Predator: Badlands (2025)

Score: 4 / 5

I was never a big fan of the Predator series, mostly because action flicks aren't to my taste. Knowing that Dan Trachtenberg was continuing his streak in the franchise, however, led me to watch all the damn movies. And I was right; the first has its notable plot and memorable imagery, and the second I actually quite liked. The third makes its lore a bit too explicit, but its casting makes for a fun time; the fourth similarly has a fabulous cast, but its writing and direction doubles down on the franchise's weakest points for no clear reason. When Trachtenberg released Prey three years ago, I was only able to see it on Hulu, and I was amazed. Beautiful and gritty and violent and smart, not to mention culturally fascinating while branching out the lore in exciting new ways, the film remains the high point of the franchise for me. 

Badlands is Trachtenberg's second outing in this franchise, and again he proves his astonishing ability to think outside the box of familiar territory and deliver something substantially fresh and innovative. Fans of the franchise will, doubtless, decry it for being "woke" or some such drivel; it seems any time a female becomes a main character in an action film that's the result from a vocal subset of obnoxious white men. And while there is tons of action to be had here, this entry is notable for its plot structure, which is more adventure than action. Here, we're treated to a Star Wars-like (or Star Trek, perhaps, especially with the Klingon comparison, though I'm not familiar enough with that franchise) excursion to a wonderfully realized alien world known in-universe as one of the most dangerous habitable planets. And, even apart from the considerable visual artistry that makes this film an eye-popping pleasure on a big screen, Trachtenberg and writer Patrick Aison have crafted a meticulously plotted screenplay that hinges on the nature of what makes humans human. Even though there are no humans in the film, it's a fascinating and thrilling ride that doesn't skimp on the violence or marginal scares while ratcheting up emotional tension the franchise has long failed to master.

I'll interject here with some geeky personal admiration. I remember an interview in which Trachtenberg claimed, while making Prey and his subsequent Predator films, that he was inspired by various kinds of filmmakers like Sergio Leone and Terrence Malick. And while I can certainly see that at work in these movies, it goes to show how intricately intertextual genre films so often are, and how liberally well-read quality filmmakers have to be to work in these genre films. So much of the Predator vibe, in general, is just about action and badassery. But when Trachtenberg steps in with these kinds of ideas and muses, he makes the stories as much about the nature of nature, and how sentient beings can/do/do not exist well in such environments, as about the nature of killers. That is so brilliant and refreshing in our age of endless sequels and reboots that rehash original ingredients without so much as care for new inspiration. Trachtenberg did this with 10 Cloverfield Lane as well: a film that works wonderfully as a psychological thriller between two terrifying people, and then reveals its shocking and weird place in what we didn't even know was a burgeoning franchise.

I won't labor in retelling the plot, because there's not a ton. Suffice it to say that this is -- to my admittedly recent knowledge -- the first time a titular Predator is the main character of one of these movies. And he's fabulous. Played with impressive physicality by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, protagonist Dek is a Yautja (the actual Predator species) who is called a runt. He's shorter and less accomplished than his own brother, much to the chagrin of his resentful and dismissive father. Preparing for a suicide mission to prove himself on the "death planet" Genna -- I wonder if this is a corruption of the hellish place Gehenna near Jerusalem -- his father suddenly orders his brother to kill him. Refusing, the brother sends Dek to space, but not before Dek witnesses his father summarily execute his kin. Thus, the story takes on the mythic proportions of a hero's revenge against a wicked clan leader.

His goal is to slay a Kalisk, supposedly unkillable, and return its skull to his father, as their culture deems their purpose to be. Yet once on Genna, he must first survive. A gauntlet of biological horrors, the planet is so hostile to Dek's presence that he gets a severe beating after his crash-landing. Thankfully, he soon encounters Thia, an android (like Ash in Alien), who helps him navigate the terrain and learn how to find the Kalisk. Elle Fanning plays Thia and her sister Tessa, who elsewhere plans to antagonize them; the dual role allows her lots of room for showcasing her considerable thespian skills. Not only can she be hilariously blunt as the only character who speaks English, but she can also be quite scary in her attempts to manipulate her way out of jams. She's legless, you see, from her own encounters on Genna, so Dek must carry her around like a humanoid backpack; it's outrageous and clever in equal doses. Genre movies so rarely laud actors with awards, and it's a real shame; Fanning unleashes her powers in a dazzling display of dynamism and insight and sheer fire-forged skill that should decorate her with many medals. 

While I've not yet seen the AvP flicks, and have no intention to, I appreciated the Weyland-Yutani Corporation subplot here, a clear connection to the Alien franchise. You know, I don't need crossovers between these IPs, but if the writers continue to hinge any connections as a problem of uber-capitalistic empires like this, then I'm all for it. While it's not the focus of this film, it does underscore the connection in what may be the most material way that we've yet seen. Thankfully, the film only uses that to excite the nerdy fans. Mass audiences are treated to the real feast of the film: the way it combines genres. Because for all my descriptors thus far here, I've yet to say that the entire midsection of this film is a delightful buddy adventure.

Thia and Dek collect a ragtag group of misfits to help them find and kill the Kalisk, and it's all very endearing and sweet. They discuss new meanings of words, like a heartwarming moment of Thia claiming Tessa as her sister after learning about the concept from Dek and his brother, and when Dek learns that emotions (the touchy-feely stuff real Predators eschew) not only help people become stronger but make success worth achieving. Through it all, moreover, Dek is never infantilized, feminized, or otherwise meaningfully different than a brutish, hulking warrior; the actor's amazing physical performance is often nonverbal, and he conveys essays of meaning with the subtlest of movements. For all the complaints I expect will be levelled at this film by dubious "alpha males," Dek remains one for the entire runtime, especially in his final battle against his father. And it goes a long way to show that a true alpha male isn't admirable because of superficial qualities of isolation, brusqueness, indifference and cruelty, or even violence. It's about thoughtful and caring leadership, integrity and perseverance, and resourcefulness cultivated from community-building.

Apparently Trachtenberg preceded this release with an animated feature on Hulu: Predator: Killer of Killers, which I'll eagerly be watching soon. My impression, based on its trailer, is that of separate vignettes of various times and places in Earth's history in which humans have clashed with Yautja hunters. We've already seen a jungle war a la Vietnam but in Central America, street fighting in downtown Los Angeles, the American frontier, and alien hunting grounds; it looks like we'll expand into Viking and samurai historical settings soon enough, and that's even more brilliant. With Trachtenberg at the helm, I have no doubt even an animated feature will satisfy me well. But there is little right now that can compare to the gorgeous visual effects of the films in live action, and if you get a chance to see this on a big screen, you've got to take that shot.