Predator: Badlands Review

Predator: Badlands

20^th Century Studios

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg

Written by Patrick Aison, Dan Trachtenberg and Jim Thomas

Starring Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Kolomatangi, Ravi Narayan, Cameron Brown, Alison Wright

Rated PG-13

A young Predator outcast from his clan finds an unlikely ally on his journey in search of the ultimate adversary.

I’ve been a fan of the Predator film franchise since I was a kid seeing the first film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The second film was entertaining as well, but the franchise didn’t connect with me again until Dan Trachtenberg resurrected it with the Predator film Prey. Prey took the story back to its roots with an alien predator hunting its prey and the prey developing a way to end the threat. It also tapped into the deeply personal elements of the series.

I was hoping to find that same connection in Trachtenberg’s follow up Predator: Badlands and to its credit, I did.

Badlands focuses on Dek, a member of the Predator race called Yautja. The Yautja are a clan centric species that prizes strength and Dek is what would be considered the runt of the litter. His size and lack of prowess in hunting lead to his father making a decision that will lead to the death of Dek’s brother, but also his escape to the planet Genna where Dek begins to hunt a creature called the Kalisk that even his father feared. Unaware of the dangers on the surface, he finds himself meeting a damaged Weyland- Yutani android named Thia whose expedition was attacked and decimated by the Kalisk.

The two begin traveling together as Thia knows more about the planet than Dek and he is the only one that can help her find her “sister” Tessa, another android that looks exactly like her but is created for field work. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Dek and Thia and it is assuredly anchored by Elle Fanning’s performance. She is a refreshing breath of fresh air in a story and atmosphere that could too easily take itself too seriously. She manages to find a great balance between wonder and humor as she tries to find a way to connect to Dek despite their language and cultural barriers.

Aison, Trachtenberg and Thomas have to do some interesting things with the dialogue in this film. The Yautja do not speak English and having Dek speak it would take away from the character and tone of the movie. Having Thia be able to communicate with him is what draws in the viewer as well as create and foster the friendship growing between them. Fanning pulls double duty as the villain Tessa and I love that the story gives her so much agency and purpose in both roles. I also love that the movie is about a hunter who is also the prey of the Weyland-Yutani corporation.

There is dynamic and visually stunning action throughout the film and I love both the alien environments and the visual tone of the movie. The colors are grounded and everything feels naturalistic. I love the pacing of the film a lot. The lack of dialogue in many moments allows for the scope of the world to come through as you connect with and see things through Dek’s eyes. There is a moment towards the end of the film where Dek must come into his own as a hunter and that scene is beautifully reminiscent of similar scenes from the other Predator movies in the franchise where the hero has to suit up and use the environment to prepare for the final battle. It was cool seeing the Yautja (usually the antagonist of these films) doing that in this one.

Predator: Badlands is a fun, entertaining and thrilling movie. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel either with its story or stakes, but it does a great job of setting up its characters, fostering its relationships and delivering on the action, violence and adventure you want from a Predator movie. It definitely succeeds on all those points and its ending moments not only show the growth of the character, but also ends the film on a funny and intriguing note.