Predator: Badlands (2025) Review

I am a fan of The Predator franchise and seeing Prey a few years ago was a real shot in the arm to this universe and I really hope this film can keep up that momentum. I watched Predator: Badlands today and here is my review for it. The Premise of the film sees a young Predator get exiled and sent to destroy a monster where he has to learn about himself. 

Main Character

The main character is a Predator called Dek played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamtangi and I really enjoyed this character. We have only really ever seen The Predator as an ice cold killing machine, but this is an actual character here and he was a character that I enjoyed watching. He has an arc throughout the film and I thought it was really well done for a Protagonist.    

Supporting Characters

Elle Fanning plays Thia & Tessa and she is great. First of all as Thia, she is a great partner for Dek and they have great chemistry together. She has some real charm about her and adds plenty of charisma to this role that adds some life to it. Tessa meanwhile, is more of a traditional synthetic and she also delivers this role well with the contrast being really here. 

To be honest, there isn't really any other characters in the film. Some of the creatures are really well designed and some of them have great moments which was really cool to see. 

Story

The story is pretty simple, it is basically a Predator going on a hunt after a big beast. But it is handled pretty well and leads to some cool things taking place. Dek also has a clear progression and story arc which is well handled and made me care about the character. However, I do think the film is a bit formulaic and plays it pretty easy, also I thin the last 5/10 mins feel really tacked on and I think could have actually been saved for a sequel. 

Script

The script is okay, I really liked that Dek only spoke in his own language as it really added something to the role. There was some humour and decent drama with the progress of Dek. But it doesn't really have any huge moments with its script like it could have, especially with a lack of depth with its story. 

Style

The film looks fantastic. The planet is filmed really well and the different creatures have great designs. There are some really fun action sequences that uses the technology of The Predator well and the grand nature of his enemies. Though, I did think there was a pacing issue. The First act in particular feels like it rushes through and it is just action scene after action scene without much depth to it. 

Overall

Overall, Predator: Badlands is a good movie. It has a great depiction of The Predator and I really liked the world building and action scenes. Though, it has a pretty basic plot and slight pacing issue. It is fun and is worth a watch, especially if you love The Franchise. 

Rating - 7/10