Disney has made a reputation for themselves over the past few years (mostly among online grifters) of buying and destroying franchises; people often point to Star Wars as an example—and there’s definitely a conversation to be had about Disney’s mismanagement of their properties, but the one franchise I believe has only gotten better since being acquired by the House of Mouse is Predator.
The franchise was in the worst state it had ever been in with 2018’s The Predator, but since Disney’s buyout of Fox, they’ve allowed director Dan Trachtenberg to basically go nuts with it; he helmed Prey in 2022, and put out two more entries in 2025 alone: the fantastic animated movie Predator: Killer of Killers back in June, and now Predator: Badlands—the franchise’s triumphant return to theaters.
My personal favorite thing about Badlands is that it’s just so different from the rest of the franchise; most other entries feature the Predator as an antagonist hunting a plucky gang of humans (or as the lesser of two evils in Alien vs. Predator)—this one goes in the opposite direction, having our main protagonist being the titular Predator himself (and as a big fan of the series, there’s something so surreal about hearing their true name, Yautja, being spoken aloud in a major motion picture).
Samoan actor Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi plays Dek, our Yautja hero—and he is fantastic in the role; playing any character under a super heavy costume is already a lot of work, convincingly delivering all your dialogue in a made-up alien language is insanity—but Dimitrius handles it like it’s nothing. I’m not crazy about Dek’s design (I prefer my Yautja to be bigger and bulkier), but him being a runt is vital to his story, so I’ll let it slide (Dek’s brother, Kwei, is more what I’m looking for).
And continuing 2025’s bizarre trend of one actor playing dual roles (The Monkey, Mickey 17, Sinners, Superman, etc.), we have the amazing Elle Fanning as twin androids Thia and Tessa—and she plays both characters so differently, yet maintains a distinct robotic energy across both. Thia’s growing friendship with Dek is surprisingly heartwarming, while Tessa’s cold demeanor can be downright chilling at times; I would’ve liked a little more time devoted to understanding Tessa as a character, but it’s not a deal-breaker for me.
The plot of Badlands has proven a little divisive—but again, I just love how strange it is. Most of these movies are action/slasher hybrids, while Badlands is basically a really violent sci-fi buddy comedy. A very sad group of people have gotten upset that Dek doesn’t have a stereotypically “masculine” arc (because they completely missed the point of the first movie)—but I like this story of a cold-hearted killer with a chip on his shoulder learning to be friends with a goofy robot girl; it’s conceptually silly, but really fun in execution.
Aside from the concept, the story is a little basic—even predictable at points; there’s a twist involving Dek’s quest, the mythical Kalisk, that I saw coming a mile away—but that may have been intended, I’m not sure. Some have complained about the plot, but the movie’s just so much fun that I can’t find it in me to hate it. There’s also more than enough Predator movies that follow the formula of the first—diversity is good. If Dan Trachtenberg wants to make a movie where a Yautja learns to be the perfect chef, I’m all in.
While I can’t imagine that’s what’s next for the series, Trachtenberg has teased another idea for a Predator movie he’s had in the works for a while—and again, I’ll be there, opening weekend. And with last year’s Alien: Romulus getting a sequel, I think the stage has been set for a perfect Alien vs. Predator film. I don’t care if it’s connected to any of these movies, I just want to see an AvP that doesn’t completely suck.
But regardless of whether or not you want that too, go see Predator: Badlands. Even if you haven’t seen a single Predator movie before, it’s standalone enough that you won’t be left behind—and I really think that anyone can enjoy it.
5/5
