenes together are the film’s funniest and most touching.
- The action is superb. Trachtenberg stages set pieces that are clear, inventive and genuinely thrilling, from a field of killer plants to the final confrontation with the Kalisk.
- Genna feels alive. Shot on location in New Zealand, the planet is a riot of bioluminescent flora and impossible creatures, and the film never stops inventing new ways for it to try to kill its hero.
- The PG-13 rating is handled cleverly. The violence is as savage as ever, but because almost all the blood on screen is green or white, the film keeps its edge without an R rating — and opens the franchise to a younger audience.
- The humour lands. The odd-couple banter between Dek and Thia gives the film a warmth no previous Predator entry has managed.
What Doesn’t Work
The story itself is familiar: an underestimated outsider proves himself against impossible odds. The underdog arc is so well-worn that the first act’s beats are easy to predict, and the finale leans on a fairly generic big-boss showdown. A few of the CGI creatures look less convincing than the practical work around them, and long-time fans who want the franchise’s old R-rated brutality may find the PG-13 softening a step too far, even if the film works hard to hide it. The humour, too, will divide purists — this is as much a buddy comedy as a sci-fi thriller.
Box Office and Reception
Badlands opened to an estimated $40 million in North America and $80 million worldwide, the biggest opening in the franchise’s history, beating the $38.3 million debut of 2004’s Alien vs. Predator. Against a reported $105 million budget, it has a long road to profitability, but the A- CinemaScore and 95% audience rating suggest strong word of mouth. Critics have been nearly as warm: at the time of writing, the film holds an 85% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 71 on Metacritic.
Predator: Badlands Verdict
Predator: Badlands is a franchise reboot done right — a film that honours the series’ DNA while daring to make its monster the hero. It is funny, heartfelt and frequently spectacular, and it gives the Predator series its most exciting future in decades. If you have ever loved this franchise, this is the one to see on the biggest screen you can find. Rating: 4/5.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to watch the earlier Predator films first?
No. Badlands is a standalone story. Fans will catch references to Prey and the wider franchise, but newcomers can follow it completely.
Is Predator: Badlands connected to Prey?
It shares the same director, Dan Trachtenberg, and the same universe, but it is a separate story with new characters. No knowledge of Prey is required.
Is Predator: Badlands suitable for children?
It is rated PG-13, but it is still a violent film with intense action and scary creatures. It is best suited to older teenagers and adults.
Where can I watch Predator: Badlands?
The film released in theatres on 7 November 2025 and later arrived on streaming.