The Screen Scribe

The Predator franchise has been many things over the years. Brutal. Clumsy. Inspired. Chaotic. Occasionally brilliant. What it has rarely been is introspective. Predator: Badlands changes that. Instead of treating the Yautja as faceless killers, it finally sits with them, listens to them, and gives the audience a point of view inside their culture. That choice alone would make the film interesting. The surprise is that it also makes it one of the more enjoyable entries in this long and uneven series. It only falters where studio caution seems to have clipped its claws.

Set on the death world of Genna, the story follows Dek, a young and exiled Predator cast out by his clan and sent on a near impossible proving mission. He is forced to survive the hostile terrain while hunting a legendary apex creature. His path crosses with two Weyland-Yutani synthetics, Thia and Tessa, both played by Elle Fanning. Thia is damaged and stranded while Tessa serves a colder corporate agenda. Their presence hints that the company has bigger plans for Genna and for whatever lives on it. This creates a tension between Dek’s personal quest and the creeping sense that something larger and more dangerous is unfolding beneath the surface. It is a simple setup but a compelling one, and it gives the film a cleaner narrative spine than many of its predecessors.

However, not everything works. The pacing wavers during the middle section. There are stretches where the urgency fades and the story seems unsure how much time to spend on character interaction. At an hour and forty seven minutes, it feels like some scenes were cut that would have steadied the pacing and character development. Dek’s development is strong, but some supporting characters feel underwritten, like Thia and her sister, and act as more functions of the plot than personalities with real depth. A few of the emotional beats could have landed harder if the film had invested more time in them. There are also moments where Genna lacks the sense of oppressive atmosphere suggested by its reputation. The danger is present, but the scale feels smaller than the film implies.

The rating is the clearest limitation. Predator stories thrive on intensity and visceral threat. Prey understood this and delivered a grounded, primal brutality that made every encounter feel dangerous. Badlands, restricted by a PG13 rating, cannot achieve that same ferocity. You can feel the film pulling its punches in the action. Cuts happen just before the impact. Camera angles conceal what should have been defining moments. It does not ruin the film, but it undeniably softens it. The Predator franchise has always lived on the edge of violence. This entry feels like Disney has politely asked it to step back to accommodate a wider audience at the expense of fidelity to the franchise identity. Let’s hope this does not become a regular occurence.

Despite those issues, Badlands succeeds in the areas that matter most. Dek is a fascinating protagonist. Watching a Predator navigate exile, honour, and survival gives the story a perspective the franchise has rarely attempted. His growing combat skill, resilience, and gradual emotional awakening give him more depth than expected. It is refreshing to see a Yautja portrayed as something more than a roaring brute. The film even manages to highlight aspects of Predator culture that have only been hinted at in previous entries. Rituals. Clan hierarchies. A sense of purpose to the hunt. It makes the universe feel larger and more alive.

Elle Fanning is a standout. Playing both Thia and Tessa, she creates two distinct personalities that tell a story of control, empathy, and individuality. Thia’s vulnerability and curiosity serve as a counterpoint to Dek’s stoic intensity, while Tessa’s strict adherence to Weyland-Yutani protocol brings a chilling edge reminiscent of Michael Fassbenders David from Promotheus. Watching the two synthetics diverge in perspective gives the film one of its more compelling emotional threads. It is a clever piece of casting and one that elevates the entire narrative.

The action, while restrained by the rating, remains satisfying. Dek’s confrontations are well choreographed and physically grounded. The film also leans fully into the brutal ecology of Genna. The world feels alive with predators and hazards, even if a few sequences could have been pushed further. The soundtrack is another delightfully unexpected highlight. With strong Nordic influences, it adds a mythic quality to the film, giving Dek’s journey a sense of ancient folklore. It helps the story feel like a saga rather than a simple monster romp.

Predator: Badlands is not the franchise reborn, but it is a welcome evolution. It takes risks. It deepens the lore. It treats its central creature with respect and curiosity. The PG13 classification holds it back from greatness, and the pacing stumbles at times, but the heart of the film works. It is engaging, atmospheric, and far more thoughtful than expected. Fans who want blood soaked chaos may feel shortchanged, but fans who want a richer understanding of the Yautja will find plenty to appreciate. A bold and engaging new direction for Predator, held back only by a softened rating and a few pacing issues. A flawed but rewarding hunt.

3 / 5 ✨ from the Screen Scribe.

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